Editing Mukilteo, Washington (section)

===Parks and recreation===
[[File:Mukilteo, WA - Lighthouse Park 01.jpg|thumb|right|A coastal beach at [[Mukilteo Lighthouse Park]]|alt=A sandy beach on an overcast day, with people fishing and wandering about. Pieces of driftwood litter the beach, but have been cleared away near the water.]]

Mukilteo has {{convert|1,154|acre|ha}} of total open space, including {{convert|611|acre|ha}} of [[public park]]s and {{convert|342|acre|ha}} of privately owned open spaces, that occupy 13 percent of the city's total land area. The city's largest open spaces are [[conservation area]]s in the Big Gulch and [[Japanese Gulch]] drainage basins.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 2017 |title=City of Mukilteo 2017 Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Arts Plan |pages=17–25 |url=https://mukilteowa.gov/wp-content/uploads/PROSA-Plan-Final-Reduced-1.pdf |publisher=City of Mukilteo |ref={{SfnRef|City of Mukilteo Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Arts Plan|2017}} |access-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> Mukilteo's parks are maintained by a city department that is also tasked with organizing recreational programs for citizens; it was funded by a 1996 [[referendum|ballot measure]] that was approved by voters.{{Sfn|City of Mukilteo Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Arts Plan|2017|p=10}} In addition to city-owned parks and public spaces, Mukilteo is also located near [[Picnic Point Park]], a {{convert|54|acre|ha|adj=mid}} county park along Puget Sound southwest of Harbour Pointe.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sykes |first=Karen |date=March 17, 2004 |title=Hike Of The Week: Easy walks hint at wilder times |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Hike-Of-The-Week-Easy-walks-hint-at-wilder-times-1139787.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Picnic Point Park |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Picnic-Point-Park-72 |publisher=Snohomish County Parks and Recreation Department |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref>

The Old Town neighborhood has several of the city's major parks, including [[Mukilteo Lighthouse Park]], a former [[state park]] that was acquired by Mukilteo in 2003 and is the city's most-used park facility.<ref name="Times-Parks03"/>{{Sfn|City of Mukilteo Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Arts Plan|2017|p=37}} The {{convert|12|acre|ha|adj=mid}} park includes a [[beach]], [[boat launch]], playground, and picnic areas.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jung |first=Mimi |date=July 12, 2018 |title=Mukilteo a hub for community events this summer |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/mukilteo-a-hub-for-community-events-this-summer/281-573221832 |publisher=[[KING-TV|KING 5 News]] |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Halpert |first=Oscar |date=February 20, 2010 |title=Mukilteo Lighthouse Park remodel taking shape |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mukilteo-lighthouse-park-remodel-taking-shape/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> To the southeast of the waterfront park is the Rosehill Community Center, the city's main multi-purpose recreation center. It was built in 2011 to replace the existing community center, a former school that opened in 1928 and was re-purposed for various uses between the 1970s and its demolition in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yefimova |first=Katya |date=February 2, 2011 |title=A new Rosehill blooms |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/a-new-rosehill-blooms/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 6, 2018}}</ref>

The Japanese Gulch conservation area, located between Old Town and Paine Field, is the most-used natural area in Mukilteo.{{Sfn|City of Mukilteo Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Arts Plan|2017|p=37}} The {{convert|144|acre|ha|adj=mid}} area is predominately forests and [[wetland]]s that are home to a variety of birds, as well as [[salmon]], deer, and [[mountain beaver]]s. It has several [[hiking trail]]s that were developed by Japanese immigrants who settled in the gulch in the early 20th century.<ref>{{cite news |last=Salyer |first=Sharon |date=June 18, 2016 |title=City of Mukilteo plans to improve Japanese Gulch trails |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/city-of-mukilteo-plans-to-improve-japanese-gulch-trails/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> The city government acquired land in the gulch in stages between 1996 and 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Salyer |first=Sharon |date=June 13, 2014 |title=Japanese Gulch has long been a haven — and now it will remain one |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/japanese-gulch-has-long-been-a-haven-and-now-it-will-remain-one/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> A park with dirt tracks for [[BMX bike]]s was opened at the southwest end of Japanese Gulch in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Andrea |date=June 16, 2024 |title=Here's the dirt on the new Mukilteo Bike Park |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/heres-the-dirt-on-the-new-mukilteo-bike-park/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=June 16, 2024}}</ref>

The city's largest conservation area, Big Gulch, is located near Harbour Pointe and comprises {{convert|180|acre|ha}} of protected land and {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} of trails.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bruestle |first=Sara |date=September 17, 2017 |title=Urban trails: 10 hiking destinations close to home |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/urban-trails-10-hiking-destinations-close-to-home/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> At the northeast corner of Big Gulch is Mukilteo's largest neighborhood park, 92nd Street Park, which spans {{convert|13|acre|ha}} along the Mukilteo Speedway. It includes a playground, hiking trails, picnic tables, and a [[dog park]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Benbow |first=Mike |date=May 20, 2016 |title=Mukilteo's 92nd Street Park: An urban gem worth exploring |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/mukilteos-92nd-street-park-an-urban-gem-worth-exploring/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref>