A cloudy Saturday afternoon offered a few sunbreaks just in time for a trip to the beach. Even at 2 pm on a cloudy/drizzly day, the parking lot was nearly full. The trail was in great condition. The tide was out at the beach, allowing for some pictures of the sea life and also the breakers as they rolled into shore. The trip back was a nice workout taken briskly, but not too rough given the short distance.

We wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine today, but didn't want to drive to the mountains. This was a great solution. We have 6 kids ranging from 9 months up to 14 years. Our 3 yr old made the walk down and back, but we pushed a stroller down to the beach with our baby. I wouldn't take a stroller again. The trail is wide enough, but the steep parts aren't fun on the way back to the car. The trail was clear, wide, and easy. Walking next to the stream was fun. We would like to come back on a sunny day and play in the water. Great urban hike.

This short and sweet trail has something for everyone and starts at Meadowdale Park in Lynnwood. Along the way, you are transported downhill out of an urban park setting at the trailhead, through a forested area alongside a creek, and you end up at Meadowdale Beach with a great view of Whidbey Island and Puget Sound. The 2.5 mile round trip goes very quickly. The trail is all downhill on the way to the beach, which means that your return trip will be all uphill, with some steep areas. The trail is wide in most areas and in good shape despite the recent storms. There was evidence of some recent blowdowns that have since been cleared from the trail and there was a trail crew hard at work this afternoon clearing even more debris from the trail. There is a picnic area just before you reach the beach area and this would be a good place to stop for a snack. The parking lot at the trailhead is a little small considering this hike's location. Even though the weather was iffy today, the parking lot was nearly full and we saw people of all ages completing this hike. We will be coming back for this hike although I suspect the parking lot will be much more crowded on a spring or summer weekend afternoon.

The trail was muddy in spots but no standing water. Part of the trail was covered in a light dusting of snow, most of it was clear though. The forest canopy helped keep the snow cover down to a minimum. The forecast is for more snow so that may change as the week goes on. The only issue that may arise if we get more snow is the small hill that descends to the park's parking lot. Given enough snow, it may be tricky to navigate. As it was there was minimal snow so it wasn't a problem for us. Worse case you could park your car in the surrounding neighborhood and walk down to the park. If you choose this option be aware there are "No Parking" signs in a number of spots so you'll have to drive a bit further to find an acceptable parking area. There is a small hill at the parking lot area that is great for sledding. We saw a couple of families having fun there. To see more about our hike go to: http://1retromama.blogspot.com/2012/01/lunds-gulch-meadowdale-beach-county_16.html .

The trail was muddy in spots but no standing water. The log steps were slippery though so do be careful on them. There was evidence of a recent blowdown (probably overnight). The tree was cleared to the side but the small debris still covered the trail. That's one of the great things about this urban hike, there is a ranger on site, and it looks like the trail gets daily maintenance (thank you!). You can see more about our hike at http://1retromama.blogspot.com/2012/01/lunds-gulch-meadowdale-beach-county.html .