Trip Report
Meadowdale Beach Park Naturalist Hike
My dog and I enjoyed a lovely mid-morning stroll with 29 bird species including 5 Barrow's goldeneyes, an orange-crowned warbler, downy and pileated woodpeckers, and Hutton's vireos. Muddy in places, and lots of dogs, as well as a very long train made for an interesting outing.
Courtenay Schurman
- Tue, Mar 11, 2025
- Meadowdale Beach Park
- Day Hiking & Naturalist
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The parking lot had 4-5 spaces available when we arrived around 10:45 on a Wednesday morning, and when we left around 12:15 the lot was about 2/3 full. Portapotty available but I did not use it. The trail is muddy in places:
And if you're not familiar with the trail, there is a portion NOT wheelchair accessible (stairs) which makes for a fun, albeit short (420' gain) workout:
By far, the highlight of this trip was hearing several bird species I haven't heard yet this year. (YAY FOR SPRING!! I may not be able to spot them but they're all SINGING NOW!)
Our 29 species included 5 Barrow's Goldeneyes, a Western Grebe, some double-crested cormorants, 2 buffleheads, a belted kingfisher, an orange-crowned warbler, pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, a singing male ruby-crowned kinglet, and some brown creepers.
Plenty of people were out walking their dogs, including one gent (who wasn't very friendly) with three. A group of 4 women were doing trek training, another pair were doing an outdoors workout at a picnic area, and a handful of people explored the beach. We even heard a train go by - close to 80 cars.
I've never been to this park before; plenty of benches and picnic tables to enjoy warm weather. This trip was part of an errand to pick up my missing coat from a friend's house. I'd go back! Total miles (including roughly 20 minutes on the beach exploring the shore for birds) 3-ish with 1:07 moving time for descent and ascent. So grateful to WTA for having such a lovely assortment of outings! I love exploring the PNW!
