What to do on a Seattle summer day

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things to do on a sunny summer seattle day

Storytime

Before I moved to Seattle, I had only visited here in the summer. If you’ve never been, summers in Seattle are amazing – bluebird skies, warm-but-not-hot temperatures, epically long days full of sunshine, plus two mountain ranges, an ocean AND lakes minutes away. Then I moved to Seattle, in October of 2014.

As I set out on my cross-country drive, my coworkers said “It’s almost 80 degrees this week! It’s been gorgeous!” As I crossed the Mississippi and then the Rocky Mountains, their Yahoo IM messages became slightly less enthusiastic. “It’s starting to rain, looks like it might be wet when you get here.” As my dad and I made the final push across eastern Washington, we were waylaid in Cle Elum, Wash., for avalanche control on the interstate.

The rainy season had come to Seattle.

My first winter in Washington was not even that bad. It rained, and even snowed on Thanksgiving, but never got enough snow to open the ski resorts. February was dry and clear, and summer started in late April with temperatures in the 80s most of the summer. Each winter since then has been worse and worse. The year I came out in a blizzard to see check out a Craigslist apartment – helped by a friend in an enormous pickup truck who was willing to wait for me to slide down my hill to meet him on the flat roads. Last winter, where I thankfully missed the epic ice storm that encased Seattle, known as the city of seven hills, in ice for two days. We don’t have snow plows, and we don’t allow salt on the roads because it’s bad for the salmon. Ice storms are BAD here.

When summer finally comes around – after three months of days when the sun goes down at 4pm, Seattleites are ready to gtfo. It’s our reward for wearing a puffer coat nine months a year. (If I had affiliate links, I would link you to a nice Patagucci).

Summer in Seattle has an incredible energy. People make camping reservations months ahead of time, so calendars are booked out weeks in advance. The minute it’s above 70 degrees with little wind, people break out their paddleboards, kayaks and beach towels to sit on the rocky beaches of Alki or Golden Gardens. I had a friend who was a serious mountain biker, and I knew I wouldn’t see him until the temperatures dropped and days got too short to ride.

(Summer has an incredible energy until the wildfires start in British Columbia or Eastern Washington, or the temperatures top 108 degrees like it did when I was in Olympic National Park. The grocery store in Forks, Wash. (yes, that Forks from Twilight) had to throw away all its meat because the fridges broke. Restaurants closed because it was too hot to cook. Summer is amazing until then and for those ten days everyone hunkers down inside with their janky box fan air purifier.)

Below are some of my favorite things to do and places to visit when it’s a beautiful sunny Seattle summer day. Tag me on instagram (@hifriendsitslaura) when you get out in the sunshine.

• Day drinking on a patio
• Tours and activities
• Get outside

Day Drinking on a Patio

Of course I have to begin with outdoor bevvies. There is literally nothing I love more than sitting outside on a patio sipping a glass of white wine on a summer day.

White Swan Public House

My favorite place for summer day drinking is White Swan Public House on South Lake Union. Parking is not free, there is no longer a happy hour menu, and it can get crowded. Yet it’s right on SLU, and you can watch the float planes come in over the kayaks. The patio is in full sun and they have terrific burgers ($20) and cocktails. I really just love it – it has the ideal day drinking vibes. One of the best patios in Seattle in my opinion.

Ivar’s Salmon House

In the running for favorite is Ivar’s Salmon House on the north side of Lake Union. The main part of the Salmon House is a very nice restaurant, with an enormous patio that overlooks the water. While the patio lacks the polish of White Swan, it does have lots of tables with shade umbrellas. I went on a gorgeously sunny Sunday afternoon, and had my choice of tables. I had the cod tacos ($5.50 each) and some chips. have a boat or kayak, you can also boat up and pick up food. Ivar’s Salmon House has a terrific happy hour from 3-6pm. Free street parking is all around, although as it’s on the Burke Gilman you should bike there.

Near North Lake Union

Two other spots near Ivar’s on the north side of Lake Union are Bowrider’s Grill and Westward. Bowrider’s Grill has an unparalleled view, but does not have a liquor license. The food was also so-so, but again…the view is amazing. Westward is a very nice restaurant known for their oysters. The adirondack chair patio is first come-first serve, and is popular on the weekends. Westward was one of the most expensive meals I’ve ever paid for myself, so it’s not my first choice for an afternoon out.

Salt District Italian

Edit – Salt District closed in the fall of 2023. 🙁 Whatever goes into the space better have a nice patio!
Down near Pike Place Market is Salt District Italian Seattle. They have a nice outdoor patio, although the Argosy Cruise ships can come in and block the sun late in the afternoon. The view is over Elliott Bay, where you can watch the ferries zip over to West Seattle or Bainbridge. We enjoyed aperol spritzes ($10) and margherita flatbread ($10) from the happy hour menu. The service is delightful and I would definitely return. This is a great location if you’re staying in the downtown hotel core, near Hotel 1000, Fairmont Olympic or the Kimpton Hotel Monaco. Nearby is also Elliott Bay Oyster House, if you want happy hour oysters.

Agua Verde

Another classic is Agua Verde on the Montlake Cut near Lake Washington and the University of Washington. Rent a kayak ($24/hr) and paddle around where the rowing team practices, then hit the patio for margaritas ($13.50), chips and salsa ($12). No reservations, so go early on the weekends. Or bike over after work on a weekday for a quieter vibe.

What’s your favorite patio in Seattle? Let me know on Instagram @hifriendsitslaura

Tours & Activities

Rent an E-Bike

Rent an e-bike from Lime/Uber and bike around the Burke Gilman. These bikes litter neighborhoods and can be rented via the app. The best place I’ve seen to pick them up is just down the street from the PCC Grocery in Fremont (by Google, pinned here on this map). The Burke Gilman Trail is a paved bike trail that stretches from Golden Gardens around Lake Union to Bothell and beyond. (technically the trail is on the street from Ballard to Fremont). Bike around to a happy hour, park the bike and stop the ride on the app. Pick it back up to restart the ride when you’re ready. Use the Uber app for $1 to unlock and 44 cents/mile.

Space Needle and Seattle Center

Yes, the Space Needle is incredibly touristy. However…a clear summer day is the best time to head up to this icon from the 1964 World’s Fair. I’ve been at least three times, and it’s actually really great. Pre-book a ticket to the Space Needle, because lines can get long. If it’s really hot out, tack on the Chihuly Museum of Glass to cool down in the AC. The Chihuly is adult and child approved.

You can purchase tickets directly from the Space Needle for up to $42.50 (yeesh, that’s gone up.) If you’d like to help support my site, you can purchase a combo ticket for the Space Needle and Chihuly for $67.88 and as an affiliate, I make a small percentage. The CityPass is a third option that includes the Space Needle, Aquarium and options for a harbor cruise and Chihuly. My sister and I did the CityPass when I first was checking out apartments in Seattle, and we felt like we got our money’s worth. Thank you if you do support HFIL!

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is also incredibly touristy, and incredibly crowded. Save this activity for a weekday if you can, or get an early start. Skip the “first Starbucks” and enjoy get a local coffee or snack from literally any other vendor. Show Me Seattle has an Early Pike Place Market tour that includes Honest Biscuits, Chukar Cherries, Three Girls Bakery and more. Start at 9am for this two hour tour. (affiliate link, if you book it helps support my site). Grab some fruit or a coffee and enjoy it while walking around the warrens of the market.

M’s Game

Nothing beats an evening out at a Mariner’s baseball game on a gorgeous summer evening. Since the sun doesn’t set until close to 10pm, you can watch the entire game in daylight! Most weeknight games are Value Games, with tix starting at $10. Most weekend games have fireworks at the end of the game, and you can find at least one bobblehead night per season. One of my first summers here I got a great fedora as a game giveaway, and I wore it out! Get tickets for most games from $18 (af link).

Get Outside

Discovery Park

Of course on a nice day you should get outside and enjoy the sunshine. You don’t have to head hours into the mountains to go hiking, though. You can have a nice hike inside the city limits. Discovery Park is a city park near the Magnolia neighborhood that has 11 miles of trails. This 534-acre park sits on the former site of the Army’s Fort Lawton, and you can still see remains of a base in officers quarters and the large parade grounds.

My favorite trail is the three-mile Loop Trail that circles the park. The trail goesl through woods to reach the sandy bluff, where you can see out over Puget Sound. A lot of folks run the trail, although you still get a good workout when you walk it. Regular sneakers are fine; you don’t need anything sturdier unless you’re in training.

A new-to-me trail I really like is the paved road down to the West Point Lighthouse (original name given by the Duwamish peoples was PKa’dz Eltue), an iconic symbol of Discovery Park. A few times a year, an extreme low tide reveals tide pools on the shore line. Park naturalists will often be available during these times to answer questions. The parking lot here is very small, and has restricted parking. The park runs a free shuttle on summer weekends. If you have mobility challenges, you can get a free parking permit at the Visitor’s Center. (In the winter, I don’t think they check for the permit)

The park is completely free! It’s one of the best gems in Seattle and I cannot believe more people do not mention it in lists. While I love hikes farther out in the mountains, having this a ten minute drive away means sometimes I’ll just hike here instead.

Kayaking and Paddleboarding

Seattle is surrounded by water, from Shilshole Bay and Elliott Bay on the west, to Lake Union and Green Lake in the middle. To the east is the 22-mile long Lake Washington. The water is very cold, even in the summer, so I prefer to be on the water, not in it.

If you want to paddleboard, you can launch from Golden Gardens into Shilshole Bay (pinned on this map). It can be very choppy when it’s windy out, so be safe. You can also paddleboard or kayak from Gasworks Park, where you can paddle around the iconic houseboats of Seattle. While you can also paddle on Green Lake, sometimes it has a toxic algae bloom so I would personally not do it.

Lake Washington is far colder than Lake Union, and it’s the kind of lake where everything from wakeboarding boats to small yachts raft up on the weekends. Seafair Weekend is the first weekend in August, and the lake hosts hydroboat races and the Blue Angels flyover.

I prefer paddleboarding or kayaking by Gasworks Park (map) on South Lake Union, because it isn’t as crowded as other parts of the lake. You can park in the free parking lot, and rent a paddleboard right across the street ($20/hr at Urban Surf) from the put-in for convenience. For kayaks, I like renting from Agua Verde (and get a marg!) or Northwest Outdoor Center ($23/hr) on the west side of Lake Union.

Take a hike

The closest mountains to Seattle are the Cascade range, to the east. You can drive north to Mt. Baker and across into North Cascades National Park, or you can drive south to Mt. Rainier. You don’t need to drive into the hard mountains for a long hike, though. The easiest set of hikes to get to is the I-90 corridor along, yes, I-90, which has the Issaquah Alps, Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain and more. Use the Washington Trails Association Map to find a hike based on elevation, length, dog-friendliness, and more. One of my favorite’s is Margaret’s Way, which is a good leg burner without being too long.

Trailhead Direct

If you don’t have a car, you can take the bus to many of the trailheads in Issaquah Alps. Not only do you not need an annual Discover Pass if you do this, you don’t have to worry about the parking lots filling up. Trailhead Direct is a weekend only bus that runs from Capitol Hill and Bellevue Park n Ride to Mount Si, Little Si, and Mt. Teneriffe. Mount Si is another famously popular hike, with parking lots that fill up quickly. I took the bus for Mt. Teneriffe last year and it was so easy to do! Fare is $2.75, which you can pay with cash or your Orca card.

There’s no better way to get around Seattle than by public transit. King County Metro uses the Orca card on all public buses, light rail, and ferries in the greater Seattle area. Buy your Orca card at the airport light rail station, any light rail station, or a Fred Meyer grocery store.

The summer season in Seattle is short – usually just July and August. Get out there to enjoy some sunny fun. If you do, be sure to tag me in your IG stories or photos!

📍Seattle is on unceded land of the traditional land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People.