Hike through a deep green ravine sliced by a salmon-spawning stream in Lynnwood of all places. But there's more; finish at a quiet Puget Sound beach with sweeping views of Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains. Lunds Gulch forms a green swath in heavily suburbanized south Snohomish County. Protected within the 105-acre Meadowdale County Park, Lunds Gulch is not only a refuge to area wildlife, but also to area residents.

The hike through Lunds Gulch begins in a small opening on a forested bluff. The wide and well-built trail immediately enters a mature forest of Douglas-fir and wastes no time dropping 400 feet into the emerald ravine. Big boughs of ferns line the way. So do hefty cedar and hemlock stumps, testaments to the giants that once flourished here before pioneering loggers "discovered" them.

Not all of the big trees were harvested, though. A few giant firs and cotton-woods still stand tall within the lush gulch. John Lund first homesteaded this rugged tract of paradise back in 1878, and it's nicely reverting back to its wilder days. The trail follows the small creek also named after Lund. Bubbling and babbling, it makes its short journey to the Sound. Come each fall, a handful of salmon make their way up the creek to spawn.

In 1 mile the trail comes to a junction. The path left leads to the ranger's residence and to picnic tables scattered about on a manicured lawn. Much of this area once sported a country club complete with an Olympic-sized swim-ming pool and bath houses. In 1968 the county parks department acquired this property and began transforming it into a top-notch natural and recreational gem.

Continue hiking straight along the creek and through forest, eventually coming to a railroad underpass. Make tracks under the tracks to reach the beach. Rest on a driftwood log, comb the shore, and enjoy a splendid view of Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains. Sunsets are supreme here, but don't forget to allot yourself some daylight for the return to your vehicle.