EVERETT, Wash. — Tom Murdoch, director of the Adopt a Stream Foundation, describes the hidden gem that is the Northwest Stream Center Nature Trail: "We're between Seattle and Everett, a half mile up the freeway. It's so accessible, and hardly anybody knows we're here.”
This place may be a secret spot for people, but wildlife knows it's here — game cameras have discovered coyotes, bears, and even bobcats enjoying this boardwalk.
Some favorite photos come from the coyotes — an adult peering inquisitively at an interpretive sign as if reading it, and a pile of coyote pups playing on the boardwalk.
One of the reasons animals come here is that this one-of-a-kind trail where you can walk through a wetland without actually getting wet is that this place is never crowded with humans.
“We limit the number of people that come here to no more than five people per 15 minutes, so when you do come here, it's like you're in a private nature preserve,”Murdoch explained.
You don't need a game camera to see plenty of creatures here yourself. Resident cutthroat trout, crawfish, and freshwater mussels co-exist in a stream with a viewing window and we glimpsed baby ducks and salamanders when we visited. Also, there was something to learn at every turn.
"I tell everybody if you read all the information on this walk and you remember it you'll pick up a natural science degree,” laughed Murdoch.
We can't promise you'll see bears or a bobcat when you walk this trail.
But we can guarantee that you’ll become one of the 1% of people in the world (according to Murdoch) who know what a riparian zone is — the area of vegetation around a stream or body of water that supports and enhances water health and the health of all the critters that rely on the water.
You'll also see why we need to preserve places like this.
“You come out into the forest, listen to the sounds, or the silence, take a deep breath, and feel the stress of the day just float away,” Murdoch said. “It's just a wonderful place to be."
The Northwest Stream Center Nature Trail is open Tuesdays through Saturdays on a reservation basis, admission is $7 for adults, kids 5 and under, and Adopt a Stream Members get in free.
600 128th St. S.E.
Everett WA 98201
(425) 316-8592
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