Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary, Everett, Washington

CURRENT INFO

Find current trip reports for Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary on the WTA (Washington Trails Association) website. General information and a history of the park is available on the Snohomish County webpage.

GOOD TO KNOW

There is no fee to park at Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary. The trailhead has a restroom, but it was closed when we were there in November 2020. Well-behaved pets on leash are welcome.

HIGHLIGHTS

Come to Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary for a peaceful nature walk. This isn’t a destination hike, but rather a nice place to escape to for a short walk in the woods. If you live locally, bring your dog here for a walk.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

We’d recently done a six-mile hike on the Iron Goat Trail that turned out to be a little more adventurous than expected. The kids weren’t thrilled about another hike so soon, but I assured them this one was short and easy. And it was! Boardwalk trails are always fun, and both boys enjoyed running through the woods.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Since Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary is adjacent to Boeing’s Everett facilities, it’s a convenient place to stop if you plan to do the Future of Flight factory tour. From here, it’s a short drive down to the Mukilteo ferry dock with departures for Whidbey Island. Near the ferry dock, Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo makes a great picnic spot by the beach and offers a fun playground for the kids.

It was Veterans Day, and the entire family had the day off. Plans were made to visit Michael’s parents nearby, and I, naturally, started thinking about ways to get the kids outside. It’s all too easy, as fall turns slowly toward winter, to huddle indoors. These days, with the pandemic, it’s also easier than ever to spend more time than we intend online, playing games or (in my case) sucked into planning some future, far-off family trip.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of urban green spaces in the greater Seattle area, and I found one conveniently located not far from my in-laws’ home. Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary sounded just right for our needs: a local trail, short and easy, with a boardwalk to add some interest for the kids. Were dogs allowed? Yes! All plans go!

The trailhead was easy to find, just beyond the Boeing jet assembly plant off of Boeing Freeway in south Everett. The restrooms were locked, as so often is the case these days, but that came as no surprise. Even though they’d been reticent to come, the kids were immediately off and running. Just around the corner, they discovered a strange, cave-like cement structure. It appeared to be a rain shelter, with a bench inside and conveniently placed openings in the walls, allowing you to enjoy the view of the surrounding trees.

I took a minute to review the map at the trailhead. Truth be told, it wasn’t much of a map, although it was quite artistic. I could see the boardwalk and the perimeter trail labeled amid renderings of flora and fauna that make their home in the wetlands. It looked pretty straightforward. We headed down the dirt trail before turning right onto the boardwalk.

The boardwalk winds gracefully through white-barked alder as it makes its way through the marsh. Signs placed along the path describe the importance of wetlands in the environment, offering insights into the lives of local plants and animals. You can do the entire boardwalk as a loop if you want a short walk that just hits the highlights. It’s less than a mile in length, and the most accessible option in the park, although it can be slippery.

Halfway through the boardwalk loop, the boardwalk ends for a brief section and becomes a dirt trail instead. A short set of steps connects to the perimeter trail, giving you the option to either stick with the boardwalk or explore the perimeter. Wanting a longer walk, we turned right onto the perimeter trail, anticipating that this would create a longer loop before taking us back to the trailhead.

As it turns out, the perimeter trail doesn’t actually encircle the entire park. After following it through the forest, we started to hear the sounds of nearby traffic. Soon enough, we found ourselves face to face with the main road. A quick check on Google maps confirmed that there wasn’t another trail at this end of the park; we needed to turn around, or else we’d be walking the rest of the way along the road. Signs prominently listing the park rules also made it clear that we’d reached the boundary. This wasn’t exactly what we’d envisioned, so our choice was clear: we did an about face and headed back the way we’d come.

The trail back was familiar now, and it wasn’t long before we came to the steps leading back to the boardwalk. We followed the path through alder forests and quiet marshes, passing the funny concrete shelter again as we neared the parking lot.

Back at our car, we said goodbye to Michael’s father and headed home to Seattle. Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary is not a high profile park; it offers no breathtaking views or awe-inspiring natural wonders. Still, it provides something we all need, maybe now more than ever: a small way to escape into nature and set aside the cares of the world, even if only for an hour.