Editing Artondale, Washington (section)

==Parks and recreation==
Artondale contains several PenMet Parks. Wollochet Bay Estuary Park is a 20.3-acre park with 854 feet of shoreline located to the east of Wollochet Dr NW.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.penmetparks.org/32-chimera-2014/|title=Undeveloped PenMet Park Properties - PenMet Parks|first=Alan|last=Jones|work=PenMetParks.org|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref> The park contains and protects the [[salt marsh|saltwater marsh]] where freshwater from Artondale Creek mixes with saltwater from Wollochet Bay, creating a unique ecosystem important to the area's bird population. The park is considered to be "undeveloped", consisting mainly of an open grassy area with some crabapple trees. Views of the estuary and access to the creek and the bay are limited by trees and other foliage. The park is most easily accessed when heading north on Wollochet Dr NW, where one can make a sharp right curve into the gravel road adjacent to a private driveway. This gravel road is the only parking available. Parking is not usually an issue at this park.

Harbor Family Park, located at the intersection of 70th Ave NW and 32nd St NW, is a relatively recent addition to the park system made up of areas that were once private residences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.penmetparks.org/parks/harbor-family-park|title=Harbor Family Park - PenMet Parks|first=Alan|last=Jones|work=PenMetParks.org|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref> Now the houses are gone, and only a few concrete foundations and traces of old, dirt driveways remain, though neighboring houses can often be glimpsed through the trees. The park consists of dirt trails that wind their way through 18.7 acres of lush, second-growth forest. The gravel parking lot can be accessed via either 70th Ave NW or 32nd St NW. At the parking lot, a trashcan and entrance sign mark the start of the trails. Trails can also be accessed by foot at several places along 70th Ave NW. The trails are popular with dog-walkers and runners. The trails are unmarked and often diverge and converge unexpectedly, so users unfamiliar with the area may want to stick to the trails close to 70th Ave NW, where the sounds and glimpses of cars keep one from getting lost.

Hales Pass Park is technically a part of the Artondale CDP, though it is traditionally associated with the community of Arletta.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.penmetparks.org/parks/hales-pass-park|title=Hales Pass Park - PenMet Parks|first=Alan|last=Jones|work=PenMetParks.org|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref> The stone building and attached picnic shelter on the site were originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Core in 1938 to serve as the Arletta School. The building currently houses the Arletta Montessori preschool.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arlettamontessori.com/|title=Preschool Programs in Gig Harbor, WA - Arletta Montessori|work=ArlettaMontessori.com|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref> Adjacent to the school building is a small baseball field. Tucked away off 36th St NW behind a bus barn are two public tennis courses.