Kite spot on water · United States
Magnuson Park
Riders have kited it in N, SE–SW. Best in SE, S, SW.
- Works in
- N, SE–SW
- Best
- SE, S, SW
- Watch out
- WSW–NW
- Nearest airport
- BFIKing County International Airport - Boeing Field, 18 km
Forecast and webcams
Before you go
Forecasts often disagree. When Windguru, ALADIN and Windy agree, it is worth going.
Webcams nearby
Live images from cameras within 25 km of the spot. Click to open the camera on Windy.com.
Webcams: Windy.com
Tips for this spot
- Offshore wind carries you away from land. Do not ride it without a rescue boat.
- When a storm is coming, get out of the water and land the kite at once. Gusts before a storm are violent and a kite overhead is the highest point around.
- New spot: ask locals about shallows, currents and where people launch.
On site
Wind and riding area
bestworksdoes not work / gustyno reports
Direction the wind blows from. Based on riders' experience, not a forecast.
Pparking
From riders
What you need to know
Watch out for
- The parking lot and picnic shelter are directly downwind of the launch; surrounding trees create wind shadow and gusty, pulsing wind.community map
- Gusty and unpredictable storm wind; north of Sand Point the wind does not reach the shore.community map
- Very cold water in winter (colder than Puget Sound).community map
Where to launch
- When landing, have an assistant catch the kite on the grass onshore while you stand in the water; if you drift downwind, you can land in the shallows in front of the swim dock at Sand Point.community map
- Technical assisted 'up-and-over' launch: kite by the western tree line, rider by the eastern one, slowly bring it overhead and walk to the water with the assistant.community map
- Rig on the grass south of the parking lot and west of the path; run lines east toward the water (across the path).community map
Parking
- Parking lot directly north of the grassy rigging area (downwind of the launch).community map
- Car park “Beach Parking” about 250 m from the spot, free.OpenStreetMap
Rules and respect
- Yield to pedestrians on the path when laying out lines and do not self-launch (always use an assistant).community map
Conditions
- Lake Washington has no tide or currents, the water gets choppy with swell forming in strong winds; very cold in winter.community map
- Rideable at 17 mph and above on the 520 Bridge sensor; ideal forecast is S or SW 15-25 knots (8–13 m/s).community map
- Suitable for landkiting (kite landboarding) on the football pitches.community map
Riders' tips
- The 520 bridge sensor is off by about 20 degrees (reported SW is actually SSW); body-drag out at least a line's length when entering the water.community map
- In case of trouble on the water, bail out to the shore south of Sand Point.community map
In riders' own words
- „The wind direction needs to be SSW to SSE to maintain a side-shore to side-on-shore condition.“
- „Good for Kite Ground Board on a Northerly.“
- „Best wind direction: SE, S, SW“
- „The topography of this location creates wind shadows within the launch/land zone on winds with a westerly gradient beyond a SW direction.“
- „Skill level: Advanced launch... It is, although, not recommended for beginners“
- „The common rigging area is the grassy spot just to the south of the parking lot and west of the foot path. Inflate your kite here and run your lines out east“
- „This site requires an up-and-over launch with someone holding your kite along the west tree line while you stand along the east tree line.“
- „try to have someone catch your kite on the shore-side grass while you’re still in the water... come in just before the swim dock upwind of Sand Point.“
- „OpenStreetMap way/161565254“
- „OpenStreetMap way/1058988103“
- „parking lot and picnic shelter are directly downwind... wind shadows from the surrounding trees.“
- „winds can sometimes be gusty and unpredictable... there is no wind penetration near the shore north of this area.“
- „very cold in the winter. It gets colder than Puget Sound so be prepared with the appropriate gear.“
- „be courteous of passers-by as they have the right-of-way... Please do not self-launch at this site and if at all possible have a hold-down“
Photos from the area
ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wind by month
When it blows
Average wind speed 10 m above ground from NASA POWER (MERRA-2, 2001–2025). The model works on a grid of roughly 50 km; on hills and by the water the wind is often stronger and gustier.
windiest monthsaverage wind in knots, NASA POWER; below the month in m/s
Values by month
| January | 4.8 knots · 2.5 m/s |
|---|---|
| February | 4.2 knots · 2.2 m/s |
| March | 3.9 knots · 2.0 m/s |
| April | 3.4 knots · 1.7 m/s |
| May | 3.0 knots · 1.5 m/s |
| June | 2.8 knots · 1.4 m/s |
| July | 2.5 knots · 1.3 m/s |
| August | 2.5 knots · 1.3 m/s |
| September | 2.9 knots · 1.5 m/s |
| October | 3.5 knots · 1.8 m/s |
| November | 4.4 knots · 2.3 m/s |
| December | 4.7 knots · 2.4 m/s |
Nearby
More spots within 60 km
Been there?
Add what you know
Parking changed, a new ban, a new obstacle in the water? Tell us, we will check it and update the page.
Sources: Community map “USA NW Kite Spots” (Google My Maps). Wind NASA POWER, airports OurAirports, photos Wikimedia Commons (author and licence with each photo). As of 17 October 2026. These are riders' reports; local rules change, so look around before you ride and follow local signs.
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