Top 5 Places to Picnic in Seattle Southside

Need to escape for a bit? Here are our Top 5 Places where you can have a picnic or take your lunch break all within 5 Miles of SeaTac Airport.

Get outside, grab some food to-go, meet up with a friend, enjoy Seattle Southside's beautiful scenery.

Angle Lake Park
Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden
Des Moines Beach Park
Duwamish-Green River Trail:
Saltwater State Park

Angle Lake Park

The first location is Angle Lake Park, which is only 1.2 miles from the airport. This lake escape is a perfect spot to cool off at while on a long layover in the summer months, or a place to change up the scenery on your Seattle Southside stay. There are plenty of activities for families such as swimming, boating, fishing, and other fun games and activities, including an incredible spray park (reviewed below). Bring your to-go lunch and kick back and relax by the lake front.

Red Tricycle Spray Park Review:

Hands down we think this is the coolest spray park south of the Ship Canal. The central point of this King of All That Is spray park is a 50-gallon, bright red bowl--accurately named the Mega Splasher--that slowly, silently fills with water, 20 feet above teenagers and tots alike. As the bowl fills, watch the braver kiddos begin to line up under its splash zone, and then get ready for the tidal wave—the bowl slowly tips, and those carefully collected gallons of water wash down towards the sea of kid-manity, completely drenching the ones who dared to stay. It’s great entertainment for you and a cool thrill for the bravest of splashers.

Besides the awesomely entertaining Mega Splasher--the only one in Washington--there are smaller tipping bowls that also spin by kid power, a spray circle, spray guns and various gentle ground sprayers, including four “flowers” that send a sweet spray two feet in the air, and can be turned on with little toes. The spray area is surrounded by a low cement wall, perfect for parents to sip their iced lattes and steer clear of the sun. Bathrooms and water fountains are right next to the spray zone, just the right distance for the potty-trainers who just gotta go.

Insider Mega-Splash Zone Tip: Keep an eye on your tots and steer them away from the Mega Splasher—because of the amount of water, we suggest this area for kiddos 5 and up.

Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden

A little further from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, about 2.5 miles north, is the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden. Currently there are eight different gardens, woodlands, and trails that make up the whole of the 10.5 acres of property. Enjoy your lunch amongst many species of plants and serene landscapes; you’ll hardly feel like you are near an airport!

Des Moines Beach Park

Another great location for a brown bag lunch near the airport is the Des Moines Beach Park along the Puget Sound. This spot is only 3 miles from your departure gate and features a fabulous view of the Olympic Mountains along with a backdrop of evergreen trees and the quaint marine town of Des Moines. Plus, if you are in need of a to-go lunch, there are plenty of local spots to grab some grub and enjoy the scenery.

Duwamish-Green River Trail

About 3.6 miles from the Sea-Tac Airport there is access to the Duwamish-Green River trail at Fort Dent Park in Tukwila. The park itself has attractions to offer, such as soccer fields and a playground. However, if you want to venture along this 10.6 mile long trail there are plenty of great spots to stop and sit along the river with your lunch.

Saltwater State Park

The last and furthest, but certainly not the least brown bag lunch spot, is Saltwater State Park. This location is 4.9 miles away from the airport and offers free access to over a hundred picnic benches close to the beach. This is a great place to “escape” from the industrial look of the airport vicinity and feel as if you were at a retreat. Relax and take in the stunning views and potential wildlife sightings. Photo by: Carmen Scott

While some of these locations are within walking distance to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, others may require another mode of transportation, such as a personal vehicle or public bus. For more information on how to navigate to these locations, check out the maps page of our website.

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