Seattle, Washington
Denny Blaine Park
Denny Blaine Park is a small Seattle Parks property on the western shore of Lake Washington in the Madrona neighborhood — a half-acre of grass, a short freshwater beach, and one of the country's oldest continuously-used urban clothing-optional spaces.
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Urban
- Historic
- Freshwater
About this place
Denny Blaine Park is a small Seattle Parks property on the western shore of Lake Washington in the Madrona neighborhood — a half-acre of grass, a short freshwater beach, and one of the country's oldest continuously-used urban clothing-optional spaces. The C/O convention dates to at least the 1980s, when Seattle Times reporting covered topless sunbathers there being warned by police. After Seattle dropped its lewd-conduct ordinance in 1990, the practice became fully legal under state law.
Denny Blaine is the LGBTQ+ community's historic Seattle beach — and that history has been formally recognized. In 2025 the park was added to the Washington Heritage Register as the state's first recognized LGBTQ nude beach, citing decades of community use and the safe-haven role the space has played, particularly for Seattle's trans community in the years after the COVID lockdown.
The recent political history matters for any current visitor. In late 2023 Seattle Parks proposed adding a privately-funded children's playground to the small park — a change that would have functionally ended the C/O convention. Community pushback was immediate and overwhelming: an overflow crowd of around 400 people attended a December 6 hearing, and two days later the city announced the playground would not proceed. The city's reasoning explicitly cited the cohesion the park brings to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Since 2025, however, the city has installed fencing and signage around a designated 'nude zone' within the park (effectively limiting the C/O area), and private security has been patrolling. A 2026 lawsuit challenging topless enforcement is currently active. The park's identity as an open LGBTQ+ space remains the defining feature, but the legal and regulatory context is evolving. Check current local advisories before a visit.
Visitor notes
Contributed by ClothingOptional.org Editorial Team
Who visits
Strongly LGBTQ+, especially Seattle's queer and trans communities. Long-time regulars dating from the 1980s. Younger visitors arrived in force during and after the 2023 community-defence campaign. Weekend afternoons are busy in summer; weekday mornings are quiet. The park's atmosphere is genuinely community-oriented and not casually open to drop-in tourism.
How to find it
Drive or transit to the Madrona neighborhood on Seattle's east side. The park is at 200 Lake Washington Boulevard East, directly on the lake. Street parking only and limited. From central Seattle, transit options include the 8 or 11 buses to nearby stops. Walking from the Madrona business district is about 15 minutes.
Things to watch out for
The regulatory situation is changing — 2025-26 has seen new fencing, signs, and private security limiting the C/O area within the park. Check the Washington Heritage Register listing or recent local news before assuming the historical convention is fully intact. Lake Washington water is cool but swimmable in summer. The park is small and gets crowded on warm weekends.
Last updated
Etiquette & ground rules
Denny Blaine has been the historic LGBTQ+ Seattle nude beach for forty years; respect the community culture. No photography. The park is small and shared with non-naturist users; the designated nude zone (newly fenced as of 2025) is the active area. Be respectful of the fencing and signage — they're part of the city's currently-fragile tolerance arrangement and ignoring them threatens the convention. Pack out everything. The community has actively protected this space; visiting respectfully is how you join it rather than undermine it.
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