Juanita Beach Park - Swimming Hole near Kirkland
Kirkland,Washington
47.703528, -122.215822
1.6 miles N of Kirkland
GPS: 47°42'12.7"N 122°12'57.0"W
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State: Washington

Canoe, Kayak, and Swim

Juanita Beach Park is a 22-acre waterfront park run by the City of Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department on Juanita Bay, a shallow arm of Lake Washington's northeast shore in Kirkland's Juanita neighborhood. The site was a private resort from the 1920s until King County bought it in 1956, and the city took it over in 2002. Today it is the busiest waterfront park in Kirkland, with roughly 1,000 feet of sandy shoreline on the south side of NE Juanita Drive and ball fields, tennis courts and an off-leash dog area on the north side.

The address is 9703 NE Juanita Dr, Kirkland. Two free lots hold about 200 cars, and the two halves of the park are linked by crosswalks across Juanita Drive. The park is open from sunrise to 10 pm. There is no entry fee and no parking fee. On summer Friday afternoons the Juanita Friday Market takes over part of the parking lot, so spaces fill early on those days.

The swim area sits inside a U-shaped dock that encloses a protected patch of the bay, with entry from the sand or from the dock itself. When the 1916 Ship Canal dropped the lake about nine feet it exposed a long, gently sloping sand shelf, so the water stays shallow a long way out and suits small children. Lake Washington usually warms into the upper 60s or low 70s by late July and stays cold before then. Lifeguards work daily from noon to 6 pm from early July to early September. Guards do not report when the weather is bad or the air is under 65 degrees. Kids 12 and under must pass an open water swim test before going past the shallow buoy line, nobody may swim past the red and white buoys, and diving is not allowed anywhere at Juanita. Outside guarded hours and seasons you swim at your own risk.

Water quality is the main problem here. The enclosed cove gets little circulation, and ducks and geese gather on the lawn, so fecal bacteria counts spike in warm weather. King County samples the beach weekly from mid-May to late September, and the city has closed the swim area for elevated bacteria in many recent summers. During a closure the city posts signs and pulls the lifeguards. Check the King County beach monitoring results or the city's news page before you go, and skip the water for a few days after heavy rain.

Away from the water there is a playground, sand volleyball courts, picnic shelters, a bathhouse with restrooms, changing rooms and outdoor showers, and a boardwalk trail through the restored Juanita Creek marsh at the west end. The dock is open for fishing, and kayaks and paddleboards can be hand-launched from the beach. The 1905 Forbes House, the original homestead, still stands on the north side. Juanita Bay Park, a wetland preserve with bird-watching boardwalks, is on the opposite side of the bay, about a mile away by road.

Updated October 16, 2026

More Information

Juanita Beach - Swim Guide

Features: Ā» Beach Ā» Enclosed Swimming Area with lifeguards during the summer Ā» Picnic Tables Ā» Children's Playground Ā» Public Dock Ā» Fishing Area Ā» Beach Volleyball Ā» Parking Spaces Ā» Restrooms-closed in the Winter Ā» Changing Rooms-closed in the Winter Ā» Outdoor Shower-closed in the Winter Ā» Lighted Tennis Courts Ā» Little League Ball Fields Ā» Juanita Creek Ā» Open Lawn Areas Ā» Horseshoe Pits

https://www.theswimguide.org/beach/6506

Juanita Beach in Kirkland closed due to high levels of bacteria – KIRO 7 News Seattle

The water near Kirkland’s Juanita Beach is too dangerous for swimming after officials found dangerous levels of bacteria in the waters.

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/juanita-beach-kirkland-closed-due-high-levels-bacteria/2GKJZSIAPRGYVHN6BELOJPZSNU/

Juanita Beach Park (Kirkland) - HistoryLink.org

Juanita Beach Park, located along Juanita Bay in Kirkland, has been a popular summer destination for most of a century. Originally settled by Dorr and Eliza Forbes, the park blossomed as a resort in

https://www.historylink.org/File/4009

Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse - AIA Washington Council

Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse, Kirkland, WA Honor 2022 AIA/WA Civic Design Awards Client: Kirkland Parks and Community Service Firm: EHDD Architecture Photos: Ed Sozinho Gallery

https://aiawa.org/portfolio/juanita-beach-park-bathhouse/

Kirkland's Juanita Beach Park reopens for swimming

KIRKLAND, Wash. - Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland has reopened for swimming after tests showed that the water is once again safe.The beach was initially closed to swimming back on July 26 due to contamination from fecal coliform bacteria.The King County Wat

https://komonews.com/news/local/kirklands-juanita-beach-park-reopens-for-swimming

The History of Juanita Beach | Kirkland Lifestyle

Juanita Beach is likely the most historic property owned by the City of Kirkland, yet one might never realize that.

https://citylifestyle.com/articles/the-history-of-juanita-beach
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The sand beach at Juanita Beach Park with the swim area dock reaching out into Juanita Bay. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) The sand beach at Juanita Beach Park with the swim area dock reaching out into Juanita Bay. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)
7 Things to Know About Juanita Beach by Kirkland Television Sandy shoreline at Juanita Beach looking out over Lake Washington. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) Sandy shoreline at Juanita Beach looking out over Lake Washington. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) Paolo Kuletz Vlog nag swimming sa Juanita Beach Ki by Paolo Kuletz Vlog The dock that encloses the swimming area at Juanita Beach on a summer day. courtesy of Joe Mabel↗ (CC BY-SA 3.0↗) The dock that encloses the swimming area at Juanita Beach on a summer day. courtesy of Joe Mabel↗ (CC BY-SA 3.0↗) SEATTLE VLOG • KIRKLAND WASHINGTON JUANITA BEACH by Explore Seattle Vlog Walking out along the railed dock at Juanita Beach Park. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) Walking out along the railed dock at Juanita Beach Park. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland, Washington [4K] by VanKalen The waterfront promenade and beach along the swim area at Juanita Beach Park. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) The waterfront promenade and beach along the swim area at Juanita Beach Park. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) Juanita Beach Park seen from the water of Juanita Bay. courtesy of Bernie Ongewe↗ (CC BY-SA 3.0↗) Juanita Beach Park seen from the water of Juanita Bay. courtesy of Bernie Ongewe↗ (CC BY-SA 3.0↗) The bathhouse with restrooms and changing rooms near the beach. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗) The bathhouse with restrooms and changing rooms near the beach. courtesy of Steven Pavlov↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)

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