Where is some of the natural beauty in Seattle?

I just moved to the city and am looking for the sights... lakes? rivers? beaches? mountains? forests? What are some of the nearest locations that I can and should visit? Thank you if you have any suggestions!Where is some of the natural beauty in Seattle?
- head East on I-90. First you'll come to Snoqualmie Falls which is in Snoqualmie, the town just past Issaquah. Follow the signs on the highway. Get back on I-90 and continue driving East and you'll see Mount Si in North Bend. A bit further East and you'll be at Snoqualmie Pass - ski area during winter and the highest point on I-90 in the Cascades. Drive beyond that and you'll reach Roslyn, a really quaint mining town that was ';Cicely, Alaska'; in TV's ';Northern Exposure'; series.





- Discovery Park - short walk out to a bluff with breathtaking views of Puget Sound





- Twin Falls Hike - Olallie State Park, North Bend (Google for directions) moderate hike to a double waterfall





- Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain - both of these are in Issaquah and a very short drive from Seattle. Lots of hiking trails.





- Parks - there's gazillions of them and most have lots of trails.





- ferries - hop a ferry out of Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Spend the day exploring Bainbridge or from Bainbridge drive North to the Olympic Peninsula. Hurricane Ridge in Port Angeles is a must see. Gorgeous views of the Olympics. Dungeness Spit in Port Angeles is a really nice beach hike out to a lighthouse you can go up inside.





Go to Half Price Books and pick up a book or two on the area. There's loads of them. I think I bought one of each when I first moved here :)





Where is some of the natural beauty in Seattle?
For beaches...


Alki Beach in West Seattle.


The Waterfront downtown along Alaskan Way.


Further south where I am, Seahurst and Saltwater Parks.


Those all have nice views of the Sound.





Mt Rainier is about an hour and a half drive away, but it's really the best big nature area that is close. The mountain is huge plus there's forests, a lake and rivers all around it.
Go to the Arboretum right now - very pretty


Gasworks park


I love camping at Lake Easton in the summer


The gorge at george!