I'm signed up for a WTA work party here in a couple weeks. As I've never been before, I took my dog with me to check it out today. Only about 30 minutes from where I live in Seattle, it was very much worth the time to go up there. Very nice park with a good trail leading about 1 1/4 miles down 400ish feet to a very pleasant beach. We probably put in another 3/4 of a mile walking to both ends of the beach.
The biggest issue I see with this park is that the parking is very limited. At 11:00 on a fall Friday morning there were only 2 open spaces in the lot when I arrived (though based on the number of people I saw heading up the trail while I was heading down, it does seem that there is a decent turnover rate of parking spots). There did not seem to be any nearby street parking where you don't risk a ticket or a tow: No Parking/Tow Zone signs seemingly everywhere for a good distance from the park entrance. Seemed a bit overzealous to me. Surely, there must be a way to accommodate some street parking without totally swamping the neighborhood with parked cars given the relatively small size of the parking lot. I imagine parking here can be a real issue on nice summer weekends, or pretty much any nice day.
The canyon is a pleasant mix of deciduous and evergreen trees alongside a flowing stream. Some quite large stumps indicate the area was once home to old growth. Steep in places, but for a relatively short distance, and there is a nice series of wooden steps through much of the steeper sections. The beach is very enjoyable and offers great views across Puget Sound. Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach in addition to the trail. (PLEASE clean up after your dog so it can remain this way). There is one porta-potty in the parking lot and a couple more facilities near the beach. Even though the parking lot was nearly full, neither the trail nor the beach seemed crowded given the relatively small amount of parking available.
3.5 miles roundtrip and 425 feet of elevation gain.
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