Location: Bellevue
Address: 4400 Lake Washington Blvd. S.E., Bellevue
Acreage: 29
A summer birthday party brought me to Newcastle Beach Park, the biggest beachfront park in Bellevue. Park in the large parking lot and take the winding path around the huge lawn to the beach. Along the way you’ll pass a great playground, which includes a cute train for little kids to climb in and on.
The beach has a large flat sandy area, and on the day I visited it was packed with kids digging. The swimming beach is guarded in the summer, and you can access the water from the beach or from the dock that wraps around the swimming area. The far end of the dock is a fun spot to watch all the boating activity happening on Lake Washington.
Shade is mostly limited to the side of the park, where tall trees create a sheltered picnic area.
If you’re looking for some exercise, choose between a 3/4-mile loop trail or bring your bike and use this park as a starting point for a ride along the Lake Washington Bike Loop.
#427 (Visited 8/2/14)