A Long Beach With Plenty of Space to Stroll and Play, Plus a Playground With a Gorgeous View

Let’s start at the top, shall we? If you can, arrange to be in the passenger seat for your drive down to Richmond Beach so that you can gawk at the water and mountains. The view is truly spectacular. There are multiple parking lots terraced on your way down towards the water. Parking is free. If your aim is the beach or the playground, you’re going to want to go as far down as you can and park in the bottom lot. This could prove difficult on a nice summer day or weekend, but mid-week parking is usually not a problem. If you just want to admire the view while a little one naps in the car seat, an upper parking lot would do nicely.

If you’re headed to the beach, you’re going to have to walk over the train tracks. Unlike Carkeek which means a long, slightly intimidating staircase down, here you have a nice paved bridge. Still, it’s a bit of a hike with little ones and beach gear so bring a wagon if you’re expecting to set up for the day. You might get lucky and have a train pass under you as you walk down to the beach, an exciting event for my little ones.

The beach—sand and rocks— is somewhat narrow, but it is LONG. You can go for a stroll looking for treasure or just walk a ways down in either direction to get some privacy. There is driftwood galore for climbing and building. Often you will find someone else’s structure your kid can play with or dismantle (built by children, not engineers, so make sure a grownup checks them out first).

Between November 1 and March 15, Richmond Beach is also an off-leash dog beach. There is no fence or jetty to separate the dogs, so if your kid is scared of dogs you should probably skip it between those dates. If, however, you’re looking for a place to get Fido and the kids some exercise, this is a great spot to visit.

Now let’s talk about the playground. It is totally separate from the beach—you have to go back up the bridge over the train tracks, through the lower parking lot, and up a couple of staircases.  The large structure is ship-inspired and has multiple slides and climbing options. There’s also a tilted wheel to hang on and a small rocking piece. There are swings at Richmond Beach (two big kid, two little kid, no accessible) but the swing set is in a separate area from the playground and you can’t really see well between them. It’s a great playground to let your kid work out some energy while you admire the view.

There are two bathroom structures. One is down by the beach. The other is in the lower parking lot, below the playground. Each area also has grills and partially covered seating areas. The beach has a firepit section.

Tips:

The large sculpture at the beach is called “Welcoming Figure” and is part of the Shoreline Public Art program. Shoreline Public Art explains: “For thousands of years, the beach served as a landing and campsite for Indigenous communities who traveled in dugout canoes to harvest clams and shellfish. Initially carved out of red cedar and then cast in bronze, the sculpture features a woman holding a large steering paddle and a man wearing a woven cedar bark hat with a canoe headdress. The concrete base below the figures is enhanced with designs that resemble those used in basketry. Together, the elements celebrate the carving and weaving traditions of the Coast Salish people as well as their reverence for family.”

As always during COVID, check Shoreline’s website for restrictions and regulations and don’t forget your masks!