Innis Arden Reserve Park — Attraction in Shoreline

Nobody does this hike to the tracks and then just turns around. Innis Arden connects to the beach about 3.5 miles north of Carkeek and 1 mile south of Richmond beach, and if you go at a time when the tide is +2 or less you'll have wide, sandy beaches mostly to yourself. There's no better place around here to take a dog and let it off leash for ball chasing. The beach itself is comparable to the nice 1.5 mile stretch between Golden Gardens and Carkeek, but far fewer people. Your best bet is to look for a good low tide, then set aside an hour or two to wander South on the beach- you won't need shoes most of the time, although it gets rocky at the Boeing creek exit. Bird watching is also excellent here- I've seen giant eagles, herons, and a tropical-looking bird with a giant red crest.

The trail itself is a bit muddy or brambly in places, depending on time of year. You also need to be a bit nimble to cross the train tracks and go down to the beach, but it’s not bad.

About a half mile South after crossing the tracks you’ll come to the Boeing creek exit. The Boeing creek trail is a very nice walk up from the beach, but is privately owned. I've done it a few times and never had any trouble, but you'll need to have a bit of a "storm the gates" mindset to walk past the nasty signs telling you to stay out. It's sad when people choose to wall off nature from others like that, especially such a nice place so close to dense living arrangements. If the people there aren't willing to open that land up to recreational use then the government should start taxing the...

Decided to explore this park late June 2017. Long story short: I was disappointed; Poorly maintained trail, overgrown with blackberry & stinging nettle, not too enjoyable. Starting from the trailhead near 17717 15th Ave NW, Shoreline, WA 98177, there's a 5 minute walk down to a clearing with a bluff and a nice view. Few beer cans around but not too bad. A narrow and decaying wooden staircase leads down to the rest of the trail. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of person who snubs a trail for not being wide as a freeway or for having a fallen log or two on the trail. But this trail was pretty bad: Dodging blackberry thorns and stinging nettles growing across the trail, decaying and washed out wooden staircases and boardwalks, and a lot of mud. I found a rope swing tied to a tree, but it swung right into a patch of stinging nettles, so not super fun. I wasn't able to reach the end, because the trail eventually tapered out, almost completely engulfed in overgrowth. It's a shame, because I feel this could be a very nice hike down to the water if the city got some resources together to fix the trail up. The surrounding neighborhood is very affluent. But at this point, I don't recommend continuing past the...

Nice hilly walk year round, but I advise wearing rain boots or footwear that you don't mind getting wet/muddy/clay caked if you walk back there in winter and early spring, or after heavy rain in general. It can be slippery on the inclines! I grew up here in this neighborhood and there was a time we were able to take this trail to the end, and carefully cross the railroad tracks to the rock bulkhead and access the beach; these days it is no longer permitted. I say this to warn anyone who wants to access the beach that you risk trouble if you do cross the tracks from here. The locked gated trail across from the far end of former Hidden Lake in Shoreview Park is your only beach access option at the current time that I am aware of, and the access (keys) are for Innis Arden residents only, as far as I know. Great trail for walking dogs, and if you have younger kids that are good listeners (if they can understand 'be careful!' and 'walk slowly', etc), and can walk hills and boardwalks fairly easily, this is a fun trail for families, too! Amazing views from the clearing at the top end...