Martha Lake Park is a 6-acre Snohomish County park on the south shore of Martha Lake, in the unincorporated Martha Lake community between Lynnwood and Mill Creek. Snohomish County Parks runs it, and the county lists a beach and a wading area with no lifeguard among its features. The land was a private resort, the Martha Lake Resort, before neighbors and the Martha Lake Community Club pushed the county to buy it as a public park. The lake covers about 62 acres and reaches 48 feet at its deepest point, with houses around most of the shoreline, so this park is the main public place to get in the water.

The address is 16300 E. Shore Drive, Lynnwood. From I-5, take the 164th Street SW exit and head east for roughly a mile, then turn north onto East Shore Drive at the edge of the park. The parking lot sits at the east end of the park near the playground, and the sand beach is at the west end along the Larch Way side, a short walk along the shore past the picnic tables and fishing docks. Community Transit buses, including the Swift Orange Line at its Larch Way stations, stop on 164th Street SW right next to the park, so getting here without a car is easy.

The swim area is a small marked section of water off a strip of sand at the west end of the park, next to a short dock. The water near shore is shallow, about waist deep on adults in the wading area, and it gets deeper farther out. Martha Lake is a small, still lake with no current, and it warms up through July and August, though early summer water is cold enough to wear out a weak swimmer. There are no lifeguards. The county says plainly that its lake beaches are unguarded and that the water is not treated, so avoid swallowing it and stay out after heavy rain. Snohomish County has loaned free life jackets for children here in past summers. The beach gets crowded on hot weekends, and local fire officials have warned parents to keep a close eye on kids in the water, since cold water can tire out even strong swimmers.

Entry and parking are free. Snohomish County only charges day-use fees at Flowing Lake, Kayak Point and Wenberg parks, and Martha Lake is not on that list. The park is open 7 a.m. to dusk, which the county defines as 20 minutes after sunset. The permanent restroom and water spigots are shut off for winter from mid-October to mid-April, and the county has removed most trash cans here, so take your garbage home. Dogs are not allowed on county beaches, docks or swim areas, alcohol is banned in county parks, and gas motors are not allowed on the lake.

Besides the beach, the park has fishing docks, a wetland boardwalk, short trails and three picnic shelters that can be reserved. The west playground was removed for safety, and the east playground is still open. The county is planning a renovation that could bring new play areas, rebuilt docks and better access from 164th Street SW, and it has received a state grant to buy more land for the park. Expect some changes in the next few years. The county also held a New Year's Day polar bear plunge here, so a cold winter dip has local precedent.