A friend and I went paragliding, each for the first time, on August 2nd, with Parafly Paragliding…read moreLLC. What a fantastic experience from start to finish. I'll detail it here: 1. From our very first e-mail correspondence, Steve was great at answering questions. All the basics were covered: Times/locations/shuttle options et.. He was timely and accurate in his responses to me, which was much appreciated. 2. Steve was very flexible and people oriented. Due to the fact I was setting up this trip for not only myself, but someone out of town, I had to have the schedule pretty flexible. Steve was very easy to work with and appreciated our constraints. We never felt pressured to hammer down a date/time in stone. Once we did select a flight day/time, we were a bit late getting up the mountain (we hiked it). Once again, we never felt pressured to "make up time" or "get back on schedule". Steve took a lot of time to explain the basic concepts and how things would feel once airborne. 3. The expertise that Steve has was pretty clear, and that confidence comes through when flying. We were up at a particularly bumpy/rough day/time, and despite bouncing around a bit, his ability/experience ensured it was still a safe/enjoyable experience (he was happy to explain what was going on, and why it wouldn't be a problem). The experience itself is fantastic. As someone who has done about all of the thrill stuff you can do (base jumping, crazy rollercoasters, skydiving, hot-air ballooning et.) paragliding ranks very high up there. It is in many ways a relaxing and cerebral experience (at least flying tandem) because you're is a sitting/relaxing position most of the time (stable enough to take pictures). It's not a steady downward glide (as I thought it would be), you're searching for thermals to ride up and then gradually falling until you find another to ride. This is probably something I'll do again--and when I do, it'll likely be with Parafly Paragliding LLC. Regards, -AC

Kyle and I had lots of fun paragliding with Steve and Drew! Arranging our reservation was simple…read moreand easy, getting to Tiger Mountain was a breeze, and hanging out in the air was fun! I think I was in denial the day of our trip, usually we get rained out or something and have to cancel our adventurous plans, and I didn't think we would actually be going. We got there super early and I was getting nervous watching people land. It was obvious who was still learning and who was a veteran. It was hot at the landing zone but it was much cooler while we were gliding. I highly recommend wearing a longsleeve shirt or light jacket. We were gliding for about 30 minutes, so worth the money! I haven't been skydiving but I don't think I will want to after this! You spend so much more time flying around for about the same amount of money and it doesn't feel as dangerous. We've found a new spot to take out of town guests for a nice hike with a pretty view of Lake Sammamish/ Mt Rainier and for an unusual outdoors activity!

John made my first jump excellent! Even though we were high…read morein the air (~1600 ft), I never felt concerned. I'm a big guy, but he never made me think it would be an issue - and it wasn't. He took the time to explain everything to me, and answer all my questions, as they arose. Now, I'm looking forward to getting my pilot certification.

It can get pretty crowded, although it's to be expected to a place this gorgeous. Who doesn't like…read morethe beach? When I visited, there were cyclists, roller skaters, people flying kites, numerous dog-walkers and even a pair out walking their pet goats!? Totally amazing atmosphere. On clear days, there are great views of Seattle and surrounding mountains. On lucky days, you can spot orca whales! Keep an eye out especially during the fall and winter, or if you're particularly committed, there are several social media groups dedicated to posting about whale sightings. You might just want to bring along a pair of binoculars whenever you visit...just in case. There's street parking that's a close stroll to the beach, and one public washroom that I could find.

I haven't been here officially on a truly hot summer beach day in WA. Growing up in southern CA,…read morethe beach vibes were different than here in WA. But today was perfect! It was hot. It was sunny. And there was beach volleyball happening. Vendors setting up to sell fruit cups and horchatas and other crunchy treats. Alki Beach Park is a true beach destination! Public bathrooms, public showers to rinse off sand, and plenty of room to camp out if you want. I came to see the lowest tides on this day. In fact, Alki Beach Park was the first beach I frequented when I first moved to WA. Today's visit was truly magical though. The low tide revealed smaller pools and seaweed. Clambs squirted water out of their exposed holes. I saw a crow get squirted in the face! I am not a sunbather but if you are, this is your spot. I recommend NOT sunbathing, but you do you boo. I do recommend coming here. Great views of downtown Seattle too. Parking goes far along the waterfront. Loads of police were patrolling too. Be careful and enjoy nature! SYOY!

Fiddlesticks! I saw that because I'm finally getting around to writing a review of the park which…read morehas been the closest to my heart, since I was born here in Seattle. Why you ask? Because I grew up here just down the street, and it is basically the park that makes me feel most at home. Yes, there are other parks in the area, but this one is the best. Let's discuss... there is a beach, there is a railroad bridge that is sketch as heck, but absolutely a blast of hot air (literally), because it's just a you, above the train, and a chainlink fence... so safe, probably, fun, absolutely. The beach, when the tide is out, is great tide pooling, lots of things to see, from little crabs, all sorts of starfish goodness. Up near the parking lots, there is a large field, and playgrounds. There are plenty of things for the kiddos to do, but the gem, is a concrete slide, in the shape of a salmon. Yes, a long time ago, there was a metal slide that ranks as the hottest things short of flying into the sun... when it was a sunny day. There are reservable picnic tables and prep areas with water... good stuff. Honestly, there are so many wonderful things about this park... did I mention the trails? There are lots of trails that have viewpoints. So recommend, yes.

Another peaceful place to get away from traffic, yet still remain in Seattle. A nice one-mile…read moretwisty-turny rally course track, so if you are not familiar with hairpin turns, keep your speed way down. A lot of popular Piper Creek trails to follow that make you feel like you are over the water at Olympic National Park--here is the ONLY deciduous rain forest in the entire Northern Hemisphere. Beautiful. Enjoy hundreds of species of birds here, marked trails and a mile-long beach with Golden Gardens to the south and the Highlands to the North. There is a large play area here some 30,000 feet for the kids and small barbeques, and a bench looking out over Puget Sound. If you want to get a birds-eye view of the trains passing by, if you aren't acrophobic, you can walk over to the overpass bridge with it's see-through deckplating that puts you literally right on top. The bridge leads another forty steps down to the beach area which is just as beautiful as Golden Gardens. Lots of driftwood and shiny things for the kids to collect, shells and the like. And a few beer and soda tops from decades past.

What a great park! Excellent river side hang out and spot to go swimming. Today was no exception…read more Slightly more crowded on this visit than a year ago. But still a very enjoyable experience. No walk today just hanging out water side with my bestie. A short walk down to the all rock beach. Be sure to bring a thick towel, a chair, or a pillow. There is small rapids here that is fun to float down. Water shoes highly recommended! And please pack out your trash. There is a bathroom next to the parking lot along with plenty of picnic benches of waterside isn't your style. The beach area has shaded areas which are perfect to avoid the sunshine. The water is very cold as well. Be careful and mentally prepared for it! Discovery Pass needed. Enjoy your life! SYOY!

There will never be a place I love more than this place. On the planet. But I come from the angle…read moreof having grown up here. My grandmother still lives within walking distance so when I say my childhood is in this water, it's no joke. I can still walk up the rock in the middle of my favorite swimming hole (at 43) like an easy set of steps and cannonball people with great enthusiasm. This park is a standalone experience. The Green River is ideal for fishing, kayaking, floating, swimming, and generally anything you'd like to do with a river except drinking. Don't do that, they pull a lot of bodies out of every year. I'd hazard a guess nearly all of those bodies made bad life choices with no respect for moving water. There is an excess of swimming holes along the stretch of river the park encompasses. This might lead you to think the fishing is also great. It is, but if it's swimming season, stick to early and late fishing because people will not respect your ill-timed line in the middle of the day. (This feud is as old as time). The camping in the park is limited although the implementation of yurts is adorable and fun, and they do accommodate RVs and tents as well. It's a great place to have an event, the availability of bathrooms and faucets has always been the standard I judge other parks by. Parking is limited, get there early or access it by taking the Long Walk. The rangers these days are young and friendly, and they deserve respect for the idiots they often have to put up with. I suggest getting the year pass for entry, you'll want to return. The park is exceptionally clean and well maintained, it hasn't changed much in the 40+ years I've known it because it's a solid setup. This is a beloved area. If you want to get drunk and stupid go upstream to the bridge or up the headworks road or downstream to Flaming Geyser area or Auburn. It's not a rowdy place, it's families doing family things. Whatever your swimming skill, there are beautiful places to put your body in the water either carefully and gently, with momentum aboard flotation apparatus, or from tall places. Respect the class IV rapids, they're easy to avoid. You can chase the sun around to all the different spots if you're apt to sunbathe, or avoid it entirely. The simple trail from one end to the other is a faerieland walk under beautiful canopy all year round. The water is pristine, the critters are adorable, and it attracts a nice style of people from many different places. Please respect it and enjoy, we're proud of this little jewel.