How Nature Supports Mental Health: Best Green & Blue Spaces in Seattle

Written By Keisha Hays

Summer is around the corner, and with it comes a shift to longer days, changing routines, and more opportunities to step outside. While this season invites a mixture of rest, relaxation, and transitions, it also offers a chance to slow down, tune in, and connect.

Spending time outdoors can be both a pleasant way to pass the time and a powerful tool for mental well-being. In particular, green and blue spaces can offer real, research-backed benefits for your body and mind.

What Are Green and Blue Spaces?

Green spaces are areas filled with trees, plants, grass, or other natural ground cover, including parks, forests, fields, or even a backyard.

Blue spaces refer to bodies of water, natural or human-made, like lakes, rivers, oceans, or swimming pools.

Research shows that spending time in these environments can:

  • Reduce anxiety and depression symptoms

  • Lower stress by decreasing cortisol levels

  • Improve focus, memory, and mood

Just 30 minutes in nature each week can make a difference in your emotional and physical health.

Easy Ways to Soothe in Nature

Here are a few simple ways to invite nature into your summer routine:

1. Take a Sensory Walk

Try this grounding practice as you stroll, moving slowly, and noticing details:

  • 5 things you see

  • 4 things you hear

  • 3 things you can touch

  • 2 things you can smell

  • 1 thing you can taste or 1 emotion you feel

2. Feel the Ground Beneath You

Take off your shoes, or use your bare hands, and connect with the earth. Whether it’s soft moss, warm sand, or cool rocks, physical contact with the ground can calm the nervous system and bring you back into your body.

3. Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku)

Inspired by the Japanese practice Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing means slowly and intentionally spending time in wooded areas. No phones, no pressure. Just being.

4. Take a Dip

Dangle your feet in a lake, float in a pool, sit by the Sound, or rest beside a fountain. Let the rhythm of water help you tune in and breathe a little deeper.

Seattle-Area Green & Blue Spaces to Explore

As Seattleites, we know our region is packed with accessible, cost-friendly options for connecting with nature.

Green Spaces:

  • Discovery Park (Magnolia)

    500+ acres of open meadows, forest trails, and Puget Sound views with beach access.

  • Kubota Garden (Rainier Beach)

    A local gem full of Japanese-inspired landscaping with ponds, bridges, and rich foliage. Free and reachable by bus #106.

  • Washington Park Arboretum (Madison Valley)

    Flat walking trails, wetlands, and trees galore. Reachable on #43 and #48 bus routes.

  • Cal Anderson Park (Capitol Hill)

    A more urban green space offering lawns, public art, and ample opportunities for people-watching, plus it’s directly off the Capitol Hill Light Rail station.

Blue Spaces:

  • Green Lake Park (North Seattle)

    Popular and walkable, this urban lake is surrounded by a 2.8-mile path, grassy fields, and places to dip your toes. Served by multiple buses and free to enjoy, with outdoor recreation options available for purchase.

  • Madison Park Beach (East Seattle)

    A charming beach with gentle lake waves, perfect for a quick visit or maybe an afternoon picnic! Light Rail + #11 bus is an easy route option.

  • Seward Park (Southeast Seattle)

    A peninsula with old-growth forest and lake access. Reachable via the #50 or #7 bus.

  • Olympic Sculpture Park / Myrtle Edwards Park (Downtown Waterfront)

    This park combines art, classic Puget Sound views, and gentle walking paths. Free, flat, and easy to get to via multiple bus lines or Light Rail.

Nature Time for Kids (and the Young at Heart)

Kids benefit just as much from time in nature. Outdoor play supports emotional regulation, encourages movement, and gives space to process the day.

Try these activities:

Color or Texture Scavenger Hunts
“Find something round, soft, blue, shiny…”

Mindful I-Spy or I-Hear
“I hear something rustling…” “I see something that sparkles…”

DIY Bird Feeders
Reuse toilet paper rolls or gather pinecones, peanut butter, and bird seed for an easy creative project that draws in local birds.

Let Nature Support You This Summer

Summer doesn’t have to be full of plans to be meaningful. Let this season be a reminder that rest and reflection are worthy, too. A quiet bench under a tree, a walk by the lake, or ten minutes lying in the grass can be enough to reset your body and mind.

Take the invitation. Breathe in the breeze. Let nature support you.

Keisha Hays