Shilshole Bay Webcam – Puget Sound from Ballard

The Shilshole Bay Webcam looks west from the Ballard Elks Lodge in Seattle, across Shilshole Bay and out over Puget Sound, with the Olympic Mountains on the far skyline whenever the clouds lift. West Point Lighthouse sits at the left edge of the frame, marking the southern end of the bay. Sailboats, tugs and freighters cross the water through the day, and the passing ship wakes can send small surf rolling onto the shore below. The view is at its best around sunset, when the sun drops toward the Olympics, and during winter storms, when the bay turns gray and choppy. The Ballard Elks Paddling Club runs the stream, so club races sometimes pass through the foreground as well. The audio is switched off, so the picture is the whole show.

About Shilshole Bay

Shilshole Bay is the stretch of Puget Sound east of a line drawn from West Point, the tip of Discovery Park, northeast to Golden Gardens Park. Its shoreline runs past Discovery Park, the Lawton Wood part of Magnolia, the Ballard waterfront and Golden Gardens. At its inner end the bay meets the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, better known as the Ballard Locks, which lift boats into Salmon Bay and the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The locks opened to vessel traffic in 1917, so boats bound for the canal and the lakes beyond it cross the bay in front of the camera.

The name comes from a Lushootseed word meaning “threading a needle.” It first described Salmon Bay and the village on its shore, not the open water outside, and English speakers later moved it out to the outer bay, which is the usage that stuck.

The camera sits at Ballard Elks Lodge No. 827 on Seaview Avenue NW, a short walk south of Shilshole Bay Marina. The Port of Seattle completed the marina in 1958. It holds about 1,400 saltwater slips behind a 1,200 meter (4,000 foot) breakwater, with 820 meters (2,700 feet) of guest moorage and berths for yachts up to 76 meters (250 feet) long. An 80 million dollar modernization began in 2004. The Ballard Elks founded the paddling club in 2016 to build a paddling community among lodge members, and the club set up the Shilshole Bay Webcam and keeps it running.

Weather and Climate in Shilshole Bay

Seattle has mild, wet winters and dry summers, and the bay shows both. January averages a high of about 9 C (48 F) and a low of about 3 C (38 F). November, December and January bring roughly half of the city’s 999 millimeters (39.3 inches) of annual rain, so winter frames are often gray, with low cloud hiding the Olympics for days at a time. Those same months are when the camera earns its storm-watching reputation, with whitecaps across the bay and waves that can break hard along the shore. Snow is uncommon at sea level. Seattle averages 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) a year, and some winters see almost none.

Summer is the clear season. July and August average highs of about 25 C (77 F) and lows near 14 C (57 F), and the two months together usually see less than 41 millimeters (1.6 inches) of rain. That is when the Olympic Mountains stand out most sharply across the Sound and when the bay is busiest with sailboats and paddlers. Daylight swings from about 9 hours in January to 15.5 hours in July, so summer sunsets arrive late in the evening, while winter ones come in the late afternoon. Spring and fall sit in between, with changeable skies and mild temperatures.

Things to Do Near Shilshole Bay

Golden Gardens Park lies just north of the marina, with 35.5 hectares (87.8 acres) of sandy beach, trails, play areas and an off-leash dog area. Harry W. Treat developed it in 1907 as an attraction at the end of a new electric streetcar line. The marina’s public promenade runs roughly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) along the water with views of the Olympics, and its plaza holds a 4.9 meter (16 foot) statue of Leif Erikson. The statue was commissioned for the 1962 World’s Fair and unveiled at the marina on June 17, 1962.

Follow Seaview Avenue southeast and you reach the Ballard Locks, where boats are raised and lowered between the Sound and the Ship Canal, next to a fish ladder. Ray’s Boathouse and Ray’s Cafe, a long-standing dockside restaurant serving Pacific Northwest seafood, is along the same shoreline. At the marina, Little Coney sells hot dogs, burgers and soft-serve ice cream, and Jibe Espresso Bar does coffee, pastries and sandwiches, while The Kite Cafe feeds beachgoers at Golden Gardens.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more water and city views around Washington and the Pacific Northwest, try these.

• Downtown Seattle Webcam
• Westport Webcam
• Nanaimo Harbour Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Shilshole Bay located?

Shilshole Bay is in Seattle, Washington, on the eastern side of Puget Sound along the Ballard neighborhood. It stretches from West Point in Discovery Park north to Golden Gardens Park, and the Ballard Locks sit at its inner end.

What can you see on the Shilshole Bay Webcam?

The camera faces west over Shilshole Bay and Puget Sound toward the Olympic Mountains, with West Point Lighthouse on the left of the frame. Sailboats, tugs, freighters, paddling club races, sunsets and winter storms all show up depending on the day and the hour.

What is the weather like in Shilshole Bay?

Mild and wet in winter, dry and warm in summer. January highs average about 9 C (48 F), July and August highs about 25 C (77 F), and most of the year’s 999 millimeters (39.3 inches) of rain falls between fall and early spring.

Who runs the Shilshole Bay Webcam?

The Ballard Elks Paddling Club, which the Ballard Elks founded in 2016. The camera streams from Ballard Elks Lodge No. 827 on Seaview Avenue NW.

Can you see the Olympic Mountains from Shilshole Bay?

Yes, on clear days. The Olympics rise across Puget Sound to the west, and they are most reliably visible in summer, when rain and low cloud are least common.

How big is Shilshole Bay Marina?

The Port of Seattle marina has about 1,400 saltwater slips behind a 1,200 meter (4,000 foot) breakwater, plus 820 meters (2,700 feet) of guest moorage. It was completed in 1958.

Is there a beach near Shilshole Bay?

Golden Gardens Park, just north of the marina, has sandy beaches, trails and an off-leash dog area across 35.5 hectares (87.8 acres).

Can you watch Fourth of July fireworks on the Shilshole Bay Webcam?

The club points viewers to the camera for Fourth of July and New Year’s celebrations, and the stream keeps running after dark, so fireworks over the Sound can appear in frame when they are set off within view.

Source: Ballard Elks Paddling Club