Plenty of places to make a splash at Puget Sound-area beaches and pools

Much of the year, if you live around Puget Sound, you get wet involuntarily. It rains on you. But for these few precious weeks of warmer days, when the sun bakes the earth and you want to get wet, here's a list of all the right places.

Beaches

Seattle

Lifeguards on duty at following locations. Free swimming lessons available weekdays, check at beach; beaches open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, weather permitting.

Lifeguards on duty

June 20 through Sept. 7:

• West Green Lake, 7312 W. Green Lake Drive;

• Madison, 1900 43rd Ave. E.;

• Matthews, 9300 51st Ave. N.E.;

• Mount Baker, 2301 Lake Washington Blvd. S.;

Lifeguards on duty

June 27 through Aug. 23:

• East Green Lake, 7201 E. Green Lake Drive N.;

• Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E.;

• Madrona, 853 Lake Washington Blvd.

• Seward, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S.

• Pritchard Beach, 8400 55th Ave. S.

More information: 206-684-4075 or www.cityofseattle.net/parks/aquatics/index.htm.

Mercer Island

Lifeguards on duty June 27-Aug. 1, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily at these beaches:

• Groveland Beach with picnic and barbecue areas, playground, restrooms, 8000 S.E. 58th St.;

• Luther Burbank Park with large children's area, tennis courts, boating, fishing, 2040 84th Ave. S.E. (206-236-3545 or www.miparks.net).

Bellevue

Lifeguards on duty June 20-Sept. 7:

• Newcastle Beach Park, noon-7 p.m., 4400 Lake Washington Blvd. N.E.;

• Meydenbauer Beach Park, noon-7 p.m., 419 98th Ave. N.E.

Lifeguards on duty June 27-Aug. 30:

• Chesterfield Beach Park, 2-5 p.m., weather permitting, 2501 100th Ave. S.E.;

• Enatai Beach Park, noon-7 p.m., 3519 S.E. 108th Ave. S.E.;

• Chism Beach Park, noon-7 p.m., 1175 96th Ave. N.E.;

• Clyde Beach Park, noon-7 p.m., 2 92nd Ave. N.E.; (425-452-4444 or www.cityofbellevue.org).

Kirkland

Lifeguards on duty June 22-Aug. 31, 1-7 p.m. daily, weather permitting

• Houghton Beach Park with swimming raft, picnic tables, 5811 Lake Washington Blvd. N.E.;

• Waverly Beach Park with fishing dock, picnic areas, 633 Waverly Park Way;

(425-587-3300 or www.ci.kirkland.wa.us).

Redmond

Lifeguards on duty June 19-Sept. 7, noon-7 p.m. daily:

• Idylwood Beach, with play structure, concessions stand, picnic shelter and adult lap swim area, 3650 W. Lake Sammamish Parkway (425-556-2300 or redmond.gov).

Renton

Lifeguards on duty mid-June through Sept. 7, noon-8 p.m. daily

• Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, swimming beach on Lake Washington, 1.5-mile paved walking path along the shoreline, 1201 Lake Washington Blvd. N. (425-430-6700 or www.renton-wa.gov).

Lynnwood

Martha Lake Community Park, swim area with beach, dock, life vests available, no lifeguards, daylight hours daily, 16300 E. Shore Drive (425-741-8357 or www.co.snohomish.wa.us).

Outdoor pools

Mounger Pool

Seattle Swimming lessons, water exercises, public swims and special events, 50-foot corkscrew slide and little pool with warm, shallow water. Hours vary through Sept. 7, call for information, 2535 32nd Ave. W., Seattle (206-684-4708 or www.seattle.gov/parks/pools.asp).

Colman Pool

Seattle 50-meter, heated, saltwater pool with giant tube slide, on the waterfront at Lincoln Park, daily, call for hours, Lincoln Park, 8603 Fauntleroy Way S.W., Seattle, $2.75-$4 (206-684-7494 or www.seattle.gov/park/pools.asp).

Henry Moses

Aquatic Center

Renton Two pools, 9,000-square-foot leisure pool with wave machine, water play structure, water slides, 3,300-square-foot six-lane lap pool, café; opens June 20, noon-3:30 and 4-7:30 p.m. daily, plus 8-10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; Cedar River Park, 1719 Maple Valley Highway, Renton; $2-$14, season passes available (425-430-6780 or www.rentonwa.gov).

Peter Kirk Pool

Kirkland Public swims and swimming lessons, daily, call for hours, 340 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland; $3 (425-587-3335 or www.ci.kirkland.wa.us).

Cottage Lake Pool

Woodinville Open swims, lap swims, lessons and water-exercise classes, registration for swimming lessons available, open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, 18831 N.E. Woodinville-Duvall Road, Woodinville (206-296-2999 or www.metrokc.gov/parks).

McCollum Park Pool

Everett Public swims and swimming lessons, daily, call for hours, 600 128th St. S.E., Everett (425-388-6600; after June 6, 425-357-6036 or www.co.snohomish.wa.us).

Vashon Pool

Vashon Swimming lessons, open swims and classes, June 14-Sept. 7, hours vary, call for further information, 9600 S.W. 204th St., Vashon; $3.25-$5 (206-463-3787 or www.metrokc.gov/parks).

— Compiled by Doug Knoop