Idylwood Beach Park: Water View Among the Crowds
Redmond's Idylwood Park is located beside Lake Sammamish on the site of a former resort. For many visitors, particularly families with kids, the water view and swimming opportunity it provides may make it more appealing than land-bound parks. For other visitors, the size of both the park and its parking lots may make them want to give it a miss, depending on the time of year.
In the summers, the park is very crowded. Don't plan on being able to find a picnic table or spot on the beach without some planning or sending someone ahead to stake out a claim. Similarly, the tiny parking lots mean you may be parking several blocks away and walking along the road to get to the park entrance.
The 250 feet of shoreline and substantial beach area are Idylwood's main attractions. From June to September a lifeguard is present from 11 am to 6 pm watching over a large wading and swimming area. For those who want to swim laps, there is a 100 yard lap area. A boat launch offers a place to weigh anchor for smaller boats (no trailers).
Idylwood does feature a significant stretch of rolling lawn suitable for spreading out a blanket and picnicking. The park is among the area's kid-friendliest. A new playground provides plenty of climbing, sliding and swinging opportunities for kids, watched over by giant sculptures of a giant frog and fish. The park is wheelchair accessible, as are its restrooms. Dogs are permitted on leashes; owners must clean up after them.
Idylwood Creek bisects the park, and the area around it is a nature preserve, providing habitat for coho salmon and cutthroat trout as well as red-eyed vireos and western Wood-Pewee.
The park was originally a development named Garden Grove, created by Charles Enis and his family. It changed hands several times over the next few decades and became a popular Eastside vacation spot for Seattle families. In 1969, King County bought Garden Grove along with neighboring Idylwood Park, which were given to Redmond in 1994. Idylwood's history as a commercial resort supplies the motif for its children's and beach areas.
Posted by Cat Rambo
