Eclipse Day Is Here: 8 Great Spots To Watch Around Puget Sound

SEATTLE, WA - The solar eclipse begins Monday morning at 9:08 a.m. If you're planning to watch, you're going to want to find a wide open space preferably facing east. According to calculations of the sun's path, it's still going to be fairly low in the sky around 9 a.m., so spots along the Seattle side of Lake Washington, for example, or any elevation that gets you above the eastern horizon will be best.

Now, there is a weather caveat: it's going to be cloudy Monday morning, and forecasts are pointing to clearing across Puget Sound by 10 a.m. The height of the eclipse will be around 10:15 a.m., so the clouds are cutting it pretty close.

But the farther east you go, the better. Even heading from Seattle to Bellevue or Issaquah will help. Patch.com will be live-streaming the solar eclipse on Facebook, so you can also watch from home. Here are some suggested spots to watch:

East Portal Viewpoint | Seattle
This park overlooks I-90 and Lake Washington from the east slope of the Mt. Baker neighborhood. If there are no clouds, the view should be excellent.

Tiger Mountain | Issaquah
The main summit of Tiger Mount has good views to the southeast, it's also far enough east that you should escape the Puget Sound cloud-cover. It's about a 1-1/2 hour hike from the parking lot off Highway 18 to the main summit, so plan accordingly.

Poo Poo Point | Issaquah
This hike is shorter than Tiger Mountain, and might offer a better view. The Poo Poo Point summit is a launching pad for hang-gliders, and so the forest is cut back and offers expansive southeasterly views.

Chinook Pass | Naches
This is a little dicey. The Chinook Pass overlook along SR 410 offers spectacular eastern views (even without an eclipse). But there's a forest fire burning east of the pass, which might blot out the sun. SR 410 is also closed in both directions just after Chinook Pass due to the fire.

Allen Yorke Park | Bonney Lake
This park along Lake Tapps offers easterly views with nothing but water in front of you. Parking is limited, however.

Spencer Island Park | Everett
This park is located in a large inland wetland between downtown Everett and Lake Stevens. The paved trail winds along various sloughs off of the Snohomish River, and the landscape is flat, offering unobstructed views of the sky.

Marymoor Park | Redmond
This enormous King County park has plenty of wide open fields, and plenty of parking. Plus, if you have a dog, there's a giant dog park where you can watch from.

Rattlesnake Ledge | North Bend
This easy hike above Rattlesnake Lake attracts hordes of people on weekends, so it might be crowded. But the ledge is perfect for watching the eclipse as it offers unobstructed eastern views.

Have a secret spot you're planning to watch from? Let us know by emailing neal.mcnamara@patch.com.

Image via NASA