Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park
The crown jewel of Lake Washington parks
Quick Facts:
Location: Lake Washington
Round Trip: 1.5 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: minimal
Contact: City of Renton Parks Commission
Detailed Information: Urban Trails Seattle (Mountaineers Books)
Notes: Dogs prohibited. Park open 8:00 am to dusk
Access: Take Exit 5 on I-405. Then head west on N Southport Drive for 0.3 mile and turn right onto Lake Washington Boulevard North. Continue for 0.2 mile to park and trailhead.
Good to Know: kid-friendly, snow free winter hikes, historic, beach access
Renton’s Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park contains one of the prettiest lakeshore walks on Lake Washington. Mosey along a paved path through impeccably landscaped grounds passing an array of impressive trees both native and exotic. And saunter past historic remnants of a time when the lake boomed with logs.
The park is small, but spread out along a mile of lakeshore. And there is so much to see here.Start by passing the play area and heading over to tiny Bird Island. Then head past the swimming area and boat launch. Pass pavilions and concessions and come to the start of the shore trail. This entire area once staged docks where coal was dumped into barges and timber was dumped into a log boom. In the 1960s civic leaders envisioned the area beyond its industrial past with a recreational future. The park was named in honor of longtime Renton Parks Director Gene Coulon.
Notice quite an array of trees gracing the walkway. There are sequoias, bald cypresses, tulip poplars, live oaks and so many other intriguing trees from across the country and beyond here. Download the park’s botanical brochure to take with you for tree identification.
Walk across a bridge (new bridge should be in place by the end of March 2023) at the Trestle Marsh, a natural area that was once the log dump. Walk too along the Shorewalk, a trestle across a small cove. Look for a myriad of bird life and some small mammals as well. And look out across the lake to the Olympic Mountains and back over your shoulder to Mount Rainier. Sunsets are simply sublime here. On your return extend your walk by sauntering out on the 900-foot floating pier. It’s a squared pier giving you an opportunity to walk on water. Kids will love it. You will too.
For more details on this hike and many others in the area, pick up a copy of my best selling Urban Trails Seattle (Mountaineers Books).
