Seattle's Golden Gardens Park to see summer security patrols, early hours
Golden Gardens Park in Seattle will be patrolled overnight by private security this summer, as nighttime hours are reduced, to deter unwanted or illegal activity.
Ballard's popular beach park, where a 35-year-old man was shot and seriously injured in August, has been the subject of concern from nearby residents and city officials for years. The city began closing Golden Gardens and Alki Beach Park an hour earlier in summers in 2022, before announcing last year that reduced summer hours would be permanent.
The city will hire private security guards through a pilot program this summer to patrol the boat ramp, parking lot and gates at Golden Gardens and Magnuson parks overnight, Seattle Parks and Recreation spokesperson Kasey Smith said. If suspected illegal activity occurs, the guards will call in Seattle police.
Smith said SPR has not yet finalized a contract with a provider. The security guards will be on-site from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday from May 1 until Sept. 30.
Last year, Smith said, the department hired a private contractor to monitor Golden Gardens for three weeks after summer ended. We were still experiencing misuse of the park after hours," Smith said.
Seattle park rangers work from 9 a.m. to midnight.
Starting the Friday before Memorial Day until Labor Day, Alki Beach and Golden Gardens will be open from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The rest of the year, the parks are open until 11:30 p.m.
Late-night "boom parties, during which people play music at loud volumes, have been an issue, SPR staff have said at past board meetings. Toward the end of last summer, seven sets of "speed cushions" were installed on Alki Avenue Southwest and Harbor Avenue Southwest because of recurring speeding and drag-racing issues.
The Don Armeni and Eddie Vine boat ramps will reduce summer hours from 24 hours a day to 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 4:53 PM.