Trip Report
Day Hike - Japanese Gulch in Mukilteo
On a wintry, frosty, foggy morning, I took my dog on a scouting trip and had the trail to myself other than a trail runner, 2 women with dogs, and a man and his son. We had zero problems with downed trees and very little mud. Weekday mornings in winter seem to be a good time to try this; I imagine in summer it's packed with mountain bike riders.
Courtenay Schurman
- Tue, Dec 3, 2024
- Japanese Gulch
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The trail is in really great shape. I realized why: it's a mountain bike area. Leaves have been cleared, and there are thin bridges and ramps and jumps everywhere. It's truly a biker's paradise.
I would be a bit concerned about hiking here on a nice day as the speed bikers would gather going up and down the gulch sides would make it nearly impossible to stop for hikers. The "Feel the pain" sign is just before a massive switchback for bikers. I'd recommend avoiding it so you don't get into a wipe-out.
However, on a foggy, freezing day such as this morning, I had the whole park mostly to myself. There ARE gravel paths for dog walkers that keep you out of the gulch so choose wisely. This was my first time using AllTrails and I'm glad I had it on as there are a TON of side trails and other than signposts on the main gravel trail headed for the dog park, none in the Gulch itself.
Be prepared for lots of ferry horns and plane landings -- we even heard a train go by around 10:15.
My dog and I arrived around 8:35 to find 3 other cars in the foggy parking lot. There is a porta-potty at the south parking lot near the Mukilteo community garden. We headed along the flat gravel trail until we met two women and their off-leash dogs, and then we had the trail to ourselves. There are some cool trees (photo - nurse trunk) not too far from the parking lot. The fog lent a mysterious air to the woods. My dog loved it.
We walked for about 2:10 and the fog was JUST starting to lift when we returned to the car to find a biker getting ready to go with his dog. Glad we tried it, but if I were leading a group of hikers, I would probably stick to the wider gravel trails on the south side that lead to the dog park, with quick drops and climbs on the northern/southern extents to avoid any high-speed bikers on the mountain bike trails; they're steep (there's even a swinging rope) and potentially hazardous.