MARYSVILLE — If you want to enjoy the new beachside amenities on Lake Goodwin, you might want to visit while the weather’s still cold.
Once temperatures warm up, expect Snohomish County’s already-popular Wenberg Park to be packed — even more so than usual. A new swimming area, boat launch and dock opened earlier this month.
“People have been using it. Of course, there isn’t that much demand this time of year,” Kevin Teague, a senior county park planner, said while walking the grounds last week. “It’s a significant improvement on the lake. It’s just really cool.”
Construction shut down the boat launch for almost all of the peak 2018 boating season. Crews are now mostly done with the nearly $3 million project they started more than a year ago. About $1.2 million came from state Recreation and Conservation Office grants.
Strider Construction, of Bellingham, performed the work.
“It all feels better organized,” Teague said. “It’s going to feel neat and clean.”
Snohomish County contractor Strider Construction has been finishing a major upgrade to Wenberg County Park’s swimming area, boat launch and walking trails in December 2018. (Rich Patton / Snohomish County Parks)
For some park patrons, the most attractive addition might be the new fixed dock for walking and fishing that encircles the swimming beach. People in wheelchairs should be able to ride around it with ease. To one side, a concrete ramp and metal railing continue underwater, allowing people with mobility challenges to enjoy the lake.
“One of our primary objectives was to improve handicap access,” Teague said.
Before the dock went in, the swimming area was surrounded by a log boom.
A new boat launch is big enough for two boats to go into the water at the same time. Floating docks to either side provide places to tie up boats. The roadway leading to the launch was reconfigured for easier vehicle access.
“Before, it was a bit of a free-for-all,” Teague said.
Other improvements include walking trails and erosion control. The county is still looking for a concessionaire to run the food counter that’s long stood uphill from the beach.
The recent upgrades are the most significant for Wenberg in more than 50 years. The park covers 46 acres off 15430 E. Lake Goodwin Road, between Marysville and Stanwood. There’s also a campground and picnic shelters. There’s a fee to park there.
The county took over Wenberg from the state in 2009. It’s believed to have started as a donation from the Wenberg family in the 1930s. Over the years, the park more than doubled in size.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
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