Cove Park

Enjoy a gentle stroll to a sandy beach on Puget Sound, launch a small hand carried boat, explore Fauntleroy Creek and appreciate the many art installations in this beautiful shoreline street end park just north of the Ferry Dock.

Take a moment to thank the dedicated group of FCA members that changed a neglected swath of asphalt into this treasure in the mid 1990s. It took years of planning and meetings to obtain permits and to secure individual and governmental funding sources. Hard work followed. Almost 2 tons of trash, creosote, asphalt and noxious weeds were removed. Curbs, rockeries, fencing, benches, irrigation and native plantings were installed. Artwork by NW sculptor Tom Jay included a replica of a Nootka sealing canoe, a piece named “Raven Stealing the Sun””, engraved stones, and “Stream Echo” in the pavement.

The FCA volunteers provided primary stewardship, maintaining all aspects of the park for over 20 years. Twice the entire park was destroyed and restored due to necessary repairs to the wastewater system underneath it. When the complete rebuild of the Barton Street Pump Station finished in 2015, Cove Park received new plantings, new art, and a new steward. King County is now the official entity maintaining the park. Neighbors continue to keep the paths clear, pick up trash, and post community information at the kiosk.

New additional art includes a gate honoring all the helping hands of the community, varieties of salmon, and a statue of natives rowing by this safe shore with fresh water. The Captain’s rock is engraved with an image of Captain Fauntleroy’s ship he used to explore this region.

Come, enjoy this beach access, swim in the water, dig your toes in the sand. Please respect this beautiful public beach and the private beaches and tide lands that are adjacent.