Pilchuck, Big Four, other trails to close for part or all of 2023

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 4, 2023

VERLOT — Hikers will have to wait until next season to use several of the most popular trails along the Mountain Loop Highway.

• Pilchuck Road (U.S. Forest Service Road 42) and its trails to Heather Lake and the Mt. Pilchuck lookout will be closed until 2024.

• The Boardman Lake trailhead, along with the Ashland Lakes and Pinnacle Lake road system, will be closed from May 15 through July.

• Further up the loop, the Big Four picnic area and the Ice Caves trailhead and road will be closed from May 15 to June 30 for trail work.

• The Lake 22 trailhead and trail will be open for most of the season, but is slated to close in September for repairs. (Closure map)

There will be no road or trail access open to any of those areas while work is in progress in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

“The closures are necessary for much needed improvements and to protect the safety of the workers and the public,” Darrington District Ranger Greta Smith said in a press release. “Although some sites and roads will be closed, there are still many recreation destinations, roads, and trails that are open on forest lands for people to enjoy.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also announced $36 million in new funding for national forests and grasslands through the Legacy Roads and Trails program. A slice of that money — though exactly how much remains to be seen — is expected to help with road improvements, culvert repairs and species protection around the Mountain Loop.

Pilchuck is perhaps Snohomish County’s most iconic hike. With stunning views and a lookout tower on its summit at 5,344 feet, it’s estimated to draw more than 10,000 hikers each year, mostly in peak season from July to October.

Heather Lake, with a trailhead 1.4 miles up the same road to Mt. Pilchuck, is also incredibly popular. It is estimated to bring in 30,000 visitors per year, on a relatively flat 2.3-mile trail that tops out at 2,430 feet.

Heather Lake, however, only has 25 parking spots at a pothole-pocked trailhead. That’s being changed too. Around an acre of vegetation will be removed north of the parking lot, which will increase capacity to 75 vehicles.

While the hikes are famous for their views, the muddy gravel roads have been infamous for their ruggedness. Rain, of course, is one of the major drivers of road damage. Average precipitation in Verlot is typically around 71½ inches per year.

The Mountaineers, a volunteer group, has a long history with Mt. Pilchuck.

“Although these summer closures may temporarily impact recreationists, in the long term the trail and road projects will improve recreation access to popular destinations along the Mountain Loop Highway,” said Betsy Robblee, conservation and advocacy director for the Mountaineers. “We’re excited that these projects will make the recreation experience safer and more sustainable, thanks in part to the Great American Outdoors Act.”

Pilchuck’s fire lookout was originally built in 1921 and staffed by the Forest Service until the 1960s. From 1957 to 1979, the mountain was the site of a ski area with two runs and a lift. The Everett chapter of the Mountaineers helped restore the lookout in 1989, with more renovations in 2022.

The Big Four Ice Caves are also popular and iconic, with a 1.1-mile stretch of accessible trails leading to the caves. An inn was built in the area in 1921 and burnt down in 1949 — all that remains is a stone fireplace.

Building roads isn’t cheap and this project is no exception. As part of the South Fork Stillaguamish Vegetation Management Project, cost projections for road repair were included.

In 2017, the cost to repair Pilchuck Road was estimated at $292,452. That includes Forest Service Road 42 as well as Road 4240. To repair 7.99 miles of road to the Pinnacle Lake and Boardman Lake trailheads, the cost estimate in 2017 was $413,222. Some of the road work has been contracted out to Skagit Log and Construction, which also holds a logging contract with the National Forest. The road work contract is worth around $1 million.

Visitors to the general area should be aware logging and thinning operations will be underway throughout the season. Signs will be posted, Forest Service officials said.

Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@soundpublishing.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.