Apple Maps to the park successfully directed me to the North trailhead.

Muddy in some places, but never bad enough to need a big jump or a detour.

Great view just a few minutes into the hike - next time I'd start at the South end so I have something at the end of the hike ot look forward to.

This is a bit of a tricky trip report to write, as we weren't technically in Innis Arden Reserve, but in the areas north of it to Richmond Beach. Still, it was a wonderful area to explore.

Today's adventure included a loop from Sunset Park in Shoreline (where we parked) down the Innis Arden nature trail through Bear Reserve, Grouse Reserve, Running Water Reserve, and Blue Heron Reserve. We went as close to the Sound as possible before reaching a chain across the trail I surmised would lead to the beach.

A man and his dog came up the blocked trail; I asked if it was safe to continue, and he said the chain and lock had been there for years. He said there was a downed tree I could duck under, and a somewhat rickety and steep set of stairs with a handrail. I decided to try it, as I didn't see any easier way to the beach that wouldn't add several miles to our trip. Before we knew it, we reached the railroad ties along the Sound with Richmond Beach in our sights to the north.

Making sure no trains were coming, we made our way to the beach where we spotted 2 killdeer, 4-6 common mergansers, gulls, and 3-4 buffleheads, along with crows searching for nesting material. We encountered a total of 28 bird species. I thought we'd see more on the Sound, but it seemed like a pretty quiet morning. My favorites were 2 killdeer, purple finches, orange-crowned warblers, and yellow-rumped warblers. Skunk cabbage is in bloom. Beautiful trail and only a handful of people on the beach or on the trail, mostly with their dogs.

Heading back up the bluff, we took the Eagle Reserve trail toward the Innis Arden clubhouse and looped back on the Reserve trail we came down. The total loop, including beach time and photo stops, was 100 minutes / 3.7 miles. 

The south trail entrance has been fixed! This means you can enter from 16th Ave NW at the south or 15th Ave NW from the north. The trail from the north is still much nicer though- a good ramble through the woods with views, while going in from the south entrance is just a very steep slope down to the train tracks. Trail maintenance has also been happening so the overall trail is in great shape.

As always, the point of this trail is to get down to the beach when there is a good low tide. You need to go over the train tracks, but it's easy and everyone does it. Probably the best beach to take your dog to in the Seattle area. Mine is currently passed out with his tongue out, so mission accomplished.

Google Maps tried to send us down someone's driveway getting here, so we stuck a pin in the end of 15th Ave where the trailhead begins and parked there (there were no other cars, and there's no designated parking here, nor much room for parking). Began making our way down one small staircase then up another before we felt as though we might turn a corner into someone's property. It did not enter anyone's property, trail just goes around it. We didn't get far before seeing several snakes which prompted us to turn around (we hate them, really, really hate them, and so felt like this was not the right hike for us!). On our way back we noticed a sign that said "Private Property, Innis Arden residents only allowed." We saw at least five or six others walking the path on this sunny Saturday late afternoon, most likely Innis Arden residents.

Quick hike on a hot day with my 4 year old. The trail is a bit muddy in places and one of the smaller bridges has broken boarding but otherwise it’s in good condition. Not much to do at the bottom near the water other than enjoy the view of the Sound (there’s no access to the beach that I saw) but it’s shaded and cool in the ravine which was nice on a 80 plus day.

This could make for a really good training hike if you’re into backpacking or trail running. There’s a few sets of stairs I could see making a good challenge for a few ups and downs if you wanted something more intense. My 4 year old and I were good with a single trip down and back up (she was way faster than me and way less worn out when we got back to the top).