Best Spring Hikes in the Seattle Area for Kids and Families

A 90-minute drive north of Seattle, near Anacortes, is a marvelous estuarine research reserve worthy of exploration.

Favorite trails: You have a few choices of trails to take here. There is a wooded loop (a little less than a mile long) that you can access from the parking lot; check out a backpack stocked with learning activities to enjoy along the way. Add a few hundred yards by walking the paved path down to the beach to explore the mudflats. Or drive a mile south of the interpretive center to the South Shore Trail and walk along the tops of dikes, with water on one side and fields on the other. All trails are great for birdwatching and for giving kids room to explore.

Indoor options: The Breazeale Interpretive Center houses a free museum chronicling life in the estuaries of the Salish Sea. We love the floor-to-ceiling aquarium full of sealife, and the hands-on room will keep the youngest children entertained. It’s currently open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Extras: Padilla Bay is close to Anacortes. Pick up a bite to eat in the historic downtown, visit the beach and playground at Washington Park, and drive to the top of Mount Erie to watch the sunset.

Next stop: river delta refuge