I could walk here from my home. Lovely community and a must to visit if you're in the area. read more

Padilla Bay Reserve - Parks Near Me - Mount Vernon, Washington

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I highly recommend this. Not just for kids but adults too. They have a very interactive museum, a hands-On room and an aquarium. Everything is so interesting. Well laid out and highly interactive so this is a super engaging space for all ages. read more

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Far exceeded our expectations. We went inside on a spur of the moment stop and so glad we did. They have lots of educational tidbits and interactive stations along with many aquariums with tons of unique creatures inside. The touch tank had some really amazingly colored anemones, star fish and sea cucumbers... along with many other creatures. We have experienced touch tanks before but this one was cool because of how bright the creatures were. The volunteer, Gary, was very kind and had some interesting info. We definitely will be heading back with our two teenagers!!! read more

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Beautiful walking, jogging area. Nice and flat. There are several benches to sit at to enjoy the view. Garbage can and picnic table at the beginning or end depending on which lot you start in. Sometimes you can see otters playing in the water. There is usually an Eagle flying overhead too. read more

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Brought the kiddos out for some "non-electronic" fun. This a great place to have the kids run around and learn about the local ecosystem. There are several large rooms which feature information about local birds and aquatic life as well as the different habitats they live in. There is also an interactive room with games and puzzles to test the knowledge gained from the exhibit. We didn't get to experience the theatre and the outdoor walking path as our time expired but we will definitely be back. Come and check it out. read more

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Great little spot for kids. My daughter loved it! Friendly staff nice and clean lots of fish to see and an entire room for activities for little ones! Will be coming back for sure! And it's free!!!! read more

Padilla Bay Reserve - My daughter had a great time! - Parks Near Me - Mount Vernon, Washington

Love nature? So do they. Padilla Bay is a great source for bird watching, mud flat exploring and interactive learning. We paid them a visit this past Saturday and we sure are glad we did. They have a great little exhibit dedicated to the area's sea life and ecosystem, they are retrofitting their fish tanks and they lend out awesome binoculars for bird watching, all for zero dinero! Their large tract of land is a popular destination for bird-lovers in the winter because many species, from as far as the North Pole, settle here after flying south. Their exhibits are open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 5:00. Classes and workshops are available as well, you just have to register for them beforehand. Their building looks brand new, their trails offer nice views and they are really friendly, definitely worth a stop if you are in the area! read more

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There isn't parking right at the site of the park, you either need to park on the south end by a couple large cement pylons or on the north end which is the first right turn after you pass the sign for the park. First off, they have a porta potty from the company "Wizards of Ooze" disgusting! Really beside the point, but I felt that was information that had to be shared. Started out on the north end of the trail, all gravel, all level. Some water and mud on the trail during our walk. This is not a hike, it is a level and short walk. Don't come looking for anything rough and tumble or lots of trees, etc. It is a bay walk. There may be some other trails that we didn't explore.... Come looking for bird friends and you won't be displeased! Extremely foggy and pretty cold on our way south, coming back the sun finally broke and the fog lifted. The trail is pretty well used, lots of foot and dog traffic. Saw lots of birds including: snow goose, northern pintail, red-tailed hawks, double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, green wing teal, bufflehead, shorebirds, and gulls. read more

What???? Teach me while I play? That is what the grandkids were thinking. We all had a super afternoon here on a dreary rainy day. We listened to a class on mammals, played in the playroom, read books and enjoyed being out of the rain. They have a box for donations for maintaining the reserve interpretive center. Really well done and highly interactive for kids. The Octopus was active and a big thrill for the Grands. read more

We stopped at the Interpretive Center while on a ralley around La Connor, through the tulip fields. We actually had to find clues in the museum (and bathroom) at this checkpoint! The museum is small, but packed with exhibits about animal life, the history of the area and water quality. There is a small children's room with exhibits right sized for kids. It's a donation run museum and pretty neat. Check it out! read more

As we left Bow/Edison towards La Conner we stumbled upon this gem. It was strictly donation only. The employee was very helpful and knowledgeable. We asked about one of the fish that was on a wall display, she couldn't answer our questions fully but we were satisfied with the answers she gave. We finished our visit/tour of the facility and was looking at their "gift shop" it wasn't big but I found what I wanted. As we were about to pay, the lady that gave us information on the fish that was on display, well she researched the answer fully and showed us pictures via her laptop and told about her experience with the fish. Now that is going over the top. We really appreciated her going that extra mile. The overall experience was wonderful and the staff (one woman crew at the time, I think) was excellent. We are certainly glad we stopped. Thank you :-) read more

Padilla Bay Reserve - This is what you see the minute you walk inside - Parks Near Me - Mount Vernon, Washington

Great place for families with kids. Interpretive Center is educational and fun especially for little ones. This little museum has a nice children's play area with many games, puppets and educational toys. Other rooms contain several exhibits, videos and aquariums. Beautiful habitats with local sea life. A lot to explore inside and don't forget to check out the beach. Continue down the road, access to beach will be to the left and under a bridge- Discovery Pass is required for beach. Usually this pass costs $10 per day or $30 per year. May be purchased online or I believe you can also purchase it at the museum. Should call first to verify. Would suggest to bring an extra pair of shoes along with rain boots for kids when exploring along the beach. Can get quite muddy but there are faucets near the picnic area to wash up. Not sure if there are restrooms, we only saw porta-potties. Covered area over picnic tables also at site, ideal location for lunch on a sunny day. Fun to explore the estuary when the tide it out. Kids enjoy searching for baby crabs and hermits! But please remember to always gently return any sea life you may find. It's enjoyable to explore sea life but more important to keep it safe. Worth the stop! Would recommend and will return. Interpretive Center accepts donations to keep this place maintained and opened. read more

When you roll through the Skagit Valley it's best not to have a plan, just drive along the roads and sooner or later something will pull you in. And so it was with the Padilla Bay - Breazeale Interpretive Center. It has a small museum jam-packed with information about the ecology of Padilla Bay and the Salish Sea. You get the feeling that eel grass is pretty much the crux of the ecosystem here. The coolest thing are the aquariums, well maintained and packed with local sea life, and eel grass of course. To get the full experience, you have to venture outside. There's a short trail to the beach through a tunnel under the road and where the final plunge is a spiral staircase that gets you right down on the beach. We were here at high tide so not much beach. At low tide Padilla Bay is a huge tidal mud flat. You will also find a loop trail, about a mile in length, that goes up through the upland area behind the center. It's aptly named the Upland Trail but it's an easy wide trail. There was nobody on this trail when we were there on a cool cloudy wanting to rain fall day. This is all part of the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and so there's research going on here and a laboratory (not open to the general public). This is well worth a stop. You'll learn a few things and get a better appreciation of our beautiful region, and especially eel grass. read more

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What a beautiful spot. The interpretative center has activities for all ages and the aquariums are huge. Take the upland trail for a walk or go down to the beach and see the marine life. read more