Meadowdale Beach Trail

This is a great trail with a wide, dirt path and somewhat of a steep grade down to the Puget Sound. The trail follows a creek, which you can see for most of the hike, and has plenty of beautiful views of small rapids and waterfalls. The steepest part of the trail has wood-rimmed dirt stairs with a wooden railing for assistance if needed. At the bottom of the hill, the trail turns to pavement, and you pass a ranger's house, a little free library box, some nice pavilions and picnic tables, port-o-potties, and a bit of a frisbee golf setup. There are two really nice beaches at the bottom (each separated by the small creek running down to the Sound). At the bottom, you have to hike under the railroad tracks through a short and narrow/low-ceilinged tunnel with metal grates for the floor to reach the beaches (the tunnel goes right over the mouth of the creek). I saw some people fishing there, and some playing with their dogs off-leash (although everyone had their dogs leashes on the actual trail). After exiting the tunnel, there is a rocky beach to your right and a softer sand beach to your left. Depending on the weather and day you go, it could be fairly crowded or rather isolated. The beach to the right is a great place for bird watching, and maybe you'll see some marine life, too (there was an informational sign about seals on one beach). Both beaches have a fantastic view of the Olympics, so it is a perfect place to just lounge on the beach. Apart from it being a fairly popular trail on nice weekends, this is one of the closest trails I have found in the Lynnwood/Everett/Edmonds area that feels like you've left behind civilization without leaving your city and without driving all the way out into the Cascades.