Seattle loves weed, and baby, weed loves Seattle right back. The great green jewel of the PNW is one of the most cannabis friendly cities on the planet and one of the very best places to be stoned. And we oughtta know!
In addition to being the site of some of the earliest legal weed sales in the country, a world-class cultural dynamo, and home to some of the industry’s coolest budtenders and growers, Seattle is Leafly’s birthplace and where many of us call home. So, trust us when we say that Seatown is absolutely chockablock with S-tier spots to be blazed, and lucky you, you’re in the right place to find them all.
Tourist or local, transplant or native, techiest bro or crustiest punk, we’ve got you all covered. So grab a coffee from the place on the corner, turn the radio to 90.3 (jk, we know it was already there), and check out our picks for the best places to be high in Seattle, complete with a recommended strain to perfectly match the vibe.
Remember, while Seattle’s a very permissive place, it’s illegal, and more importantly, deeply uncool to smoke in public areas. While we heartily recommend experiencing the city’s best while high, make sure you opt for edibles or smoke or dab at home, and utilize Seattle’s extensive transit network instead of getting behind the wheel.
305 Harrison Street | Lower Queen Anne
You knew it was coming. The aptly-named park of a thousand postcard photos is one of Seattle’s prettiest spots and a perennial favorite of guests to our fair city. It routinely plays host to food vendors, live musicians, performers, festivals, and cultural events of all types and rewards a casual wander-through as much as it does a planned outing.
Seattle Center also serves as connecting tissue to some of the city’s most iconic locales that are well worth experiencing while blazed. The heart of the park will put you within walking distance of the Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Gardens, Pacific Science Center, and the Space Needle.
Strain Pick: Purple Haze
Pay homage to one of Washington’s most famous sons while in one of Seattle’s most famous spots. Jimi Hendrix is a Jet City legend, and the strain he inspired, Purple Haze, is just what you need to experience Seattle Center the right way. It’s a cerebral sativa that’ll give you the buzzing energy you’ll want for the cornucopia of sights and sounds you’ll encounter in the park without becoming paranoid or overwhelmed.
Local tip: The KEXP Gathering Space at their Seattle Center broadcast location is a great place to catch your breath between museums. Grab a coffee, have a seat, and vibe out to Seattle’s most beloved station while you recharge your batteries.
1401 Alaskan Way | Downtown
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Ding dong, the viaduct is dead. Dance on its grave by enjoying the long-awaited Waterfront Park after a smoke sesh and curate some of the chillest feelings Seattle has to offer. The brand-new boardwalk has quickly become one of the most popular destinations in the city, complete with scenic parks, street vendors, great food, and public art; that’s not even mentioning all the great spots that predate the park, like The Seattle Great Wheel, Miner’s Landing, and the (newly-remodled!) Seattle Aquarium. We recommend a late afternoon visit to the many waterside attractions before transitioning to a sunset stroll along the pier as your high fades to a natural close.
Strain Pick: Candy Apple
Candy Apple is a moderately potent hybrid with a fruity terpene profile that’s a great match for enhancing the joys of the waterfront without letting the hustle and bustle get you down. You’ll find that Candy Apple will bring you focus and lift your spirits, helping you manage the exciting energy and focus on the gorgeous views and delicious eats.
Local tip: If you’re hoping to hit multiple attractions in a single visit, make use of the waterfront’s many bike pedicabs to speed between spots. Not only will it save you a fair bit of transit time, but there’s a particular pleasure to feeling the salty air rush by your face as you roll along.
Alki Avenue | West Seattle
You can find everything you need for the stoney beach day of your dreams at Alki Beach, and then some. West Seattle’s premier destination for beach bums has sandy shores, a view of both the Downtown skyline and Bainbridge Island to the west, and heaps of seaside shops where you can find a bite to eat. For our money, a visit to Alki while high matches or surpasses nearly any other beach on the West Coast, and yes, we are looking at you, California. While the beach is obviously best in Seattle’s peerless, sun-soaked summer months, a visit to Alki is never the wrong call, rain or shine.
Strain Pick: Creamsicle
Named for the classic beachside treat, Creamsicle is a delightful hybrid strain that smells just like its namesake and offers a balanced, moderate high that encourages energetic feelings and conversation. It’s a newbie-friendly strain, with plenty of CBD content to balance the THC, making Creamsicle an ideal companion for any number of beach day activities.
Local tip: While a little rain never hurt anybody, especially here in Rain City, stocking up on wood for one of Alki’s many firepits will help extend your enjoyment into the night and keep you warm even when the sky is a bit more grey than you would have liked.
5500 Phinney Avenue N | Phinney Ridge
If you’re the type of cannabis consumer that loves turning on a nature documentary while getting high, then we heartily recommend checking out the IRL version of one of the classic blazed activities. It’s even better in person! Not only can you enjoy the majestic beauty of the animal kingdom within city limits, you can do it while eating fresh cotton candy. Woodland Park Zoo isn’t just any zoo, either; it’s an educational tour de force that also furthers the good work of preserving the natural environment. Get stoned, see animals, save the world. What else do you need?
Strain Pick: Cheetah Piss
Get it? While we can’t ever resist a good strain pun, we aren’t just recommending Cheetah Piss as the ideal strain for your Woodland Park Zoo outing for a laugh. It is our firm belief that the funky contains impressive zoo-enhancing abilities. Cheetah Piss is a giggly, potent hybrid that smells strongly of ammonia and skunk, which may not sound appealing, but don’t knock it until you try it!
Local tip: If you need a break from the noise and ever-present zoo crowds, take a short stroll north to Green Lake and take in the placid atmosphere. While we can’t promise there won’t be any screaming kids, we can say there will almost certainly be fewer roaring lions.
3801 Discovery Park Boulevard | Magnolia
Discovery Park is one of the best places to get lost in Seattle and an unrivalled spot to connect with the natural world without driving to the Olympics or Cascades. If stoney solitude is your desire and you often feel the urge to escape from the crowds, noise, and smell of big city living and just hang out with some trees for a while, you’ll find ample space to be alone with your thoughts in Magnolia’s pride and joy. Pack your bag, charge your headphones, and get a leash on your dog…you may just discover yourself while you’re out.
Strain Pick: 9 lb Hammer
9 lb Hammer is a true indica with a high that will keep your mellow unharshed no matter what happens to come your way. It’s an ideal companion for a low-pressure walk in the woods that melts stress away in both the body and mind. Careful, though, the Hammer’s chill is so strong that it can make newer consumers a bit sleepy.
Local tip: Give yourself twice as much time to experience Discovery Park as you might think you’ll need. There’s a huge amount of tiny trails and secret spots to explore away from the main thoroughfares, and you’ll be kicking yourself if you have to keep checking your watch.
1300 First Avenue | Downtown
Expand your mind in more ways than one by adding a little green to your palette before making your way to the Seattle Art Museum. SAM’s an internationally recognized art museum and one of our city’s most precious treasures, a storehouse of timeless works of incalculable genius that invite you to revel in the rhapsodic cultural experience and meditate on what it means to be human. And that’s just when you’re sober! Trust us, you have not truly experienced the SAM until you wind your way through its many masterfully curated exhibits in the electric state of mind that comes from being jussssstttttt high enough.
Strain Pick: Permanent Marker
Leafly’s Strain of the Year back in 2023, Permanent Marker, is our pick for getting in the right headspace to experience the SAM to its full potential. Permanent Marker is a potent hybrid that will bring you up to a focused, euphoric peak with serious body tingles, without making you so giggly that you’ll ruin the serious, artsy mood. The idea is to let the aesthetic experience wash over you, carrying your consciousness to unexplored vistas, and nothing will help you get there quite like Permanent Marker.
Local tip: The Seattle Art Museum believes that art is for everyone and offers a plethora of discounts available for qualifying visitors. In addition to their famous offering of free admission for all on the first Thursday of every month, veterans, teachers, museum employees, and many others can snag free admission if they meet certain requirements.
University Way NE | University District
A favorite of students at nearby University of Washington, University Way, aka simply The Ave, has seen its ups and downs over the years, but we love stopping by after some quality time with a bong. The Ave can thrum with energy if you’re properly attuned (read: stoned out of your mind) with unique specialty shops, great thrift shops, and many, many cheap noodle joints to feed your need for munchies. The Ave is also a popular venue for one of Seattle’s many street fairs, meaning you’ll never be quite sure what you’ll stumble upon when you roll up.
Strain Pick: Granddaddy Purple
Go Dawgs! Granddaddy Purple brings a much-needed counterbalance to the occasionally frantic energy the Ave is known for that’ll keep you grounded amidst the beating heart of Seattle’s college culture. This widely-beloved indica named for its glorious purple appearance is famed for its calming, munchie-inducing high that’ll make the Ave’s delicious, affordable eateries taste even better.
Local tip: Unless you’re ready for a serious party, make sure to check the schedule of all the UW teams before heading to The Ave. A game day raucous can be a grand ol’ time, but doing your due diligence to avoid stumbling into a victory celebration can make all the difference.
5805 Airport Way South | Georgetown
A wonderful, bizarre, glorious piece of southside weirdness, the Trailer Park Mall down in Georgetown is a true Seattle original and a must for a cannaseur’s adventures through the city. If you’re looking to buy a trailer, you’re unfortunately out of luck; the Mall is an open-air market of independent artisans who rent out vintage trailers to sell their wares. You can find some of the most interesting pieces of jewelry, art, vintage clothing, and fascinating curiosities when you stop by, and a pocketful of edibles for you and some friends can make for an unforgettable afternoon.
Strain Pick: Runtz
Another Leafly Strain of the Year winner, this time back in 2020, Runtz is an uplifting, social hybrid that’ll keep your wits sharp and your tongue wagging. One of the biggest appeals of the Trailer Park Mall is the chance to chit-chat with the various artists and shop owners, who are often some of the most interesting folks in the city. Runtz will heighten your social prowess, not send you retreating into your own mind.
Local tip: While the Trailer Park Mall is certainly the big draw, be sure to set some time aside to explore the surrounding neighborhood when heading down to Georgetown. It’s an oft-overlooked part of the city that is liable to steal your heart away if you let it. Take the opportunity to scope it out while the rent is still (kinda) cheap. Stay gold, Georgetown.
508 Maynard Avenue S | Chinatown-International District
Are you the type that loves to play the silver ball? If you do fancy yourself a pinball wizard, or just a student of pop culture, then the Pinball Museum in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District is a fascinating locale to truly blast off. The museum has dozens of machines dating all the way back to the 1960s with unlimited free play when you purchase a ticket, so don’t worry about getting too stoned to play effectively; your quarters are safe. Even if you’ve never pulled a plunger before, the museum gives a unique look at how gaming and pop culture have evolved over the years into the colossal industry we have today.
Strain Pick: MAC
While we cannot speak to how MAC will impact your pinball playing prowess, we can promise you that this euphoria-inducing hybrid will certainly soften the sting of losing your last ball. MAC will bring you up, but not so high up that the flashing lights and ringing bells of the myriad machines will stress you out. MAC will put a smile on your face that won’t disappear, whether you win or lose.
Local tip: Do not, we repeat, do not, sleep on the Pinball Museum’s surrounding neighborhood. Seattle’s CID is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the US, with history and culture everywhere you look, and it’s a world-class food destination to boot.
2101 N Northlake Way | Fremont
The title of “Seattle’s Quirkiest Neighborhood” doesn’t sound like it should come easy, and yet, Fremont is the sole contender for the crown. Hell, wandering around Fremont while sober can make you feel as though you’ve stepped into a blissful alternate reality. So it stands to reason that taking the day to get high and wander through the neighborhood while taking in the public art will be a day well worth experiencing. We recommend starting at Gas Works Park and heading northwest, making sure to snap a selfie with the famous troll along the way.
Strain Pick: Strawberry Cough
Some strains, like all art, are up for interpretation. This is not one of those strains. Strawberry Coughwill make you cough no matter how loud you smoke and how much you try to resist, so don’t fight it. But once your lungs have recovered a bit, the sweet, berry-scented sativa will have you in a cerebral embrace that’ll leave you happy, giggly, and ready to try and figure out how, exactly, a statue of Lenin wound up in Seattle. (It’s a long story.)
Local tip: After your walk up north, we recommend taking Seattle’s famed Burke-Gilman Walking Trail back down to where you began at Gas Works Park. The mixed-use walking and biking trail is one of the best scenic routes on the West Coast and a great place to come back to sobriety with a bit of exercise.
704 Terry Avenue | First Hill
A notable cultural epicenter in a city full of cultural epicenters, the Frye Art Museum has been a favorite of budget-conscious bohemians and art lovers since it was founded nearly seventy years ago. While we’d gladly shell out for the privilege of viewing their collection while well-baked, there is no need; the Frye is always free. While the exhibitions on display are constantly rotating, a classic move at the gallery is to place a modern experimental artist in dialogue with the museum’s collection of classic American and European art, a juxtaposition that can really blow your mind.
Strain Pick: Blue Dream
For an avant-garde place like the Frye that boasts multimedia art and cinema that can leave you questioning everything, we recommend a familiar strain that can keep you tethered like Blue Dream. This classic sativa-leaning hybrid is a strain that you have almost certainly tried before, grounding you in the classic, but famous-for-a-very-good-reason, strain’s effects. Put simply, Blue Dream is a creativity-boosting muse that will help you meet the art where it is without losing yourself along the way.
Local tip: While the Frye’s no-cost admission model encourages a “just swing by!” sort of attitude, always check the museum’s hours of operation before heading over. While getting high with nowhere to go can be its own adventure, avoid any disappointment with a quick visit to the Frye’s website.
1411 21st Avenue | Central District
Of all Seattle’s wonderful movie theatres, Central Cinema stands apart as the best locale to catch a flick while stoned. Critically, Central Cinema is a second-run theatre, meaning that you won’t get some busybody shushing you from the back rows if you giggle a bit too loudly. Almost everyone in the audience will have caught the film before, so it’s all gravy, baby. Central Cinema boasts an anarchic, irreverent energy that’ll hit just perfectly if you’ve been hitting the bong, and they’ll even bring your snacks right to your seat as the movie plays. Munchie paradise awaits.
Strain Pick: Northern Lights
Nowhere else in Seattle does classic films like Central Cinema, and in our opinion, a classic film deserves a classic strain like Northern Lights. No matter the genre, Northern Lights will get you in the right headspace to work your way through truly outrageous quantities of popcorn and nachos while keeping your mood raised and your body relaxed throughout the picture. The best part? Rumor has it that Northern Lights is even a Seattle native.
Local tip: Silence your damn phone. If it goes off during a screening at Central Cinema, not only will you be shushed, you’ll be mocked. Don’t let it happen to you!
3015 NW 54th Street | Ballard
One of the more unconventional parks on the list, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (aka the Ballard Locks) is a combination park and wonder of engineering that’ll keep a cannabis lover who still carries a torch for Modern Marvels in their heart entertained for hours on end. The Locks are the gateway to Salmon Bay and Lake Union, and watching the ships come in, rising and falling in a sort of slow dance, gives the same energy as watching a lava lamp. Seattle’s best impression of the Panama Canal is the busiest locks of their type in North America, so you’re almost guaranteed to have enough ships for your viewing pleasure to fill an afternoon and then some.
Editor’s note:The Fish Ladder Viewing Room at the Locks might just be my favorite place in the city, period. When the salmon are running (mid-June to September), you get to watch the fish make their way up the ladder through big windows. With a good buzz going, I could sit there for hours.
Strain Pick: Pineapple Express
For a day at The Locks, energy management is key. The lazy motion of the ships can be a great way to chill out, but too much chill will have you looking at nothing but the inside of your eyelids. So, opt for a high-energy sativa-leaning hybrid like Pineapple Express to keep your mind spun up to reasonable gear and ready to laugh at the silly names of the boats that pass you by, while keeping your body in a blissful state of relaxation.
Local tip: If you’re able to make it to the Ballard Locks on a Sunday, swing by the nearby farmer’s market to pick up some picnic fixings and enjoy some of Washington’s best flavors.
1833 Harvard Avenue | Capitol Hill
Our favorite used bookstore in the city and home to six of the coolest cats on Earth (we’re serious, take your allergy meds), Twice Sold Tales is a book-loving cannasseur’s dream come true. The adorable little shop in the uber-trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood has stacks, and stacks, and stacks of used books for you to peruse for a few hours in a stoney daze, petting cats and smelling old book smell. You’ll find all genres as you explore the shop, which has so many separate rooms that you will swear that it’s bigger on the inside.
Strain Pick: Headband
Headband’s slow, creeping high that starts behind your temples and grows from there is our pick for your bookstore browsing partner. We don’t care what you’re stressed out about; a visit to Twice Sold Tales with a bit of Headband’s hybrid goodness will have you more relaxed than a spa day. Be cautious with Headband, however. It really is a strain that builds over time, and “just right” can quickly become “too much” without the proper care.
Local tip: If you can’t find the specific book you’re looking for at Twice Sold Tales, then you’re just a few blocks away from Capitol Hill’s other famous bookstore, Elliott Bay Book Company. Between the two shops, you’ll find your next read, guaranteed.
5900 Lake Washington Boulevard S | Seward Park
Everyone knows the Seattle area features fantastic hiking trails, and many Seattleites love to get outside as much as we can, and it’s even better if we can get high while doing it. But, what’s a bit lesser known is that you don’t even have to leave the city to get some quality high hiking in; all you need to do is head down to Seward Park. The park features a main loop trail for hikes of all levels that runs along the water for around two and a half miles, with many smaller trails for more experienced hikers to strut their stuff.
Strain Pick: Jack Herer
We love a heady sativa while we do some low-intensity exercise like hiking, and Jack Herer is the sativa par excellence. In addition to Jack’s thematically appropriate woody, piney flavor, it’ll also keep your body moving and your mind free as you listen to the calling of the seabirds and look out on the picturesque views. Jack Herer is a strain high in flavor, but it’s only a middle-weight when it comes to THC content.
Local tip: Watch out for poison oak as you hike. While most of the patches have been marked with signs, keep a sharp eye to avoid an itchy time for your kid, dog, or uncovered ankles.
9817 55th Avenue S | Rainer Beach
It’s highly unlikely that “level of enjoyment while high” was a factor that self-taught gardening wizard Fujitaro Kubota ever considered when designing his gardens, but he knocked it out of the park anyway. This Rainer Beach oasis of calm and beauty is a perfect place to catch your breath and decompress by immersing yourself in Japanese architecture. Kubota Gardens is open from sunrise to sunset, making it a great spot for quiet contemplation after a little bit of waking and baking or a relaxing end to a particularly stressful day.
Strain Pick: Haze
Haze is a gentle sativa strain, with relatively light THC content and a long history. Kubota Gardens is not the sort of place you want to be overly giggly, and Haze will only subtly raise your mood, not send you way over the edge. Haze is also a time-honored favorite of creatives, so take your drawing pencils or your notebook and let the combination of Haze’s soft embrace and the stillness of the Kubota Garden inspire you to make something beautiful of your own.
Local tip: If you’re still looking for a little more natural beauty after you’ve finished at the Kubota Gardens, nearby Pritchard Island Beach is one of Seattle’s lesser-known sandy spots, and is often less crowded than other beaches to keep your undisturbed peace going strong.
3727 California Ave SW #2b | West Seattle
Alright, nerds (said with love), listen up. If you’re the type of cannabis consumer who can keep the rules of a complex board game in your head while high, then West Seattle’s Meeples Games is calling your name. They’ve got a huge selection of board games to buy or try in store with a group of friends, as well as regular Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, and Warhammer events, plus the dice, cards, and minifigures you’ll need to play. Whatever type of nerd you are, Meeples has something that’ll interest your adventuring party and continue to be a hit for many board game nights to come.
Strain Pick: Trop Cherry
The closest thing the weed world has to a mana potion, Trop Cherry is a focusing hybrid with a sweet flavor and an unrivalled ability to help you lock in. Your mental vision will narrow and focus, so conquering Catan, defeating the dungeon’s boss, or painting your figurines for hours on end become completely engrossing activities. Make sure your Constitution stat is up to snuff before you tango with Trop Cherry, however. It’s a very potent strain meant for high-level consumers.
Local tip: Kitty corner from Meeples is Shug’s, an old-timey soda jerk that offers some of the city’s best ice cream. Stop by after a gaming session to revel in the sweet taste of victory or ease the bitterness of defeat.
Honorable mentions that keep it weird
And there you have it! Those are our picks for the best places to be high in Seattle, but we don’t pretend that this list is exhaustive by any means. The Emerald City is full of surprises, and new spots are springing up every day to explore, and then explore again while high. Make sure to get out there, be safe, and leave your umbrella at home. Take it easy, Seattle.
Morgan Rosendale: Content Editor
Morgan Rosendale is a Seattle-based writer, editor, and lover of all things cannabis. She’s been with Leafly since 2022, where she currently works as the site’s Content Editor. She spends her time writing about and researching the wide and wonderful world of weed, surfacing innovative brands and products that treat both cannabis and the consumer with respect. She has been writing professionally for nearly a decade, primarily covering food and wine before her time at Leafly. You can often spot her at the movie theatre or smoking Super Lemon Haze out of the weirdest bong she can find.
Anna Elliott: Senior Content Editor
Anna Elliott is a writer, editor, and longtime cannabis nerd based in Seattle. She joined Leafly in 2021 and currently works as the brand’s Senior Content Editor, where she helps shape stories about the best in weed from must-try strains to standout gear and gifts. Before Leafly, she spent nearly a decade reviewing products, covering emerging brands, and championing the people behind them. She’s passionate about making cannabis content accessible, fun, and genuinely helpful. And yes, she really does believe Space Mints hits different when you’re alphabetizing vinyl by mood.
