Big Four Picnic Area & Interpretive Trail - Mountain Loop Highway

Directions:
From Everett, drive E on SR 92 to Granite Falls. Continue about 26 mi to site.

Features:
This is a level-to-moderate paved, boardwalk and gravel trail (water pools in spots during rains and trail to ice cave and snowfields is not considered accessible.). Rucker Falls can distantly be seen hurtling down the mountainside from the interpretive site. The trail starts out on a wide paved trail through a moss covered forests. Elevated boardwalks cross a low, marshy area through several beaver ponds, some of which are active. The gravel trail continues through woods, crossing on a footbridge over the tumbling South Fork of the Stillaguamish River .

The last 1/2 mile is a dirt trail with potential barriers of mud, rocks and roots. Even so, there is only minimal elevation gain through dense forest and then it opens into an unforested area about 1/4 mile from the base of the mountain. It is here that you get your first close-up view of the ice fields and the immense north face of the 6,153 foot Big Four Mountain. Long silver ribbons of waterfalls plunge down the mountain's sheer wall to end in a snowfield, formed when winter and spring avalanches deposit snow at the foot of the mountain. By July/August, meltwater and warm air flowing underneath the snowfield create tunnels that emerge as caves at the snowfield's base; these caves may last through October. At first the mini glacier appears small until you see the people standing close to the Ice Caves and notice that they are really small in comparison to the Ice and Snow Pack. Don't venture into the caves. They can be dangerous.

Other Info:
This trail can be visited summer/fall. There is paved road access, with good parking. Restrooms are at the trail head. Signs at the trailhead describe the unique geology of the mountain, and photos at the trailhead kiosk document the former Big Four Inn, a popular resort in the 1920s until the Great Depression curtailed business.

Darrington Ranger District (360) 436-1155/TDD(800) 272-1215 Northwest Forest Pass required at trailhead.

Monte Cristo - Mountain Loop Highway

Directions:
The trailhead is at the crest of Barlow Pass on the Mountain Loop Highway, 311/2 miles east of Granite Falls, about 2 hours from downtown Seattle. It road to Monte Cristo is gated making this a 4-mile one way trip.

Features:

The old railroad grade, well groomed trail climbs slowly through thick forest lining the banks of the South Sauk River, and then levels off in the turn-of-the-century mining boom town of Monte Cristo. This wide trail was once a narrow dirt road, but heavy flooding in 1996 and 1997 finished much of the road-removal work begun by the flood season of 1980. This trail is closed in the winter, so call the Verlot Ranger Station for current trail conditions. Also on the warm sunny weekends, be prepared to meet lots of hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. The trail used to be a rail line to the mining town of Monte Cristo. Thus, you never climb more than 8 or 9% grade. But it does climb, the whole way.

The former gold mining town of MONTE CRISTO is a ghost town, which is spectacularly set amidst 6-7,000-foot snow clad peaks. This was a wide-open mining town of 2,000 people in the 1890s. Today the remains of its buildings are crumbling ruins. Mine workings can be seen on the surrounding mountainsides -- ore was transported down to the townsite on tramways, then loaded onto the railway for transport to the smelter in Everett. Mining dwindled in the early 1900s; the last mine closed in 1920. Monte Cristo continued to be a popular recreation destination, accessible by train. This ended in 1936 when the railroad was abandoned. Floods seriously damaged the Monte Cristo access road in December, 1980. It remains gated and closed to vehicles but is a relatively easy 4-mile hike following the railroad right of way from Barlow Pass.

Monte Cristo is right on the south fork of the Sauk and a perfect place to picnic or relax by the river.

Other Info:

Contact: Darrington Ranger District, (360) 436-1155. Check at the Ranger Station before going to make sure the trail is barrier free and temporarily not unaccessible due to land slides, water across the road, etc.

This trail has some beautiful views on a clear day of the mountains in the valley. Before you take this old railroad trail to Monte Cristo do some research on this old mining town it will make your trip much more exciting. There are two wonderful books about Monte Cristo and its Railroad (Monte Cristo by Phil Woodhouse and The Everett and Monte Cristo Railway by Woodhouse,Jacobson and Petersen ) Pictures show what the town used to look like and what it looks like now.

Near Barlow Pass, a wide part of the South Fork of the Skagit River is filling in and becoming a wet willow meadow. There are plans for an interpretive center. The site has limited parking and no restrooms.

Northwest Forest Pass required at trailhead.

See the online POST-INTELLIGENCER article about this trail.

Youth-On-Age Interpretive Trail - Mountain Loop Hwy

Directions:

From Everett, drive E on SR 92 to Granite Falls. Continue about 19 miles to the Verlot Ranger Station (where there are modern, accessible restrooms). The trailhead parking is about 8 miles further.

Features:
This is a barrier-free .5mi. trail into an old-growth forest with 500-year-old Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and western hemlock. The oldest trees are designated with interpretive signs. A mature grove of big-leaf maples add a dimension to the area. The plentiful vine maples make this trail especially beautiful in the fall.

The trail's name comes from the abundance of the plant "youth-on-age," also known as the piggyback plant. During late summer and fall, young leaves grow from the base of the older, generally heart-shaped leaves. When the old leaves wither and fall to the ground, the new leaves can then take root.

The power of erosion is evident where the paved trail vanished at the bank of the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River. Flooding in 1980 caused the stream channel to migrate, and the riverbank underneath the pavement was undermined. This dead end now provides and overlook to the river. The trail has now been rerouted along the river to join the other end of the paved trail.

Other Info:
Pick up brochure for exhibits at Verlot Public Service Center. The trail is just east of the Red Bridge Campground on the south side of the highway.

Darrington Ranger District
(360) 436-1155/TDD(800) 272-1215

Gold Basin Mill Pond - Mountain Loop Highway

Directions:
Mountain Loop Highway is about 35 miles north of Seattle. From Everett, drive E on SR 92 to Granite Falls. Continue on Mountain Loop Highway 2.5 mi. east of Public Verlot Service Center.

Restrooms, water and phone are 2.5 miles west at the Verlot Public Service Center.

Features:

Across the road from the Gold Basin campground is a two-acre millpond surrounded by mature conifer forest. There is a .25-mile, paved, barrier free trail with a 7' boardwalk viewing point.

When this scenic valley was being logged at the end of the 19th century, trains transported logs and shingles (split logs) west to Everett. However, there was frequent flooding in the Stillaguamish River Canyon, and a major flood in 1897 jammed logs lengthwise in the railroad tunnels. From 1909-13, the Gold Basin Lumber and Shingle Mill operated at this site, processing logs into lengths that would not jam in the tunnels. The nearby stream was dammed to create the pond for log storage.

Signs of those times are still visible. Bricks set in the trail formed the foundation of the mill, and you can see the concrete foundation of the steam boiler that powered the saws. Portions of the log flume also remain; loggers felled trees on the hillside above the pond, and the timber was then dragged to the top of a chute that transported logs down to the water. Accounts note that sometimes the friction of the sliding logs would cause them to burst into flame.

Interpretive signs tell about the site's human history and its habitat-restoration efforts — note the bat-roosting and wood-duck-nesting boxes hanging on alders. Coho salmon spawn in the stream; when the salmon are 3 months old, they move into the pond for a year, and then head out to sea.

The Spectacular Mountain Loop HIghway:

The Mountain Loop Highway is a National Scenic Byway. It follows FSR 20 between Granite Falls and Darrington, a distance of 55 miles. From Granite Falls to Barlow Pass, the byway is a two-lane paved road. From Barlow Pass to the confluence of Sauk and Whitechuck rivers, a distance of 14 miles, the road is primarily a single-lane gravel road. The rest of the byway into Darrington is a two-lane paved road. Mountain Loop Highway is open year-round from Granite Falls to Silverton; the remaining portion is not maintained in winter. The byway first travels across rural countryside dotted with farmland before climbing into dense forests. Scenic turnouts along the route provide views of the surrounding wilderness.

The South Fork of the Stillaguamish River flows alongside the byway from Granite Falls to Barlow Pass. Once beyond the pass, the South Fork of the Sauk River accompanies you until it reaches its parent river, the Saulk near Bedal Campground.

Hemple Creek Picnic Area, 13 miles east of Granite Falls has accessible picnic tables and is a good place to bird watch. There are numerous forest service campgrounds along the Byway. Verlot Campground has 26 campsites among trees near the Stillaguamish River. Some sites are partially accessible. The restrooms are also partically accessible. Gold Basin Campground has 94 sites including accessible sites, restrooms and trails; Turlo has 19 sites, some accessible with accessible restrooms. All three campgrounds have drinking water and comfort stations but no hookups. At Boardman Creek Campground, you'll find 18 sites along the river. There's good fishing for trout here. Nearby Red Bridge Campground has 16 sites, some accessible and accessible restrooms. All the campgrounds are open May through September.

Winter Marsh, Mountain Loop Highway - Photograph courtesy of Jeff Krewson.

Snohomish Centennial Trail

Directions to Snohomish Trailheads:
From Seattle, drive north on Interstate 5 to exit 194. Drive through downtown Snohomish to the light at Second and D Streets. Turn east at the light and left at the next light onto Maple Avenue. There is a trailhead at Maple and Pine, but there is a larger parking area 1.5 miles further on Maple. This parking area has a wheelchair ramp and portable restroom.

You can also continue to another trailhead and parking area 3.1 miles north on Maple (which turns into Machias Road).

To reach the Machias trailhead from I-5 at Everett, take US 2, then 20th Street. 20th Street becomes Hewitt Avenue and then, going down a steep hill, changes to Williams Road. Turn right onto Machias Road. In about half a mile turn left at Division Street. Drive straight to Machias trailhead parking.

Features:
A popular recreational trail for walking, bicycling, hiking, and horseback riding accessible to persons of all levels of physical ability. The trail is also an alternative transportation route connecting Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Arlington and points between. Eventually the trail will stretch 44 miles between Skagit and King Counties.

The 12' wide trail used to be a railroad, thus it's fairly flat. Much of the trail is paved, but you will find some grass and gravel on the trail. A 6' wide horse trail runs parallel to the trail.

Snohomish to Lake Stevens Section was the first 7 mile section built in the rail-to-trails project. This part of the Centennial Trail passes through urban areas in the Town of Snohomish through forested and agricultural areas crossing creeks where a trailhead with parking is provided (The Pilchuck Trailhead), through the unincorporated Town of Machais where there is also a trailhead with parking, a developed park, and restrooms (the Machias Trailhead), and continues through rural, forested and agricultural areas until it reaches the City of Lake Stevens. [ Map]

Lake Stevens to the City of Arlington Section will added an additional 91/2 miles to the existing 7 mile trail. The unpaved portion, ten miles between Lake Stevens and Arlington, is still in the planning stages. Although unpaved, most of this section can be hiked traveled by mountain bike and MAYBE an outdoor scooter.

When completed, the planned trail passes through an industrial area in Lake Stevens and an underpass under SR 92 where there are trailheads with parking and facilities. The trail continues through forested and agricultural areas to Lake Cassidy where there is a small park with boardwalk and fishing pier. From there the trail goes through an underpass at 108th St. NE and over two forks of Quilceda Creek. Interpretive signage regarding the watershed, benches and picnic tables are located at the bridges. This section ends at the north trailhead at 152nd NE and 67th NE. As of September 2002, the funding was still in the budget, and hopefully construction will begin. [Map]

Phase 3 will complete the trail up to the Skagit County line. This would make the Snohomish trail 44 miles in length![Map]

Other Info:
The Machias Trailhead has a covered picnic area and restrooms. Visit the Snohomish County website for updated information on trail construction.

Blackman's Lake is located in the town of Snohomish. There is access on the south shore and city park, with an accessible fishing pier on the northeast shore. Rainbow trout with also Largemouth bass and yellow perch. Expect fair fishing in spring and fall months. Year-around open season. Disabled accessibility in county park Level 1. DP, WCT, ramp down to accessible fishing dock, picnic shelter, picnic areas and tables.

Fryelands Boulevard Trail - Monroe

Directions:

From Seattle at I-5 SR 522 exit, drive east on SR 522 for about 25 miles to reach the City of Monroe.

Features:
The 1.7-mile Fryelands Boulevard trail connects State Route 2 with 164th Street. This trail will someday provide a critical link in the Centennial Trail connecting Monroe to the City of Snohomish and Duvall.

Other Info:
The City of Monroe has about 12 miles of recreational trails, mostly concentrated in the western areas of Monroe. See Map.

The Skykomish River Park Perimeter Trail - Monroe

Features:
Sky River Park is a 32 acres community park/athletic fields in Monroe that also has a one-mile long perimeter trail.

Interurban Trail - Lynnwood to Everett

Directions:

Features:

This 13-mile section of the Interurban Trail is a mostly flat, paved path that runs roughly alongside Interstate 5 from Lynnwood to Everett, to a spot slightly north of the Everett Mall. While most of the trail is separated from motorized traffic, there are several places where the trail and road meet, at these points the road shoulder continues on as a designated bike route. Follow the Interurban logo signs along the route.

The Interurban Trail follows the Interurban Trolley Line that once carried passengers and freight between Seattle and Everett in the early 1900's. It is marked with directional and historical signs and can be accessed at various locations along the route. [Map]

For more information on the trail, contact Snohomish County Parks and Recreation at 425-388-6600.

More Urban Parks

Jennings Memorial City Park
7027 51st Avenue N.E., Marysville
Contact: Marysville City Parks and Recreation Department, (360) 659-3005
Jennings Memorial Park is the site of a small artificial pond, with Allan Creek running through the park. A nature path surrounds the twenty-two acre park, which also offers a petting zoo in the summer. The Jennings Park Barn can be rented for groups of up to 50.

Scriber Lake City Park
5322 198th Street SW, in Lynnwood
Contact: Lynnwood City Parks, (206) 775-1971
Scriber Lake Park is an 18 acre natural site with a three acre peat bog. Trails surround the bog, with interpretive signs that explain the history of the area and the existing environmental conditions.
Silver Creek County Park
Bothell-Everett Highway and I-405
Contact: Snohomish County Parks,(206) 339-1208
This nine-acre neighborhood park contains three acres of wetlands. A bridge crosses the stream and accesses the associated wetlands. No restrooms are at the site.
Union Oil Marsh City Park
State Route 104 and Dayton Street, Edmonds
Contact: Edmonds City Parks, (206) 775-2525
The park contains approximately 23 acres of slightly saline marsh, and features a small viewing platform with two interpretive signs. A path around the marsh is planned for the future. A Beach Ranger Program is available; call for information.

Symbols

	An agency or a trip evaluation has rated all or part of the trail as wheelchair accessible.
	There is some terrain greater than a 5% grade. A wheelchair user may require assistance on portions of this trail. Suitable for power mobility devices.
	No Dogs are allowed on the trail.