Brackett’s Landing is a small stretch of Puget Sound shoreline right next to the Edmonds ferry terminal, about 20 miles north of Seattle. On a good low tide day, it turns into one of the best tide pooling spots around the city.

We visited with our three year old on a -3 ft low tide. The highlight was spotting a sea lemon in the wild for the first time. We also saw live Dungeness crabs digging into the sand, hermit crabs, sea stars in different colors, sea anemones, barnacles, snails and a conch. Mt Baker was out to the north and the Olympic mountains were clear across the Sound.

Quick Facts

Brackett’s Landing is part of the Edmonds Underwater Park and Marine Sanctuary. Marine life here is protected. You can look, photograph and gently touch, but nothing leaves the beach. No shells, no sand dollars, no sea stars.

How to Get There

From Seattle, take I-5 North to exit 177 or continue on WA-104 West into downtown Edmonds. The drive is about 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Follow signs for the Edmonds ferry terminal. Brackett’s Landing North is the beach right next to the ferry dock.

Parking

There is free parking in the large lot next to the Edmonds train station and ferry terminal. The lot is shared with ferry riders so it can fill up during peak ferry hours, but on our visit we had no trouble finding a spot close to the beach access.

From the parking lot it is a two minute walk on a paved path to the sand. Strollers work fine.

Additional street parking is available along Railroad Avenue and in lots a few blocks into downtown Edmonds if the main lot is full.

Planning Around the Tides

Timing the tide is the whole trip. We used the NOAA tide prediction chart for Edmonds (station 9447130) to plan our visit.

A few things to know:

• Minus tides (below 0.0 ft) are when the good stuff gets exposed.
• A -1 ft tide is decent. -2 ft or lower is excellent.
• On our visit, the low tide peaked at -3 ft and held between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. That was plenty of time to explore without rushing.
• Arrive an hour before the low so you can walk out with the receding water.

In Puget Sound, the biggest daytime minus tides happen in late spring and summer, roughly April through July. In fall and winter the deepest low tides are at night, which is not great for beach combing with a toddler.

What We Found

Sea Lemon

The star of the day was a sea lemon, a bright yellow nudibranch (sea slug) that looks exactly like its name. It was tucked into a shallow pool, soft and squishy, with frilly gills at the back end. We had never seen one in the wild and spent a good fifteen minutes watching it slowly move across the rocks.

Sea lemons feed on sponges and can grow up to 3 to 4 inches long. They reportedly smell faintly lemony if you handle them, though we left ours alone.

Live Dungeness Crabs

We expected shells. We did not expect live Dungeness crabs. As the tide pulled back, several of them were digging sideways into the wet sand to stay hidden. A few stayed partially exposed so we got a close look at the classic cream and purple coloring.

Sea Stars in Different Colors

The sea stars were everywhere. We counted ochre sea stars in purple, orange and brick red, mostly clinging to rocks and pilings near the water line. Puget Sound’s sea star population was hit hard by sea star wasting disease starting around 2013, so seeing this many healthy ones is a good sign.

Hermit Crabs

Tiny hermit crabs occupied almost every small shell in the shallow pools. The fun game was standing still and watching a “rock” suddenly sprout legs and run off. Great for little kids, small, harmless, fast enough to be fun but slow enough to watch.

Sea Anemones

Green and olive sea anemones covered the rocks near the water. The ones left above the waterline had pulled their tentacles in and looked like squishy blobs. The ones in pools were fully open and waving. Our toddler gently touched one with a wet fingertip to feel the sticky grip.

Barnacles, Snails and Conch

The rocks and wooden pilings were covered in barnacles and snails. We also found a few larger conch shells with occupants still inside. Tiny crustaceans were darting around the pools too. Our toddler called them “sea monkeys” and the name stuck.

We also came across a large fish skull washed up on the beach. A reminder that these tide pools are part of a bigger ocean ecosystem.

Seagulls

The seagulls were doing their own beach combing, cracking open shells and squabbling over scraps. Fun to watch with kids.

Mt Baker and the Olympic Mountains

The views from Brackett’s Landing are as good as the tide pools. On a clear day you can see snow capped Mt Baker to the north across the water, and the Olympic mountains stretching along the western horizon beyond the Sound. Bring a camera.

With a Toddler

We did this with our three year old and it worked really well. The beach is flat with mixed sand, pebbles and rock formations. There were plenty of other families with kids doing the same thing, so the atmosphere was relaxed and social.

A few things that helped:

• Let them lead. The joy is picking up rocks and finding things underneath.
• Waterproof boots or old sneakers. Something that can get wet is a must.
• Bring a small bucket to examine a creature in clean seawater, then return it to the same pool.
• Snacks and water. There is no vendor on the beach.
• Sun hat and sunscreen. The beach is fully exposed.
• Change of clothes in the car. They will get wet.

Leave No Trace

Brackett’s Landing is a protected marine sanctuary. Please:

• Take nothing home. No shells, no sand dollars, no sea stars, no rocks.
• Touch gently and only with wet hands. Dry hands damage the protective coating on sea creatures.
• Put rocks back the way you found them. That rock is someone’s home.
• No dogs on the beach.
• Watch your step. It is easy to crush small creatures without noticing.

After the Beach

Once the tide came back in, we walked five minutes into downtown Edmonds for coffee. Downtown Edmonds has a nice waterfront small town feel with cafes, an ice cream shop and a few restaurants along Main Street. A good low key ending to a morning of beach combing.

All Our Brackett’s Landing Videos

Here is the full playlist of our beach combing videos from this trip.

Helpful Resources

• NOAA Tide Predictions, Edmonds Station 9447130
• City of Edmonds, Brackett’s Landing Park
• Edmonds Underwater Park
• WSDOT Edmonds-Kingston Ferry Schedule

Travel Tips

• Check the tide chart the day before. Aim for -1 ft or lower, ideally -2 ft or lower.
• Arrive an hour before low tide so you can walk out with the receding water.
• Wear footwear that can get wet. The rocks are slippery and sharp with barnacles.
• Bring sun protection even on cool days. The beach is fully exposed.
• Pack a change of clothes for kids. They will get soaked.
• Take nothing home. Brackett’s Landing is a protected marine sanctuary.
• Combine with downtown Edmonds for coffee or food after the tide comes in.
• Weekday low tides have far fewer crowds than weekends.