Happy Trails to You: Riverfront Business Park

It's not often a completely new walking spot comes along, so when MyEverettNews posted about one, I went over the next morning. I was already familiar with Riverside Business park because of that time I spotted a mansion for sale, which is still there and now has a neighbor.

Nickel Bros. has a home for any budget, if you have the land // Christopher Bragg

While I chose to walk in from E. Marine View Drive, there's plenty of street parking (or at least a lack of “no parking” signs) on Riverside Road, and Safran allows two hours of public parking in their lot by the river from 6pm-6am. Those spaces are at the north end of the most scenic section of the trail.

Watch the river roar by // Christopher Bragg

The landscaping is still new, but the viewpoints at either end of the river trail have benches, making them a great place for workers and walkers to take a break.

Bring a sandwich or a book, or catch up on your unanswered texts // Christopher Bragg

While a lot of people might find the scenery a little dull in the back of the business park, I really like the aesthetic. Large, brand-new buildings, meticulous landscaping and stacks of shipping containers. Weird piles of concrete slabs and safety fencing along the railroad tracks. It all takes me back to old jobs where I'd eat lunch at my desk so I could use my mandatory unpaid lunch break for a walk to clear my head.

The trail will get longer as the business park grows, but for now its 1.4 miles make it a worthy destination for Delta neighborhood residents and any runners, walkers or bikers who like a flat, paved trail. For some extra distance and a different perspective, I walked across the 529 bridge.

The view is great but the bridge shakes a lot when trucks go by // Christopher Bragg

For those who want a lot more distance or need a scenic way to get there from other parts of town, Riverside Business Park connects to the Mill Town Trail at the corner of E. Marine View Drive and Riverside Road, the same intersection where you turn if you want to take 529 to Marysville. Be sure to turn east instead of west.