New accessible trail to be built off Centennial Trail

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 28, 2026

EVERETT — The construction of a new accessible trail off Centennial Trail was unanimously approved by the Snohomish County Council on Wednesday.

The council approved an agreement with the Washington Trails Association to construct the loop trail north of Lake Cassidy between Highway 9 and 123rd Ave. NE.

The Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources set aside $150,000 for the project in the 2025-26 budget.

Under the agreement with the Washington Trails Association, the county will provide the necessary materials and pay up to $69,000 to complete the loop trail project. The association will receive $1,600 per work party of 12-15 volunteers per day, up to $64,000, and up to $5,000 for professional services for layout, design and project management.

The trail’s construction is expected to be completed by Sept. 30.

In 1992, Snohomish County acquired the 277-acre parcel — on which the loop will reside — adjacent to Centennial Trail with funding from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. The agreement with the state required public access to the property regardless of disability.

At the time, the parks department built the Centennial Trail Lake Cassidy trailhead with the funds, spokesperson Meghan Jordan of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said in an email.

In 2024, after an audit, it was discovered that the public access requirement for the grant was not met because the public access developed at the trailhead was not on the parcel the grant funded, Jordan wrote. This new Lake Cassidy Trail project will fulfill the requirement.

The trail through the forest will include an interpretive sign about the characteristics of second-growth forests, Jordan said. “It will probably also feature a bike rack adjacent to the Centennial Trail for user parking.”

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay