Life’s a beach: Swimming, s’mores and sun in Seattle

The weather and slowly lengthening days are almost perfect for a quintessential summer beach barbecue and s’mores roasting at Seattle’s fire-friendly spots Alki Beach and Golden Gardens parks.

These are the only two Seattle parks where bonfires are permitted in designated fire pits. The only downside is that the fire pits are only available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Because Alki Beach has about six pits, it’s important to stake out a spot early in the morning or go on a rainy day. If not, you may end up trying to roast marshmallows over a space heater on the patio of one of the many restaurants and bars on Alki Avenue.

All burnable material is regulated at the parks. Acceptable firewood is natural, bare, clean and dry cord-wood. “It’s against the law to burn yard waste, wood with nails or paint, refined lumber of any kind, construction debris or anything else one would burn just to dispose of it,” according to the Seattle Parks and Recreation Web site.

Throughout the summer, burn bans may be in effect due to pollution levels in the Seattle area. Before burning anything, visitors should check the status of the ban at outdoorfires.pscleanair.org.

The best way to get to Golden Gardens via public transport is on Metro bus route 48, which picks up all along the Ave. Get off at the end of the line, at Loyal Way Northwest and Northwest 85th Street, and walk across the street to a set of stairs that heads down to the beach.

Alki Beach Park is harder to get to if you don’t have a car. The projected bus ride time is more than an hour, according to the Metro trip planner Web site.

For those souls brave enough to submerge themselves in the potentially hypothermia-inducing waters of Lake Washington and Green Lake, the following beaches are open and life-guarded daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., June 21 to Sept. 1: West Green Lake, Madison, Matthews, Mount Baker and Seward Parks. Also, the East Green Lake, Magnuson, Madrona and Pritchard Island beaches open June 21, and close August 25. For more information and directions, visit seattle.gov/Parks/beaches.asp.

The warmest and best swimming location is Matthews Beach, said Malia Langworthy, Seattle Parks and Recreation communications strategic adviser.

“They have a nice raft and diving board, so it’s a nice area to swim in Lake Washington,” she said. “Also, I’ve gone swimming at Madrona Beach. Both are pretty heavily used on a hot summer day.”

To avoid the crowds, Langworthy recommends Pritchard Island Beach in South Seattle.

For a more romantic beach date, she said to go watch the sunset at Golden Gardens.

“It’s really wide open, right there on the water,” Langworthy said.

One of Seattle’s best kept secret isn’t a beach. Colman Pool located in West Seattle is farther away but overlooks the Puget Sound and is another excellent spot to watch the sunset. The heated Olympic-size saltwater pool features two diving boards and a giant tube slide.