Length: 2 miles
Gain: none

I liked this place so much that I went here twice in one week! It’s a beautiful little slice of estuary life, and I love going here to see shorebirds. I think the best time to visit if you’d like to see birds is as close to sunrise or sunset as possible — I drove here after work from Seattle to see the sun set, and the trees near the visitor center’s boardwalk area were just teeming with birdsong. I am a very subpar birder, though, so I didn’t see too many of the birds, though I certainly did hear them. The ones I was able to identify were: dark-eyed juncos, black-capped chickadees, barn swallows, and Western wood-peewees. But most impressively (to me), an American bittern! He caught a tiny silvery fish and everything.

The boardwalk paths around the visitor center are in good repair, and the shades provide plenty of shade. But the real treat is the new boardwalk that takes you out over the estuary. To most easily get to it, enter the trail to the left of the visitor center and follow the boardwalk until you get to a T-junction past the “Twin Barns.” Go left to hug your way around the barns, and you’ll eventually get to a spot where the boardwalk meets a gravel path. Go onto the gravel path to leave the shade of the trees and follow the path it as it swings out towards the water. You’ll see the new boardwalk in the distance ahead of you.

As you walk further out on the new boardwalk towards the Puget Sound viewing area, look to your right and on a clear day you’ll see Mount Rainier! Maybe you’ll also see the Improbable Seagull Who Can Stand On Water — tell him I said “‘sup.”

While I was out there, I saw many Great Blue Herons (there were especially a lot gathered on the flats by the Puget Sound viewpoint), many ducks that were all too far away for me to identify, and noisy flocks of Canada geese.

Some things to keep in mind: The gates supposedly close at sunset, though I don’t know exactly what that means (do they close exactly at sunset? as the sun sets? right after sunset?) — I did get to my car and drive out before the sun finished sinking behind the mountains, though. There is also a $3 fee to park your car, which seems to be upheld through an honor system. There are envelopes for the fee and a dropbox at the front of the visitor center, and it only takes cash. The visitor center can give you $3 in cash through your card, but they’re only open until 4pm.