Seattle Ballard to Golden Gardens 10.6 km Run With Ballard Pool Showers
Updated October 28, 2026
This out and back of about 10.6 km starts at Ballard Pool, drops through the Sunset Hill neighborhood to the shore of Shilshole Bay and follows the Burke-Gilman Trail past the marina to the sandy beach at Golden Gardens Park. Back at the pool, a drop in swim covers the locker room and showers.
Ballard sits on Salmon Bay in northwest Seattle, and its western edge drops steeply to Shilshole Bay, where the Burke-Gilman Trail runs beside the water toward Golden Gardens, one of the city's favorite beaches. On a clear day you can see the Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound for the whole stretch along the shore. The run starts at Ballard Pool, a Seattle Parks indoor pool on Northwest 67th Street, so you can shower afterward for the price of a single swim. As of October 2026, that costs $8 to $8.50 for an adult. The first and last parts of the run use quiet residential streets, and there is one long hill down to the water and back up, so save something for the climb home.
Navi is a text-based AI assistant that helps you keep your trip on track
- Text this plan to Navi with the button on this page.
- Tell Navi your flights, or the day and time you start.
- Navi fits the stops to your real times and texts you when it is time to move on.
The run: Ballard Pool to Golden Gardens and Back
It packs the best of north Seattle into one run: a quiet neighborhood, a long flat stretch beside the water with mountain views, and a real beach at the turnaround. The hill back up gives you a proper workout, and the pool at the finish solves the shower problem.
- Distance
- 10.6 km (6.6 mi)
- Start
- Ballard Pool, 1471 NW 67th Street
From Ballard Pool, run south one block to NW 65th Street and turn right. Go west on 65th to 17th Avenue NW, turn left and run south to NW 62nd Street, then turn right and follow 62nd west across Ballard to 28th Avenue NW. Jog left onto NW 60th Street and follow it west through Sunset Hill and down the hill to Seaview Avenue NW. Join the Burke-Gilman Trail on the water side of Seaview and run north past Shilshole Bay Marina to Golden Gardens Park, about 5.3 km from the start. Loop through the park by the beach, then retrace the same route back to the pool, with the long climb up NW 60th Street from Seaview. To shorten it, turn at the south end of the marina.
Open the route mapBallard Pool is a Seattle Parks indoor pool in north Ballard, next to Ballard High School. Pay the single swim fee at the front desk during a public or lap swim session, then use the locker rooms and showers after your run. Bring a towel, a lock or coins for a locker, and dry clothes in a small bag.
- Price
- As of October 2026, $8 to $8.50 for a single adult swim
- Showers
- Yes
- Hours
- Fall season through mid December. Lap and public swim sessions run most days, with gaps between them, so check the online schedule
Text Navi for navigation assistance
Navi can help you plan trips, monitor traffic and weather in real time, and get you from place to place on time. There's no app to download, just a number to text. There are many other everyday use cases for Navi that you can check on textnavi.com. The team has spent several months building Navi and we're excited to be launching in public beta. Please send any feedback you may have to feedback@textnavi.com.
Want Navi to run this plan for you?
More guides for Seattle
FitnessSeattle Green Lake 4.9 km Loop Run With Evans Pool Showers
Green Lake is Seattle's favorite running loop, a flat paved path around a lake in a big park north of downtown. This run of about 4.9 km starts and ends at Evans Pool, a city pool on the east shore where a drop in swim gets you a locker room, a sauna and a hot shower.
8 hoursHow to Spend an 8 Hour Layover in Seattle: Pike Place Market and the Waterfront
Pike Place Market has sold fish, produce and flowers since 1907, and it sits a short walk downhill from the Link light rail at Westlake. Spend most of your time in its Main Arcade, eat chowder in Post Alley, then cross Overlook Walk, the new park bridge, down to Pier 62 on Elliott Bay.
10 hoursHow to Spend a 10 Hour Layover in Seattle: Monorail to Seattle Center
The Monorail built for the 1962 World's Fair still runs between Westlake Center and Seattle Center, a short walk from the Link light rail. On the old fairgrounds, see the International Fountain and eat in the Armory food hall, then walk down to the free Olympic Sculpture Park on Elliott Bay and end at Macrina Bakery in Belltown.
12 hoursHow to Spend a 12 Hour Layover in Seattle: Ferry to Bainbridge Island
The state ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island takes about 35 minutes, and walk on passengers pay only on the way out. Ride the Link light rail to Pioneer Square and board at Colman Dock, then in Winslow see the free Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, browse a bookstore, eat by the marina and sit in Waterfront Park.
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in Seattle: Central Library and Pioneer Square
Start at the Seattle Central Library, a glass and steel landmark by Rem Koolhaas with a free tenth floor reading room. Then walk downhill to Pioneer Square, the city's oldest neighborhood, for a tree lined brick plaza and a cup of coffee at Zeitgeist.
4 hoursHow to Spend 4 Hours in Seattle: Chinatown International District
Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and later Vietnamese immigrants built the Chinatown International District, and its history and food fit into a few blocks. Begin at the Wing Luke Museum, set in a 1910 building that once held a hotel for immigrant workers, sit in Hing Hay Park, then eat in the Uwajimaya food hall and browse its Asian grocery.