⚽ SportsGreen Lake Small Craft Center
4.8Seattle, WA
Ages 10–18About this program
Seattle Parks and Recreation's boathouse at the southwest corner of Green Lake, rebuilt and reopened in 2024 with more boat storage, indoor instruction space and full accessibility, which allowed the city to launch its first public adaptive rowing programme and expand paracanoeing. Two junior programmes run out of the building. Green Lake Junior Crew fields novice and experienced boys' and girls' rowing squads for ages 13-18, with fall and summer pre-season blocks and separate land conditioning and Saturday running sessions, competing in regattas including the Head of the Lake. The Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club runs a Junior Sprint Racing Team and a development team for ages 10-18, an intro and development paddling camp for 10-14, and its own distance regattas. Sessions follow the seasonal rowing and paddling calendar rather than running year-round, and registration goes through the city's quarterly catalogue. Every participant must pass a 10-minute float test at a lifeguarded pool or beach before their first water session; the test is valid for three years.
Reviewers call it one of the finest rowing programmes in the Seattle area, with a storied history and high-calibre coaching that competes at the national level, and describe a welcoming, inclusive community space with enjoyable programmes for youth and adults alike.