Marina Beach Park
Located on the Puget Sound inside the city of Edmonds, Washington, Marina Beach Park is a quintessential slice of the Puget Sound. This beach is part of the “Whale Trail” which is a series of beaches where you may view Orcas and other whales and marine life from shore. Marina Beach park itself has beautiful views of the Sound and Olympic Peninsula. There is a playground, volleyball net, numerous picnic tables and logs to sit on. One great feature of this park is a fenced off section for dogs with access to the beach.
Overall Marina Beach Park is small but it is adequate for those looking for a quick retreat to the natural world. The sand is quite course and full of pebbles. The water is relatively clear on the shore of the main park but is murky from the seaweed on the dog park side. The park only has outhouses so keep that in mind if you are not ok with those facilities. There is a busy train track that borders the park. If you are seeking some peace and quiet you may find that distracting.
Activities
As mentioned before, Marina Park is part of the Whale trail. This means Marina Park is an excellent location to view whales and other marine life from shore. As a person who loves ocean life but is also prone to sea sickness at times this is an ideal situation. From the beach you can often see California sea lions, harbor seals, and river otters. You may occasionally see Orca, Dall’s Porpoise, Harbor Porpoise Gray Whales and Humpback Whales. When all the stars align and you are there on that rare day, it is possible to see Minke Whale, Sea Otter and Pacific White sided Dolphins. There are also Whale watching tours that are available close by if you want to get into the water to find the whales.
Important information
Puget Sound Express is the whale watching company.
Park hours are 6:30 am to Dusk.
City of Edmonds Official Site.