Three hikes for families with young kids

There’s nothing like the perfume of fresh spring flowers in the air, the beauty of trees with newly grown leaves and the lushness that descends over the Pacific Northwest this time of year.

After a long, dark winter, spring is an invigorating time and there’s no better way to celebrate it than getting the family outdoors on a walk or hike. Here are a few of our recommendations just beyond the boundaries of Whatcom County.

Anacortes’ Tommy Thompson

This 3.3-mile trail in Anacortes is an easy walk that starts on an asphalt pathway and continues over an abandoned railroad trestle to Fidalgo Bay.

Benches and a lookout point with picnic tables make for good resting stops along the way and between the beauty of Fidalgo Bay and the birdwatching potential, there’s lots of eye candy on this route.

The trail was named for a local railroad hobbyist who built the Anacortes railway and operated it for 25 years until 1999. Look out for murals, trailside sculptures and lots of interpretive signs that describe fauna, flora and historical information along the way.

To get there, park at the base of Leslie Street where it meets Unwin Avenue, south of Lake Shore Boulevard East.

Maddox Creek Trails

Mount Vernon’s Maddox Creek consists of easy paved and gravel pathways through the woods and hills that comprise the Maddox Creek neighborhood.

You can limit your walk to three-quarters of a mile if energy levels are low, or extend it by adding other loops, such as the Canyon loop, a series of switchbacks and steep slopes through the conifer trees that border the wetland. Other loops take you through the neighborhood streets.

To get there exit at 226 off Interstate 5 south, head east up the hill, turn right on 15th and L and east to Maddox Creek road.

Kulshan Park Trail

Another Mount Vernon gem, Kulshan Park trail is an easy 2.5-mile path that connects the downtown core with the commercial and residential areas in the east of the city. It traverses schools, salmon ponds, a community garden and Bakerview Park along the way, and is open to bikers, walkers, joggers and roller bladers.

Park at Lions Park or Riverside Drive and consider picking up a picnic lunch or snacks at the Skagit Valley Food Co-Op before you set out. The Co-Op sells scoops of ice cream, too, so there’s a post-walk treat readily available if you need one.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Three hikes for families with young kids."