Loyal Heights Playground

Location of swings: 22nd Ave NW and NW 77th St.
Number of swings: 2 regular, 1 tire
Ground material: Wood chips
Chain length: Long.


Just north of Ballard, you find Loyal Heights Playground (of course, you'll probably notice nearby Salmon Bay Park along the way). It's adjacent a community center and school, so it's pretty busy. A quaint little park, but its swings dangle too low and close to the ground for my liking.


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How to get there: Bus routes 18, 75 and 81 stop nearby on 25th Ave NW, the 15 stops on 15th.

Laurelhurst Playground

Atop a high hill overlooking Union Bay and tippy tops of skyscrapers in the distance sits Laurelhurst Park/Playground, one of many gems in Seattle.

Location: NE 45th St & 48th Ave NE
Number of swings: 4 regular, 2 baby, 1 tire.
Ground material: Wood
Chain length: Long.


Oh, what joy. These swings give a nice view and the long chains provide a smooth ride. Since I live nowhere near Laurelhurst, it was quite the pilgrimage getting there, but it was very much worth it. I would rate these swings and this park among the top in Seattle.


How to get there: Bus route #25 stops along 45th.

Eckstein Community Park, Ravenna

Awh, what a cute park, tucked away in NE Seattle. There's some really nice grass here, they must take good care of it.

Location: 21st Ave NE & NE 68th St in Ravenna.
Number of swings: 2 regular, 2 baby seats, 2 baby buckets. 1 tire swing.
Ground material: Wood chips
Chain length: Medium.


These swings are pretty good. The seats are nice and new, and I found the chain length and height off ground favorable. This really is a pretty cool playground, there's all sorts of fun toys for the kids to play on. Oh, and there's a tire swing. Can you tell I'm not really that excited about tire swings?


How to get there: Bus routes #64, 71, 76 and 83 stop at 21st & 65th.

Wallingford Playground, Wallingford

Wallingford Playground
Location: Wallingford Ave N & N 43rd St.
Number of swings: 2 regular, 2 baby, 1 tire swing.
Ground material: Wood chips
Chain length: Long



A long chain on what seems like a massive small-child sanctuary? AWESOME. This is another good place to come at night, because there are many small children in the daytime, and I sometimes feel a little creepy when I'm competing with them for playground space. This is just off the main drag of the Wallingford neighborhood, so it's ideal when you're already in the area and feel the urge for some swinging. There's also a tire for you tire enthusiasts.



How to get there: Bus route #44 runs along 45th St. in both directions. Route #16 also stops on 45th. Routes #26, 30, 31 all stop at N 40th & Wallingford.

Miller Playfield, Capitol Hill

The Miller Playfield on Capitol Hill is another great park. It's next to a school, and is quite often full of young children during the day (but what playground isn't?).

Location: 19th Ave E & E Thomas St.
Number of swings: 5 regular, with 1 baby seat swing at the end.
Ground material: Wood chips
Chain length is medium.


The great thing about this playground is that there are more swings than usual. Most Seattle parks have sets of 4, usually 1-2 taken by baby options. Having 5 regular swings in a row at this park gives you a better chance of getting a turn.

There's also a tire swing here:



How to get there: #43 Bus