Hike Length: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: minimal
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Updated 9/22/2021
This hike is the third in a series of walks along Puget Sound described in this guide.
Each of the beach hikes has taken you further north up the Puget Sound shore. Here, you’ve come so far north of Seattle that you’re in a new county (Snohomish), and you get to use a new bus line (Community Transit ).
The shoreline walk from Edmonds to Richmond Beach is shorter and more impacted by man-made development than the more southerly sections. Still, the pleasure of walking on the breezy shoreline of Puget Sound is undeniable even here. A tide of -1 foot or lower is recommended for the easiest passage, but a 0 tide is doable at the cost of scrambling on the railroad seawall or wading for a hundred yards or so. Such tides occur during the day in spring and summer, and especially around the summer solstice.
In downtown Seattle, catch the northbound Sound Transit 512 and ride the bus to Lynnwood Transit Center. Here, transfer to Community Transit 116 and ride to Edmonds Station, located near the waterfront.
The schedule of the CT 116 bus is sparse; plan your connection carefully.
From Edmonds Station, walk south along Railroad Ave and Admiral Way, following signs to Marina Beach Park. A row of condominiums and apartment buildings separate you from the Puget Sound. Just past the Port of Edmonds ( which is just a pleasure boat marina despite the pretentious name) you arrive at the entrance to Marina Beach Park. Walk through a gate into the off leash dog area, and follow trails south through the park to the beach.
At first, the beach offers tricky walking on seaweed covered stones, but soon the beach reverts to a more pleasant surface of sand. Visible ahead is the oil refinery complex on Point Wells, which you reach after a half mile of walking. Along the way, one short section of beach along the way may be flooded if the tide is marginally low; scramble around this spot as best you can. At the beach just north of the refinery, don’t be surprised if you see nude sunbathers, who have have turned this isolated area into an informal “clothing optional” zone. In case you are wondering, this activity is not legal; in fact, there are no legal nude beaches anywhere in Washington State, although our less prudish neighbors to the north and south, Oregon and British Columbia, have them.
Beyond the nude beach, you walk alongside the refinery complex, which has a certain grimy industrial appeal. At one point you pass underneath the pier where tanker ships transfer oil to the refinery. It feels like you are trespassing, but no signs forbid your passage. Some signs do politely recommend that you don’t smoke, which seems like a very reasonable request here.
Rounding Point Wells, a broad vista opens up toward Seattle and the main part of Puget Sound. South of the point, you pass by a small, somewhat charming bay, then a dense cluster of waterfront homes squeezed between the railroad tracks and Puget Sound. Not far beyond the homes, you arrive at Richmond Beach Park, usually busy with beachcombers, featuring picnic tables and restrooms.
Leave the beach here and walk over the pedestrian bridge spanning the railroad tracks. The trail beyond the bridge shortly leads you to a parking lot. Head to the north end of the lot, and walk up the stairs climbing the sandy bluff. At the top of the bluff, walk out of the park north on 20th Ave NW, which is tree-shaded and pleasant. In a quarter mile, you arrive at the intersection of 20th Ave and NW 195th, the end of the hike. A stop for the Metro 348 bus is located just east of the intersection.
Hop on the Metro 348 bus and ride it to Northgate Transit Center. There, hop onto the Link Right Rail (opening in October 2021) and ride back to Seattle