Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Have you been to the Ballard Locks? Why don’t you play tourist the next time you’re in Seattle!
It had been many years since we last visited the locks, so on a recent sunny day, we headed north to the Hiram Chittenden (aka ‘Ballard’) Locks. We stopped by the Visitor Center, then watched the boats go through from Puget Sound to the Ship Canal.
You can think of the Locks as a Boat Elevator. They can elevate a large vessel 26 feet from the level of Puget Sound to the level of Salmon Bay in 10-15 minutes.
We watched an Argosy tour boat approach and enter.
You can watch too!
After the water level was raised to match the lake, the ship went on its way. Doesn’t that look like fun? An Argosy tour is now on our list!
“Construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks was completed in 1917 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Connecting the waters of Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay to the tidal waters of Puget Sound, the canal and locks allow recreational and commercial vessels to travel to the docks and warehouses of Seattle’s busy freshwater harbor.
The complex of locks sits in the middle of Salmon Bay and are part of Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal. They are known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north.
The locks and associated facilities serve three purposes:
US Army Corps of Engineers
- To move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.
- To maintain the water level of the freshwater Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20 to 22 feet above sea level.
- To prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion)”.
I got a great perspective from above on a flight home to Seattle. This is the view toward the east, with the Cascade Mountains in the background and Lake Washington in front. Lake Union and the Ship Canal is in the center, and the Locks are near the bottom of the photo, near the outlet to Puget Sound.
By the way, these are the busiest locks in the country, as well as a top tourist destination in Seattle. There’s also a fish ladder that’s fun to visit in the fall when the salmon running, one of the few in the world where saltwater meets freshwater.
After watching the ships sail through we went to Shilshole Bay for lunch,
and had this view of the Olympic Mountains.
It was a perfect day to play tourist in Seattle.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Thank you for the tour, Susanne!! I love how locks operate, such brilliant design. I miss eating coneys, so good! (high blood pressure). 😭
Thanks, John. Sorry you’re limited with your diet! Bob had fish and chips but I had a hot dog!
No worries, I’m used to it! That sounds delightful!!! ❤️😊
Not only been to the Ballard Locks, but went through on a boat! Many years ago, bought a sailboat in Lake Union and took it out through the locks and up to Port Townsend. It’s a fun place to visit and watch the activity.
Must have been fun! We hope to through on an Argosy Cruise this summer!
Those are big locks! I’m used to narrower ones on canals, but it’s just as fascinating watching the boats go through. Even better, being on one! xx
Yes, they are huge! We hope to go through on an Argosy Cruise later this summer.
It’s fun to play tourist in your own city, especially when it has as much to offer as Seattle (or London!) And it’s always interesting to watch the activity at a lock 😀 Your aerial view really does give an excellent idea of the overall scene.
Thanks, Sarah! We had a great time visiting the locks, and hope to go through them on an Argosy Cruise later this summer!
That will be fun!
Love that shot from the air…we always took those locks for granted growing up…but a fun way to do a staycation to be sure!
Thanks, John! I definitely took them for granted and didnt realize it was a top tourist attraction. Now we’re looking forward to taking taking the Argosy Cruise through the locks, like real tourists! 😃
I’ve been to Seattle many times but evidently have barely scratched the surface of places to go and things to see. Thanks for the tour!
So glad you enjoyed it! I was born and raised here, but even I sometimes forget about the variety of things there are to do!
We have lots of locks on the canal and river systems in the UK, but few are as large as those. Impressive indeed. This one in Scotland is worth seeing though, although it is not a lock as such but serves the samepurpose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel
Best wishes, Pete.
Oh my! Impressive indeed! A carnival ride! 🙂