Madison Park Beach
Seattle, Washington · on Lake Washington · Madison Park
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Madison Park Beach
Madison Park Beach is a City of Seattle-managed swimming beach on the western shore of Lake Washington, in the Madison Park neighborhood south of the Evergreen Point (SR 520) Bridge. One of Seattle's official lifeguarded lake beaches, this swimming hole has a historic bathhouse, swim raft, and diving boards, and has ranked among the city's popular places to swim since the late 1800s.
The 8.3-acre park sits on Lake Washington's shore, split by 43rd Avenue E into an east section (swimming beach and public dock) and a west section (playground, playfield, tennis courts, and a community co-op building in the historic bathhouse). It is a grassy, urban lakefront park in a residential Seattle neighborhood, a short walk from Madison Park's small commercial strip.
Swimming at Madison Park Beach
Open lake swimming off a sandy/grassy public beach with a roped swim area anchored by a swim raft and low and high diving boards, plus a public dock. Lifeguards are on duty during summer months. Suits casual recreational swimmers, families, and sunbathers rather than open-water distance swimmers, though the beach is also used for kayaking and paddleboarding.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located in the Madison Park neighborhood on Lake Washington's western shore, south of the Evergreen Point (SR 520) Bridge, at the east end of E Madison Street/E Blaine Street near 43rd Avenue E.
Parking: Free public parking is available at the beach according to aggregator listings; the official city page does not itself detail parking specifics.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Drive-up city beach; parking sits directly next to the shoreline park, roughly a 1-2 minute walk from car to sand. No trail or hike is required.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Good for kids
Bounded, lifeguarded swim area (summer season) with a swim raft and shallow sandy/grassy beach entry; low and high diving boards are present for older/stronger swimmers; onsite playground and children's play area let families split time between water and land. No specific hazard info (drop-offs, current) was found for the swim area itself beyond standard open-water caution.
Parking
Available
Aggregator listings disagree: one prior source (Open Water Data, per earlier dossier) described free public parking, while Swim Guide's amenity tags list a 'Fee' indicator with no dollar amount attached. Neither the official Seattle Parks page nor a direct source specifies lot type or cost, so paid status is left unresolved rather than guessed.
Restrooms
Yes
Public restrooms at the historic bathhouse adjacent to the beach, confirmed by Seattle Parks, Swim Guide, and Open Water Data listings; a drinking fountain is also onsite. No specific restroom type (flush vs. vault) or seasonal closure info found.
On the water
A pier and an existing boat launch are shown in the park's layout per Friends of Madison Park, and the group's shoreline-restoration plan explicitly proposes 'exploring the potential for offering kayaks, paddle boards, and other watercraft' on-site, implying there is no formal rental or launch program at the beach today, just informal bring-your-own-craft access typical of a public lake shoreline. No posted motor/no-wake restrictions specific to this beach were found (Lake Washington broadly hosts powerboating, sailing, and water skiing per Swim Guide).
Rentals nearby
Single kayaks, double kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards for hourly rental, launching onto Portage Bay with water access toward the Montlake Cut/Lake Washington and Union Bay/Arboretum routes
Prices: Single kayak $24/hr; double kayak $32/hr; paddleboard $27/hr
1307 Boat Street, Seattle, WA 98105 - on Portage Bay near the University of Washington, roughly 3 miles by road from Madison Park Beach and reachable by water via the Montlake Cut · Mon-Tue 10am-8pm, Wed closed, Thu 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm
Kayak and canoe rentals (single paddler up to groups of four) spring through fall, launching onto Union Bay at the edge of Lake Washington near Husky Stadium
South side of Husky Stadium on Union Bay, near the UW light rail station - a few miles north of Madison Park Beach across the Montlake area · Seasonal, spring through fall; exact daily hours and whether rentals are open to the general public vs. UW-affiliated only were not confirmed on the page
Backstory
The original wood-frame bathhouse was built in 1919. Works Progress Administration (WPA) crews rebuilt it in 1937-1938, replacing what park officials called an 'unsanitary and inadequate bathhouse' with a larger, better-lit facility to serve the crowds using the beach, and poured new concrete sidewalks to the site. WPA workers also replaced the park's clay tennis courts with concrete in 1936. The park was historically a summer destination reached by cable car (Madison Street Cable Railway) and cross-lake ferries to Kirkland/the Eastside from the 1880s until ferry service ended in 1950.
Madison Park Beach: FAQ
Does Madison Park Beach charge a fee?
Free (Seattle's city swimming beaches, including Madison Park, are operated as free public lifeguarded beaches).
Is Madison Park Beach kid friendly?
Bounded, lifeguarded swim area (summer season) with a swim raft and shallow sandy/grassy beach entry; low and high diving boards are present for older/stronger swimmers; onsite playground and children's play area let families split time between water and land. No specific hazard info (drop-offs, current) was found for the swim area itself beyond standard open-water caution.
Do I need to hike to reach Madison Park Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Madison Park Beach?
Aggregator listings disagree: one prior source (Open Water Data, per earlier dossier) described free public parking, while Swim Guide's amenity tags list a 'Fee' indicator with no dollar amount attached. Neither the official Seattle Parks page nor a direct source specifies lot type or cost, so paid status is left unresolved rather than guessed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Madison Park Beach?
A pier and an existing boat launch are shown in the park's layout per Friends of Madison Park, and the group's shoreline-restoration plan explicitly proposes 'exploring the potential for offering kayaks, paddle boards, and other watercraft' on-site, implying there is no formal rental or launch program at the beach today, just informal bring-your-own-craft access typical of a public lake shoreline. No posted motor/no-wake restrictions specific to this beach were found (Lake Washington broadly hosts powerboating, sailing, and water skiing per Swim Guide).
When is the best time to visit Madison Park Beach?
Summer (Seattle Parks lifeguards patrol seasonally; King County water-quality testing runs weekly from mid-May through mid-September).
What are the rules at Madison Park Beach?
Beach is lifeguard-patrolled during summer season; general park rules apply (e.g., dogs must be leashed per aggregator listing). No official rules text was found beyond the lifeguard-season description.
What water body is Madison Park Beach on?
Madison Park Beach is on Lake Washington, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
