Magnolia families can ride a free shuttle to the beach at Discovery Park through Nov. 1.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is operating the free shuttle on Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Kasey Smith announced on the department's Parkways blog on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The shuttle loops between the East, North and South Beach parking lots, arriving at each stop roughly every 45 minutes. The last departure from the beach is at 4:45 p.m.

The shuttle matters more than usual in fall 2026. The Discovery Park Visitor Center is closed until summer 2027, according to the city's parks website. With the visitor center shut down, the city cannot issue beach parking permits. Anyone who parks at the beach level without a permit or an ADA placard risks a citation or a tow.

The shuttle is the workaround.

Park in the upper lots, hop on the bus and ride down for free.

Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, the Native American community center on 20 acres inside the park, is providing the bus and driver for fall 2026. The center traces its roots to a 1970 occupation of surplus Fort Lawton military land led by activists including United Indians of All Tribes Foundation founder Bernie Whitebear. The Associated Recreation Council (ARC) is also a partner on the shuttle program.

Riders can bring children, babies, service animals and strollers. Pets, coolers, surfboards, paddleboards and other bulky items are not allowed on board.

For visitors who need park information, a staffed booth will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 1, subject to staff availability. The rest of Discovery Park, Seattle's largest park, remains open as usual.

No specific reopening date for the visitor center has been announced beyond the summer 2027 target.