An adult watches as several kids play on a green playground with slides and climbers

Dockton Park’s New Playground is Open!

On a beautiful, rare sunny day in mid-December, a group of community members and Parks staff came together to celebrate the opening of the new playground at Dockton Park and Marina through a “Plant and Play Day” event.

A photo of a green and brown playground shaped like a ship. A marina with boats is in the background

Dockton Park is located along the shoreline on Vashon-Maury Island and is just a short ferry ride away from Seattle and Tacoma. This unique park includes a boat launch, picnic shelter, a marina for boat moorage, and a playground that is just feet away from the beach. Dockton’s playground has arguably one of the best views a playground could have. But the former playground was at the end of its useful life. In addition to replacing worn out equipment, the renovation provided an opportunity to improve ADA access, drainage, and the aesthetics of the park, as well as add new amenities like benches.

Keeping with the maritime nature of the park, the new playground is a ship-themed play structure with two slides, swings*, a net climber, musical instruments, spinning rope climber, and more. The design and elements were selected based directly on community input. Over 200 community members provided input through an online survey on what they’d like to see in the new playground, top takeaways included keeping the swings facing the water and providing climbing structures and slides geared to 2-to-8-year-olds.

A girl smiles while sitting at the top of slide with the Puget Sound in the background
Two adults are holding plastic mallets and playing a rainbow-colored set of marimbas
A group of children are playing on a cargo net spinner. Some are running around pushing the spinner and others are holding on and riding.

Kids and adults alike tested the new playground at the Plant and Play Day. It’s safe to say the new playground is a hit!

In addition to playing, 50 people of all ages helped plant dozens of ferns, huckleberry bushes, and other native plants in the playground’s new landscaping. These plants provide habitat for wildlife and improve the local ecosystem.

A woman digs with a shovel while another women plants a small tree. A ship-theme playground and the Puget Sound are in the background.
An adult and child crouch on the ground to plant a small green fern
King County Parks Director plants a native sapling
A child holds a rake while a group of people planting plants in the background
A man wearing an orange work vest carries four potted plants while people plant in the background

The Parks Mobile Engagement Team attended and provided helpful information about the King County Parks system.

Four adults are standing talking and smiling in front of a blue Parks canopy

You can find all the photos from Plant and Play Day on the King County Parks Flickr page.

This project is funded by the voter-approved 2020-2025 King County Parks Levy. In addition to the playground, another levy-funded project is also taking place to restore the marina and replace the boat ramp. Phase 1 of the marina work was completed in 2022. The second and final phase of work is estimated to take place in Summer/Fall 2024 pending permitting.

Thank you to all who volunteered their time to plant and celebrate with us. The new playground is now open for all to enjoy. We hope to see you at Dockton soon!

A group of people smile at the camera with trees and a playground in the background

*Due to a warranty issue with the safety surfacing beneath the swings, the swings are currently offline but will be open to use once repair work is done. We are working with the manufacturer to get the swings open as soon as possible and will likely be completed by the end of April but this work is also weather dependent. During the repairs, the entire playground will need to be closed for 1-2 weeks. Check Backyard FunFinder before planning your visit for the latest info.