Miles: 6+ miles
Elevation Gain/Highest: 15ft/26ft
Map: Spencer Island Map (dike failures have taken out the northern trail loop pictured)
Favorite Eats After Hike: K Fresh, Sol Food, Soundbite Cider, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike details:
Spencer Island is a 413 acre park with a urban trail upon a dike top tidal wetland loop at along the Snohomish River Estuary at the end of the Langus Riverfront Park Trail. Wildlife and flora flourish in the brackish terrain nestled between the I-5 corridor and Cascade Mountains.
If parking at the Langus Riverfront Park, a two mile paved path will take you to Spencer Island where you can do a 1.7 mile loop on the southern end of the estuary. You can add extra miles by walking a short distance on the northern loop (that does not continue all the way around) or you can take the gravel path out past the water reclamation tanks northbound for another 3 miles RT.
My trip reports:
4/5/2020:
My husband as not up to walking to Spencer Island from the house trailhead (and after yesterday’s “thru-hike” I wasn’t sure I was either) so we opted for a biathlon instead.
Making sure I used the “privy” before heading out, it was a 7 mile bike ride to connect with 529 and turn down to Langus Park. The amount of cars driving in was a clue this would be my only trip out here.
The three parking lots along Langus Park were full but thankfully not a lot of people milling there. Most people were good about moving over and keeping a distance.
It was when we got to the beginning of the Spencer Island Trail under the I-5 overpass that conditions changed. Many more people taking up the trail width and not moving over or spacing. People who had drove in were milling around getting their bikes off their cars and it was a jam where the trail passes through the gate.
Thankfully after that the trail opened up and other than some large families who spread themselves out on the trail, it was much more open. There were a few kayakers out on the river and I was a little jealous. We hope to buy some this year!
Having walked/biked this trail over the last 20 (?) years, this was one of the smoothest treks as far as the trail itself. Usually there are so many wild blackberries rising up through the asphalt but not so much today. Oh, and no slugs.
We arrived at the bridge for Spencer Island after dodging a few dogs on leashes and locked our bikes up to a information kiosk on the other side. Here I put on my mask because I could see there were quite a few hikers at all the viewpoints.
We started out on the south loop and it was not hard to keep a distance except for the bridges where the river spills into the estuary. Pilchuck and Three Fingers were visible across the valley to the Cascades but one has to watch their feet and legs for nettles that were popping up everywhere.
We were able to complete the south loop as the trail was well maintained on the south side, unlike last year when we had to wade through so much grass and bramble. I did try to continue on the full loop towards the north but that was not maintained and after a few hundred yards either a machete or chaps would have been needed to proceed.
We returned out the same way along the Snohomish River and there were even more people on the trail at the this time, enough to not be comfortable. A sheriff pickup was parked next to the Shell House, maybe watching to make sure folks don’t congregate?
Our ride home took us along 529 south and the Hibulb Overlook that was also full of cars. It’s so hard to stay home when the weather is nice. We headed up Alverson and Colby to return back to our “trailhead” for a total of 17 miles.
6/19/2019:
Mom and I were out today to get some longer training miles in that covered road, so we parked in the far lot of Langus and walked down to Spencer Island.
The weather was perfect and port-a-potty on Spencer still had hand sanitizer. The Langus Riverfront was in fairly good shape with just a few blackberry vines reaching out to snag unsuspecting walkers and the usual undulating and patched asphalt.
On Spencer we headed right and to the south to make a small loop. Be warned the most southern trail around the island is extremely overgrown, almost to the point that navigation might be needed! Seriously, though, it is over your head and covers the trail, completely unexpected. My mom was here last month and said it was nothing like it is now.
Once over the bridge on the far side and cutting back to the west, the overgrowth is not as bad but still tall.
We were only at about 4 miles at this point so we continued down the gravel road from Spencer and walked the Dike Road along the water reclamation ponds and back, adding another 3 miles and then back to the car made for a total of 9 miles.
The sweet peas and wild daisies were out, along with some bright orange poppies. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife, mostly rabbits. Baker, Three Fingers and Rainier were out, along with the rest of the Cascade Range.
Directions: From I-5 northbound, take the Marine View Drive exit 195. Turning left onto E Marine View Drive, continue for 1.3 miles. There will be a light for Marysville, get in the left turn lane to continue onto 529. After crossing the railroad trestle bridge, take the first right, signed for Langus Riverfront Park/Everett Animal Shelter. Turn right again on 35th Ave NE at the sign for Dagmars Marina. Turn left onto Ross Avenue and continue past Dagmars Marina and in 1.2 miles go right at a Y.
There are several places to park depending on how far you want to walk. Three parking areas line Langus Riverfront Park itself. In 1 mile you cross under the freeway and there is a gravel parking lot by the sewage treatment plant, as well. When driving back to I-5, note that you must cross under the 529 bridge on Ross Avenue and turn right to follow the road on the other side, so you are turning right onto the bridge to head back into Everett. No parking pass is needed, a privy is available both at the Langus Riverfront Park and after crossing the bridge onto Spencer Island.
Note that the northern section of Spencer Island is on DNR land and does have a hunting season.
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