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The paved portion of the trail is only a few hundred yards long with a slight downhill grade. It begins at the interpretive center.

Make sure to visit the center. It’s well worth the time, and one comes away from the experience better for it.

Wheelchair accessible, the path to the observation deck overlooking Padilla Bay leads under Bay View-Edison road via a tunnel. From there, a steep, spiral staircase provides access to the beach. Dogs and bikes are not allowed.

Padilla Bay is an estuary on the large delta of the Skagit River in the Salish Sea. It is about eight miles long (north to south) and three miles across. In 1980, the bay was added to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.

Wander to the north or south down the beach.

However, be aware of the tidal situation. Because the bay is intertidal, at high tide it has an average depth of eight feet. At low tide, the bay empties, exposing miles and miles of mud flats. This allows unusually large eelgrass meadows to grow. There are nearly 8,000 acres of eelgrass in Padilla Bay.

Abundant eelgrass means abundant life. Eelgrass is used as a nursery by salmon, crab, perch and herring. It’s also home to millions of worms, shrimp, clams and other invertebrates that are food for great blue herons, eagles, otters, seals and humans.

The interpretive center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Distance: 1 mile

Destination: Padilla Bay

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: Minimal

Getting there: The observation deck is part of the Padilla Bay Breazeale Interpretive Center. Take I-5 north to Exit 231. Turn right at the light at the end of the exit ramp, cross over the freeway and turn left on Josh Wilson Road. Go 6.5 miles. Turn right on Bay View-Edison Road. Pass the entrance to Bay View State Park and find the entrance to the interpretive center on the right in about a quarter-mile.

The Trek: Park in the interpretive center lot. On a paved path, pass the center’s main entrance and restrooms.

On a double-wide path, walk between several thickets that border large fields. Wind down to the tunnel, descending below road level by way of ramp or staircase. Once through the tunnel, the pavement gives way to a boardwalk that leads to the observation deck.

Arriving at the deck, the views are impressive. Anacortes, Mount Erie, and Cap Sante can be seen across the bay while other San Juan Islands come into view as well. On this day, the weather was sunny and clear. However, the wind was howling as it often does on the coast.

After taking it all in, take the spiral staircase toward the shoreline.

A quick note of caution here. If one is prone to vertigo or has a difficult time descending steep, twisting staircases, then just take in the views from the observation deck and call it good.

At the bottom of the staircase, reach a “T” intersection with two sets of concrete stairs leading to the shoreline. Take the stairs on the right to go north on the beach, or the stairs on the left to go south.

Pick a route and set out.

If the tide is out, there is plenty of room to roam. However, be sure to keep a close eye on the tides.

At high tide, there isn’t much room between the salty water and sheer cliff faces.

On the shoreline, there is a plethora of beachcombing opportunities.

A rocky shoreline, driftwood and bull kelp mark the high-tide line.

Venturing right, head north down the beach. There are lots of shells and several gigantic logs on which to sit.

Large boulders dot the landscape. Take time to flip over smaller rocks to look for signs of life. Be sure to replace the rocks because the area underneath is home to many sea creatures.

After venturing north as far as possible, turn around, return to the observation deck and continue south.

Once you’ve seen enough, head back to the deck and return to the rig.