Polar bear plunges around the Seattle area

The new year Polar Bear Plunge is back for 2025.

What’s that you ask? New Year’s Day plunges are your family’s chance to greet 2025 with an invigorating — if crazy — dive into a chilly lake or other body of water.

For some, it’s an annual tradition. If this is your family’s first plunge, here are three big tips for making it through:

Remember to pack a change of clothes
Keep your feet warm before and after the plunge, and
Don’t forget to breathe when you hit the cold water

Seattle Parks and Recreation offers these additional tips for enjoying a fun, safe Polar Bear Plunge:

Make the plunge even more special by dressing up in a costume!
Come early and carpool or take the bus
If anyone in your family has problems or other serious medical concerns, consult your healthcare professional before taking the Polar Bear Plunge. If you can’t go in the water, come and watch!
Stay in the water for no longer than 15 minutes—you lose body heat 25 times faster in water than in air.
Keep your outer clothing on until you get in the water. After the plunge, remove wet clothing before getting into dry clothes.

Polar bear plunges around Seattle

Resolution Run and Polar Bear Dive

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Time: 5K starts at 10:30 a.m., Kids Dash begins at 11:30 a.m.

Location: Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115

Cost: $35-$45 for 5K Run/Walk (Dry event) & 5K Trip-n-Drip Polar Plunge. Free for kids dash

Celebrating the beginning of the new year, the event consists of a 5K run/walk with an optional Polar Bear Dive into Lake Washington just before the event finish line area. The post-race celebration includes a free kids dash for children 10 & under and a beer garden for those over 21. Free chili, coffee, hot chocolate, and more will be provided. Whether you want to run into Lake Washington or cheer as others do, this is a raucous way to start 2025. Register here.

Outside Seattle

Polar Bear Plunge City of Renton

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Time: 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Location: Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, 1201 Lake Washington Blvd. N.

Cost: Free. Register for free at rentonwa.gov/register with keyword ‘polar

All ages

Bring in the New Year with an invigorating plunge into Lake Washington. Participants meet at the South Beach of Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park. The plunge starts promptly at 10 a.m. Bring your towel and dry clothes!

Polar Bear Plunge Point Defiance – Tacoma

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location: Point Defiance Marina, 5912 N Waterfront Dr, Tacoma, WA 98407

Cost: Admission is $10 per person; you can register here.

All ages

Kick off the new year by plunging into Puget Sound. Warm beverages and warming stations will be available at the event! All ages welcome. Youth under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Costumes are welcome but not required. Shoes/foot protection highly recommended. For the safety of participants, life jackets will be available, and lifeguards will be stationed on the docks.

Polar Plunge First Day Hikes Lake Sammamish State Park

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Time: Festivities start at 10:30 a.m. Costume judging at 11:30 a.m. The “plunge” will be at noon.

Location: Lake Sammamish State Park, 2010 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA 98027

Cost: Requested donation of $10. Registration opens in December; register here.

Polar Plunge returns on New Year’s Day 2025, encouraging everyone to get outside and enjoy the state park. Festivities will begin with registration, music, and merriment on the shores of Sunset Beach. There will be a costume contest, and then the crowd will “plunge” into the chilly waters of Lake Sammamish. The first 300 registered participants will receive a Polar Plunge Swag Bag. Note: You do not need a Discover Pass to enter the park on this day.

Farther afield

Birch Bay

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Time: 12 p.m. sharp

Location: TBD

Cost: TBD

Join in for the annual plunge in scenic Birth Bay, two hours north of Seattle. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce will behaving the polar bear plunge to ring in the 2025 new year. Pre-registration is encouraged and event attendees highly recommend participants wear water shoes or old sneakers into the water because barnacle-bearing rocks are a site feature. To pre-register, visit this website.