- Hillary Sanders and Bob Rorabaugh
Getting to Swamp Creek from Shelton View Forest
Did you know there is a way to get to the shores of Swamp Creek from Shelton View Forest? Especially during these hot summer days, it's the perfect place to dip your toes in the water and chill out!
Shelton View Forest is located in the Lower Swamp Creek Watershed, the southernmost portion of the Swamp Creek Watershed. The Swamp Creek basin is made up of approximately 15,000 acres. Roughly 52% of the drainage is impervious - think roads, parking lots, houses, businesses, and other surfaces water cannot penetrate - and 19% is forested. The drainage basin includes Scriber Lake, Martha Lake, and Lake Stickney and drains portions of the Cities of Lynnwood, Everett, Brier, Bothell, Mountlake Terrace, Kenmore, and unincorporated Snohomish County. (King Co. website)
Swamp Creek originates in south Everett. Extensive wetlands once dominated the headwaters of Swamp Creek. The upper reaches still have some large good-quality wetlands and high-quality salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. The creek flows roughly 10.9 miles south into King County, where it empties into the Sammamish River just upstream of its outlet into Lake Washington. (King Co. website)
If you are coming from the south entrance to Shelton View Forest, take the trail with an arrow pointing west to Forsgren Park - it's about 100 feet straight past the DNR sign. Follow this trail all the way down to the play fields. This approach to and from Forsgren along a pipeline easement was a muddy mess until the summer of 2020, when volunteers worked to raise, crown, and mulch the trail for easier access. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers!
To access the shores of Swamp Creek, cross the road slightly northwest of the playground at Forsgren Park. Walk around the new detention pond installed by Snohomish County Surface Water Management. Snohomish County did a complete overhaul of this stormwater detention facility in 2020 - reconstructing the embankment and providing erosion control and fish habitat in Swamp Creek. For more information about the stormwater retrofit project, visit the Snohomish County website here.
At the west side of the pond, step carefully around the new native plantings to find a small beach at the curve in the creek. This area is owned by the Meadow Creek Park HOA but may be used for river access. Please be respectful and keep the area clean. And don’t forget, Shelton View Forest is that tree-covered hill to the east!
Directions to Forsgren Park and Swamp Creek from Shelton View Forest: Find the south entrance to Shelton View Forest at 23600 7th Ave W. Note a DNR trailhead sign. Continue straight past the sign and along the trail for about 100 feet. You'll see a directional sign to the left that indicates the trail west to Forsgren Park.
Directions to Shelton View Forest from Forsgren Park: Find Forsgren Park at 23615 Carter Rd. Park in the lot near the play equipment at the north end of the park. The trail connection to Shelton View Forest begins across the field at the far northeast corner. Cross over the bog, go up the stairs, and follow the pipeline easement for 1/4 mile to the forest.
See our trail map for a detailed view of over 5 miles of trails, including the Swamp Creek connection. Available for download here.
