Golden Gardens Park, Public park and beach in Ballard, Seattle, US

Golden Gardens Park is a public park and beach in Ballard, Seattle, on Puget Sound north of the Shilshole Bay Marina. Its lower part is split between a wetland marsh and a beach of pale tan sand mixed with small grey pebbles and patches of dry grass, with dunes and large grassy areas behind. A weathered wooden post stands near the sand, and dry brush and bare trees rise behind the beach.

Golden Gardens Park takes its name from a 1907 land purchase by the City of Seattle, part of a push to open shoreline parks reachable by the new electric streetcar lines. The park's bathhouse, a landmark designated by the City of Seattle in 2005, dates from the era when the beach drew crowds arriving by rail.

The park bathhouse reflects the era when this was a destination for family outings along the water. Visitors can see the early 20th-century architecture that still defines the character of the place today.

The lower park splits between wetland marsh and the Puget Sound beach, north of Shilshole Bay Marina. The water stays very cold for swimming even in summer, while sailing, kayaking and wind-driven sports are common. The Sound is cut off from the open ocean for over a hundred miles, sheltering the beach from severe weather. Mallards and Canada geese are used to people and have been known to attack visitors.

The double switchback road climbing from the park hosted a special demonstration stage of the 1987 Olympus Pro Rally, with cars starting at the Shilshole Bay Marina parking area and finishing atop the ridge on Golden Gardens Drive. It remains the only professional rally stage held within Seattle's city limits.