Rail trails

  • Story and photos by Ann Marshall / Special to The Herald
  • Friday, May 14, 2004 9:00pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

After about five miles on the path, my friends the Two Lindas and I planned to have lunch, then we’d turn around and go back to the car at a leisurely pace.

Linda Rostad, Linda Bakkar and I were out to stretch our legs with a good walk on the Snoqualmie Valley trail. But as sometimes happens with the Two Lindas, we had an adventure.

As we were looking for a lunch spot that might give us a little of the warm spring sun, one of the Lindas (I don’t remember which one) said, “Here’s a side trail!”

Before I could say, “What about lunch?” they had disappeared up the dirt track into a thicket. I could hear them chattering like little nuthatches in the brush. They called back to me, “Come on! We’ll find a view for lunch!”

I sighed, knowing that a view was unlikely in the dense forest to the east. But what was I to do? I looked at the thicket, then plunged in, following my friends’ voices until I caught up with them.

The trail soon led us to a series of old roads on the former Weyerhaeuser (now Hancock Forest) Tree Farm. After half an hour of walking we came to a clear-cut and followed a cat track through it. When the cat track ended, we bushwhacked through young trees to the edge of a drop-off.

A view! We looked across a river valley into heavily forested lowlands and up into the Cascades. From this vantage we could see no roads, no houses. Except for the song of a winter wren, there was no sound. It was beautiful.

Happy with our lunch spot, we found a large tree for shelter at the edge of the clear-cut, put on our rain gear (for a shower was passing through) and enjoyed lunch with a view.

By the time we returned to the car, tired and muddy, but still early enough to meet afternoon family obligations, we had had an outing of about 13 miles, a day of exercise, and some adventure exploring new territory.

Lowland walks of more than 10 miles are available on several trails in Snohomish and adjoining counties. These longer trails are former railroad beds converted to recreation paths, or rail-trails, as they are called.

In summer, these trails see crowds of walkers, runners, skaters, bicyclists, horse riders and others. In other seasons – and particularly midweek – users are fewer. For walkers who enjoy long distances, here are three rail-trails in rural settings that make fine spring outings of more than 10 miles, with or without extra adventure.

Centennial Trail

Built on the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad right-of-way, the Centennial Trail is a Snohomish County showpiece, running from the city of Snohomish to Lake Stevens, much of it near the Pilchuck River. Its one-way distance of 71/4 miles makes it a tad on the short side for walkers who are looking for distance, but the round trip of 141/2 miles is still a worthy objective. Future plans to extend the trail to Arlington will more than double its current length.

The route passes alternately through farmlands and forest with views of the mountains on nice days. It is wide, and paved for its entire length. The paved surface is a plus for bicyclers; walkers, however, may notice aching feet at the end of the day.

The trailhead in Snohomish is at the intersection of Maple Street and Pine Avenue. Drive along Second Street to Maple and turn north. After about six long blocks find the trailhead on the right. Park along the side of the road. To reach the trail in Lake Stevens, follow 20th Street NE to its intersection with Machias Road.

Another trailhead at the old depot in Machias has restrooms and shelter as well as a spacious parking area.

Web: www.co.snohomish.wa.us/ parks/centennial.htm

Snoqualmie Valley Trail

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad ran on tracks in this corridor beginning in 1928. The line was abandoned in the 1980s and converted to a rail-trail. With its start in Duvall (north King County), the Snoqualmie Valley trail is easy to reach for many Snohomish County residents by going the “back way” on Highway 203 from Monroe. The path now extends 36 miles from Duvall to Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend, crossing rivers and creeks, passing small farms and woods in a pretty rural setting.

To reach the north end at Duvall, look for the access road just south of the bridge over the Snoqualmie River at the junction of Woodinville-Duvall Road with Highway 203. Another trailhead with a large parking lot is in Carnation at Nick Loutsis Park.

For part of its length this trail borders the huge former Weyerhaeuser Snoqualmie Tree Farm, which is now owned by Hancock Timber Resource Group. Several unofficial paths connect the rail-trail with the tree farm. Although we had the good fortune not to get lost on the maze of unsigned tree farm roads, losing one’s way is a potential hazard. The map formerly available from Weyerhaeuser is now available only to purchasers of Hancock’s automobile access permit, $165 annually. The permit can be purchased at North Bend Ace Hardware (425-888-1242), which also has a map posted for view. This permit is not required for walkers and bicyclists.

By sticking to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, walkers are not likely to need any map, however, as the way is obvious for the entire route to Rattlesnake Lake, 36 miles away and a good deal farther than the Two Lindas and I can walk in a day.

Web: www.metrokc.gov/parks/trails/ trails/snoqv.htm

Cascade Trail

This 22.5-mile-long rail-trail starts in Sedro-Woolley and ends in Concrete, with several access points along its length. When trains ran here they carried timber to mills and concrete from the plant in Concrete. The corridor follows the Skagit River valley and Highway 20, sometimes within sight of the roadway and river, sometimes between farmers’ fields or through forest.

Beginning in Sedro-Woolley, the trail is quite flat. Walkers heading eastward have wonderful views of the foothills and snow-capped North Cascades. Near Hamilton the trail begins to climb very gently. On a weekday recently a couple of friends and I started at the Concrete end and walked west. The grade is slight, and almost imperceptible going downhill, but noticeably uphill when we turned around to walk back. The path is forested in sections, with openings for views down to the Skagit River and occasionally to the North Cascades, where 5,541-foot Sauk Mountain rises impressively on the edge of the range.

The 2003 floods caused damage to the trail. Detours are in place around two washouts near Hamilton.

The beginning of the trail in Sedro-Woolley is just west of the junction of Highway 20 with Polte Road, with a parking lot and a sani-can. In Concrete, find the beginning of the trail at the Senior Center, east of the old cement plant and just off Highway 20, with plenty of parking.

Web: www.skagitparksfoundation.com

Other trails

Several other rail-trails are available for walkers in this area, although they are not as long or as scenic as the ones described here.

A good source for locating rail-trails statewide is the book “Washington’s Rail-Trails,” by Fred Wert ($14.95, The Mountaineers). It covers 48 trails with sketch maps, photos and directions.

Ann Marshall is a freelance writer who lives in Port Orchard. She can be reached at packandpaddle@silverlink.net.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Everett P. Fog, 15, in front of an Everett mural along Colby Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Hello, Everett! No escape when your name is same as the town

Everett P. Fog, 15, sees and hears his first name wherever he goes. His middle name is also epic.

Jared Meads takes a breath after dunking in an ice bath in his back yard while his son Fallen, 5, reads off the water temperature on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chill out: Dive into the cold plunge craze

Plungers say they get mental clarity and relief for ails in icy water in tubs, troughs and clubs.

Schack exhibit to highlight Camano Island watercolorists

“Four Decades of Friendship: John Ebner & John Ringen” will be on display Jan. 16 through Feb. 9.

XRT Trim Adds Rugged Features Designed For Light Off-Roading
Hyundai Introduces Smarter, More Capable Tucson Compact SUV For 2025

Innovative New Convenience And Safety Features Add Value

Sequoia photo provided by Toyota USA Newsroom
If Big Is Better, 2024 Toyota Sequoia Is Best

4WD Pro Hybrid With 3-Rows Elevates Full-Size

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser (Provided by Toyota).
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser revives its roots

After a 3-year hiatus, the go-anywhere SUV returns with a more adventurous vibe.

Enjoy the wilderness in the CX-50. Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda CX-50 Adds Hybrid Capability to Turbo Options

Line-Up Receives More Robust List Of Standard Equipment

Practical And Functional bZ4X basks in sunshine. Photo provided by Toyota Newsroom.
2024 bZ4X Puts Toyota Twist On All-Electric SUV’s

Modern Styling, Tech & All-Wheel Drive Highlight

Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatch Delivers Value

Plus Functionality of AWD And G-Vectoring

2025 Mazda CX-90 Turbo SUV (Provided by Mazda)
2025 CX-90 Turbo models get Mazda’s most powerful engine

Mazda’s largest-ever SUV is equipped to handle the weight, with fuel efficiency kept in check.

Provided by Bridges Pets, Gifts, & Water Gardens.
Discover where to find the best pet supplies in town

Need the perfect store to spoil your furry friends? Herald readers have you covered.

VW Jetta SEL is a sedan that passes for a coupe. Photo provided by Volkswagen U.S. Media.
2025 VW Jetta Offers Greater Refinement, Technology And Value

A Perfect Choice For Small Families And Commuters

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.