Alki Point, Cape at West Seattle, United States.
Alki Point is a cape on Seattle's western edge that extends into Puget Sound. The area features a sandy beach, a waterfront promenade, and public facilities spread across several blocks, with views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains.
The first European-American settlement in Seattle was founded here in 1851 when the Denny Party arrived at this location. The site served as the city's earliest core before the center of activity shifted eastward over time.
The name "Alki" is Chinook Jargon for "by and by" or "eventually", shortened from the settlement's first name, New York Alki. The Duwamish knew the point as sbaqʷabqs, "prairie point", for the prairies kept open by seasonal burning. Summer concerts have been held at Alki Beach since the early 1900s, and every August the beach hosts the three-day Seattle Music Fest.
The beach and waterfront promenade are easy to walk along and include picnic areas and restrooms distributed throughout the site. Parking is available nearby, and the area remains enjoyable for a stroll even on overcast days.
The Alki Point Lighthouse replaced a U.S. Lighthouse Service post light from 1887, which itself followed a lantern-on-a-post kept by settler Hans Martin Hanson from the mid-1870s. The 1913 tower still operates, and its lens can be viewed on summer weekend afternoons.
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