Licton Springs Park

About

This is a park worth seeing! Rustic, natural qualities arise from the sights and sounds of trickling streams, long grasses waving in the breeze, small ponds, and winding paths through wooded preserves. The park itself is available for weddings and ceremonies.

Licton Springs was once a healing center for Native Americans, who constructed sweat lodges and bathed in the mineral waters of the springs. After pioneer David Denny built a cabin near the springs in 1870, hundreds of settlers drove for miles to immerse themselves in the spring water and in the mud.

The springs site remained a picnic area until 1935, when E. A. Jensen bought the site and built a spa. Then thousands flocked to the springs to take the waters and dunk in the thermal baths. In 1960 Seattle voters approved the site as a park, and the City bought the springs in 1961.Licton Springs still flows through the park. Historically, there were two springs within the park. The larger spring at the park's south end was filled with silt in the early 1960s. The smaller "iron spring" still exists today (somewhat modified) in the northwest corner of the park within the wooded area. 

Licton Springs Comfort Station Replacement Project

April 2023 Update

Seattle Parks and Recreation has hosted two community meetings about the Pre-Design study for the replacement of the Licton Springs Park Comfort Station/Restroom.

• The first meeting was held on January 18th, 2023 and solicited input about the desired location and site features associated with the renovation.
• The second meeting was held on April 19th, 2023 and solicited input on three different location options for the comfort station/restroom.

Seattle Parks and Recreation and our architect Jones & Jones will now develop one preferred design schematic with a rough cost estimate. A community meeting will be scheduled in late Summer 2023 to show the preferred design schematic and begin talking about design details such as building materials and artwork.

Summer 2022
The fire damaged restroom/comfort station was removed, and the facilities crews have secured the site until construction can begin on the comfort station in 2025.

Seattle Parks and Recreation secured $250,000 to develop a pre-design study for re-building the comfort station. In 2023, we will submit the pre-design study and cost estimate to the insurance company for a final construction budget. Late 2023 to 2024 we will complete design. We anticipate construction to occur in 2025.

For more information, please contact Rachel Banner at: Rachel.Banner@seattle.gov