Skateboarding
Skateboarding
6 best skateparks in Seattle
We’ve got you covered with this list of the six best, including one of our favorites Jefferson Park Skatepark.
When you watch skateboarders rip the swooping red ramps and ledges at the Red Bull Skate Space, it’s easy to forget the eleven thousand pound installation is also a piece of art. As soon as it opened, skaters lined up to show off their tricks, alongside folks who just wanted to see great art. That's exactly what artist CJ Rench and skater Torey Pudwill envisioned when they designed the piece for Jefferson Park Skatepark in Seattle.
Torey Pudwill at Red Bull Skate Space in Seattle, WA in 2014
© Mike Blabac
“We didn't want to make it easy, it’s not meant to just be perfect for skating… I think this thing is just going to get really appreciated, not only by the skaters but the people of Seattle,” said Pudwill.
The crossover between art and skateboarding is common in Seattle. The Capitol Hill Block Party, for example, is a three-day music festival that also hosts a skate contest. MOHAI, The Museum of History and Industry, has also hosted skateboarding events over the years.
But if you're in Seattle and looking to practice your 360s, before an event like Red Bull Solus, which skateparks are the best? We’ve got you covered with this list of the six best, including one of our favorites Jefferson Park Skatepark.
01
Jefferson Park Skatepark
Ryan Sheckler at the Red Bull Skate Space Demo at Jefferson Park in Seattle
© Mike Blabac
The Jefferson Park Skatepark has something for every skater. At one end of the park, there is a large bowl with a mellow shallow end and a deep end that includes some vert sections. There is also a section with quarter pipes, handrails, ledges, a-frames, manny pads, and a bird bath in the center. On the other end of the park is the Red Bull Skate Space, which caters to a slightly more advanced skater, looking to practice some tricks.
Location & Hours: 3801 Beacon Avenue South. It’s accessible between 4 AM and 11:30 PM, 7 days a week.
02
Marginal Way Skatepark
A Participant in action at Red Bull Rivals, in Seattle, WA in 2011
© Jared Souney
The Marginal Way Skatepark is an impressive DIY, which means it was made by hand by dedicated skaters. It’s made up of multiple bowls connected together through various transition elements. There are mellower bowls as well as ones with vert sections. Covered in art and graffiti, it resembles the legendary Burnside Park in Portland, Oregon.
Location & Hours: 1099 SW Hanford Street. It is accessible 24/7.
03
Lower Woodland Skatepark
Lower Woodland Skatepark is a well-laid out park that combines transition and street skateboarding sections. It has two large bowls with significant vert sections. Plus there are two smaller half-bowls connected with a spine for skaters who might not be ready for the vert bowl. The street section is large and has multiple levels connected by banks and stair sets. The street section has multiple stair sets, ledges, a-frames, euro gaps, quarter pipes, and handrails.
Location & Hours: On the east side of Woodland Park, near the intersection of East Green Lake Way and N 54th Street. It is accessible 24/7.
04
Roxhill Skatepark
Roxhill Skatepark is a street-style skatepark. There is an elevated plaza with two ledges, a handrail, a stair set, and some banks. The lower section has a handrail-ledge combo and an a-frame with two ledges and leads into a quarter pipe. There’s a diamond-shaped manny pad from the top plaza to the lower plaza.
Location & Hours: North West Corner of Roxhill Park near the intersection of 29th Ave SW and SW Barton Street. The park is accessible seven days a week from 6AM to 10PM.
05
River City Skatepark
River City Skatepark is a small, unique, snake-run style skatepark. It’s made up of ramps and shaped like a circle with a cross in the middle. Riders can flow around the transition infinitely and draw their own lines in this park, but it might be hectic with a crowd. There are four keyhole features around the edge and it is decorated with colorful graffiti.
Location & Hours: 736 Cloverdale Street. The park is accessible 24/7.
06
Delridge Skatepark
The Delridge Skatepark has mostly transition features with a small street section. It has two large bowls, one featuring an island in the middle. Around the bowls there are multiple quarter pipes, a few ledges, and one stair set. The ground is smooth concrete with a few sections of brick for a street-style feel.
Location & Hours: 2414 SW Genesee Street. The park is accessible from 4AM-11:30PM, 7 days a week.
Before skaters compete at events like Red Bull Cornerstone, they spend countless hours practicing. Luckily for Seattle skaters, there are a ton of high-quality skateparks in the area, both professionally built and DIY. They also have great skater role models giving back to the Seattle community.
As Torey Pudwill, sees it, "I'm just trying to get kids to be as stoked for skateboarding as I was."
