10 Summer Activities To Do on the Puget Sound

There’s no shortage of places to visit and activities to do on the Puget Sound in the summer. To help you venture beyond the Bothell city limits and explore, we’ve got 10 ideas for activities to help you discover more of the city of Seattle and waterfront while you’re in the Pacific Northwest.

1.     Go whale watching

Take a 45-minute seaplane ride on Kenmore Air from Seattle’s Lake Union to San Juan Island’s Friday Harbor Marina. There you’ll board a 55-foot MV Sea Lion whale watching boat for a 3-hour adventure in the San Juan Islands where you’re bound to see whales of all sizes.

2.     Rent a kayak

Head to Blake Island by catching the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry to Bainbridge Island and renting a kayak from Exotic Aquatics. From there, you can launch on the island's Ford Ward State Park or Eagle Harbor — either way, you'll get a fantastic view of the Puget Sound!

3.     View art on the waterfront

Seattle’s largest downtown green space is home to Olympic Sculpture Park, an award-winning nine-acre sculptural art park located right on the waterfront. It’s free to visit and offers impressive views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains, and is a great spot for Seattle sunsets.

4.     See someone throw fish

Seattle’s open-air Pike Place Fish Market is world-famous for its eye-catching fish tossing. Take a walk through the market to enjoy the spectacle.

5.     Enjoy the nature of Seattle

Wander the world-class botanical gardens or watch this summer’s salmon migration at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. Boats of all sizes travel frequently through the Locks, and tours are offered daily.

6.     Hail a water taxi

Take a cruise across Elliott Bay to West Seattle on the Elliott Bay Water Taxi for a mere $3. When you arrive, you’ll find beaches and shopping to enjoy and picturesque views on your cruise.

7.     Play volleyball on the beach

While you’re in West Seattle, head to Alki Beach. With partial protection from a sea wall and minus tides, the beach is wide and often filled with volleyball matches and beachgoers on roller skates and longboards. Reserve your volleyball court here.

8.     Enjoy a 360-degree view

For 360-degree views of the Puget Sound, you must add a Space Needle visit to your plans. With both a rotating glass floor for a peek at the ground below and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, this is the place for the best of the best in Pacific Northwest views.

9.     Attend an air and water show

The Seafair Weekend Festival is one of the most popular Seattle events of the summer and features Hydroplane races, wakeboarders showing off their tricks and skills and the Blue Angels performing in the sky.

10.  View Seattle from new heights

The Seattle Great Wheel offers thrilling views of Seattle from 175 feet over the water. Hop-on in time for sunset and watch the sun descend behind the Olympic Mountains in a picture-perfect (and Instagram worthy) swath of colors.