I saw a Lions Park sign from I-5 headed northbound in Mount Vernon and was like, that's where I…read morewant to be. This past Thursday, the 22nd of April and Earth Day 2021, I decided to celebrate the Earth by doing some exploring on foot in Mount Vernon. I parked my car at Mount Vernon Lions Club Roadside Park because I couldn't easily spot if/where the parking lot was for North Lions Park. After parking my car I explored south on the Skagit Riverwalk to the River Jam Memorial and the Skagit Riverwalk Park. After exploring south I made my way north and to the North Lions Park. Walking to the park I noticed a couple of sandy stretches along the Skagit River at the base of a treed area. I got all excited and hopeful that I would find access to the beach in the park. The paths I encountered in the park were dirt paths and relatively flat except at the junction with the beach patches. It took me a few tries to find the right paths that led to the beach, but I eventually found two different beach spots. I sat and relaxed at each spot for a little bit. The sun was out and the trees provided speckled shade. Flowers were starting to bloom and the Song Sparrows had fun watching me from the side of the trail and singing. The water was relatively quiet, no boaters nor big birds in the water here. Tiny minnows did swim in the shallows close to shore. I only encountered one other person while I was here (a little under an hour). The noise from the highway does carry so it is not absolutely quiet. The trails were well maintained and cleanly. Nice place to take in some nature while in Mount Vernon.

Great riverside walk through huge trees. Slight beach access. Good for dogs, dog poop bags are…read moreprovided. A little muddy at parts. Nice grass field. Connects with the other riverside trail going past the playground and old Mount Vernon.

This park has a safe needle drop site in the bathroom, yet no children's changing tables..... does…read morethis make sense to anyone else???! I would not recommend eating at the picnic tables, that is now where the diapers get changed! That being said it is a beautiful park. The playground is well maintained and up to date. It has a saw dust base, small plastic rock wall to climb up, latters, log roll, slides, swings etc. All next to the Skagit Play Fields.

If this is the park we were at...um, there was a playground for my niece and some open space for…read morethe doggo to run. Nice spot along the Skagit river. We saw a bunch of freight trains go by, super amusing for adults and two year olds, btw. There was a picnic shelter, benches, and public restrooms.

Nice mostly easy hike close to Bellingham, just off the samish lake Nulle rd exit. Has a small…read moreparking lot that fits maybe 8 cars. There was one spot left on a weekday afternoon. Has a porta potty but it has not been kept clean I would rather do my business in the bushes. The first part of the hike is steep uphill switchbacks before you get to the actual loop around the lake. Then it is mostly flat and easy and has a couple benches to stop at. Has some other trails that branch off, but there are signposts to tell you where to go. Nice dog friendly hike.

I really liked it there the frogs look very happy in their home jumping on the leaves. the long…read morehike was so worth it. it's also really pretty when you take pictures of all the trees. The dog that we brought with us couldn't help but jump in the water and the mud and get all dirty. There are so many slugs but they won't bother you. I love it how you start and and end in the same place. The small bridge is a cute design too. I really loved it:)

Skagit Riverwalk Trail is a walking trail extending south of, through, and north of Downtown Mount…read moreVernon. For the most part the trail is paved. A stretch north of Mount Vernon Lions Club Roadside Park extending to the North Lions Park I found to be a dirt/gravel pathway. The trail runs alongside the Skagit River and has a guard rail between the trail and the river with occasional signs/placards in the railing providing context and background about the river and area. Trees and tulips speckle the walkway near downtown. Occasional signage provides arrows to nearby locations. A number of parks, businesses, and the Skagit River Jam Memorial are located along the trail. I have walked the trail a few times now exploring both north and south and checking out the different parks and memorial. Traffic each time has been pretty light, typically I come mid-afternoon, and occasionally there are birds out on the water of the river or in the vegetation between the river and the guard rail. All around an enjoyable place to come walk and take in the beauty and harmony of nature and Mount Vernon.

Beautiful place to spend some time outside. Lovely place for a walk when the weather is niceread more

Martha's Beach is a small beach off of Klamath Drive near La Conner, WA. There's lots of parking…read moreand they have an outhouse near the parking lot. A great place for sunsets. Very cool place to go after big wind storms... a great gathering place for large driftwood and logs.

Came to Richard Kimball Memorial Park growing up when my parents, sister, and I would visit my…read moreGrandma. More recently, I have made the park part of a walking loop and a walk final destination when visiting my Grandma and she is taking a nap or working on something and does not need/want help. It is a relatively small park in terms of grassy area, but has swings and play structures, which have varied over the years. There is no parking lot, though there are two different entrances for foot traffic. On the whole, I have found it tends to be more quiet than the grounds of Broad View Elementary School, however it does border a fairly busy road.

The best time to come is during midweek before it starts getting busy…read more We came with a group of four for our first San Juan /shrimping expedition. Our campsite was right along the edge next to the beach, it overlooked the whole bay. You'll need to get there early in order to dock your boat. We beached it on nights two and three because it got so crowded. Fire pits for your campfires and plenty of firewood from the forest and drift wood from the beach. Lots of seashells, but not many starfish or marine life. An occasional seal or sea otter swimming around. Lots of birds, eagles, a goldfinch, and a pileated woodpecker. The bathrooms were great, compostable toilets, nice tile floors, and windows to look out from. Nice and clean. A ranger even stopped by to clean them while we were there for four days. It's a short hike from the bay to raccoon island campground. Loved the campground, would highly recommend to come during the week !

I'll admit it, I was flattered when the State of Washington approached about naming their next park…read moreafter me. Humbled, I declined their generous proposition. Well, apparently they found an alternative Jones after which to name their island. Reachable only by watercraft, Jones is a true gem of the beautiful San Juans. I've been there twice now for day trips, but I'd love to set up camp there for a week or more of sheer PNW bliss. This rustic isle features tent sites and even some pre-built shelters in case you forgot to stop at REI on the way. There are pit toilets and trails as well. And the views across beaches and waterways...well they're just magical. If I ever actually buy a boat, Jones will be my first stop. Even if it's not technically named after me.

Great park lots of ramps and tons of fun with pump track. great for tricks and spends sometime with…read morefamily and friend!

Arriving at Heritage Park in Stanwood around 9:29 a.m. this morning, Wednesday 24 May 2023, one…read morevehicle was pulling out of the parking lot and other than that my silver 2010 Toyota Corolla that I named Lepton was the only vehicle in the parking lot. City workers were in their office (at work on the road) and the road was closed past the park. Driving all the way up to the road closed sign, I saw the turn-in for the parking lot and was relieved the entrance was not in the section of the road that was closed. The park has a variety of offerings including numerous soccer fields, two large baseball fields, pickleball courts abutting a fenced-in grassy sitting area equipped with benches, a skate park, a playground, a restroom building by a flagpole, porta-pottis scattered throughout the park, and two horseshoe pits. I had not thrown a horseshoe in 15 to 20 years (I am approximately 30 years old as of writing this on 24 May 2023). So, knowing I was bigger and stronger than the last time I threw one, I picked up a horseshoe and threw it better than I ever did when I was growing up. Fun to see the decade-plus rest served my horseshoe-throwing skills well. A swallow soared past me and Lepton in the parking lot and European starlings were hard at work foraging in the grass of one of the baseball fields. A worker was mowing the grass past one of the baseball fields. It was an overall serene exploring experience.