Overview

Golden Gardens is a popular kitesurfing spot in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, on the shores of Puget Sound. This public park offers a large sandy beach facing west with good exposure to south to southwest winds. It's one of Seattle's most frequented spots, popular for its easy access and urban setting with views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. The spot is busy in summer with many beach users.

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Spot forecast for Golden Gardens

Sunrise 07:36 · Sunset 18:12

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Next tides

High tide Mon 19 · 19:24 · 3.6 m
Low tide Tue 20 · 02:41 · 1.6 m
High tide Tue 20 · 09:24 · 3.6 m
Low tide Tue 20 · 15:17 · 2.4 m

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Golden Gardens: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

143h

in March · 14 rideable days

Wind is uneven from month to month: the best months are December, March and May, at 14 rideable days and 12 °C. The low point is July, at 4.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 83%13-20 knots · 16%21-30 knots · 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 83% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 7 °C. The wettest month is November, with 121 mm.

Monthly averages: Golden Gardens

Monthly averages — Golden Gardens — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	8.5	55 h	7 °C	79 mm
February	8.0	67 h	8 °C	65 mm
March	14.0	143 h	11 °C	55 mm
April	10.5	93 h	15 °C	40 mm
May	13.0	119 h	18 °C	25 mm
June	8.0	78 h	21 °C	23 mm
July	4.5	31 h	25 °C	6 mm
August	8.5	71 h	24 °C	17 mm
September	6.0	31 h	21 °C	21 mm
October	12.5	92 h	15 °C	64 mm
November	12.0	81 h	10 °C	121 mm
December	14.5	119 h	8 °C	115 mm

Photo gallery of Golden Gardens

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Technical details of Golden Gardens spot

The spot works with winds from SSE, S, SSW, SW.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Intermediate

On the water

Riding in Puget Sound with cold saltwater (8-14°C/46-57°F). A 4/3 to 5/3mm wetsuit recommended. Light to moderate chop depending on wind and tidal currents. Tides influence the rideable area and currents. Sandy bottom in the main area, rocky on the sides. Driftwood common in the water.

Hazards

Very busy beach in summer — watch for swimmers, kayakers, and paddle boarders. Cold Puget Sound water — hypothermia risk. Active railroad along the park. Driftwood and logs on the beach. Maritime traffic including ferries and cargo ships. Tidal currents can carry riders northward. Campfires on the beach in the evening — watch for metal fire pits.

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FW8372 Seattle2.3 kmsource noaa

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Additional stations

KG7QQL SEATTLE2.2 km

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source noaa
KG7QQL2.2 km

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source CWOP / APRS-IS

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Webcams near Golden Gardens

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Nearby spots

All spots: Washington

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Golden Gardens kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spot