EVERETT — The past week’s sun-filled days were a much-anticipated preview of the spring weather to come, and hiking connoisseur and trail book author Ken Wilcox has a few suggestions of where to walk and explore Snohomish County in the upcoming months.
After moving to Snohomish County when he was 14, Wilcox became an avid hiker and mountaineer. As he climbed peaks around western Washington, he familiarized himself with hundreds of miles of trails, becoming a go-to source for his family and friends to figure out where to hike.
In 1980, he moved to Bellingham to go to college at Western Washington University. Seven years later, after a coworker suggested he write a book about his trail knowledge, he published “Hiking Whatcom County.”
“Amazingly, people actually bought my book,” he said. Thirty-eight years later, the book is in its seventh edition.
After his first few editions of the Whatcom trail book, Wilcox decided to tackle Snohomish County, where he had first started hiking years ago as a teenager.
In 1998, he published the first edition of “Hiking Snohomish County.” The third edition came out last October.
Wilcox pulled a few trail excerpts from his book that are perfect for spring, ranking the suggestions as easy to moderate hikes.
Leaves cover a portion of the Whitehorse Trail on Monday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Whitehorse Trail, page 156: This 27-mile rail trail from Arlington to Darrington can be sampled in bite-sized chunks, walking or biking. Try the section from Trafton to the Cicero Bridge and back (7.2 miles round trip). Or walk a little when you visit the stunning Oso Slide Memorial just as the wildflowers are a-bloom.
A couple begin the journey from the beach back to the parking lot after visiting Meadowdale Beach Park on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Edmonds, Washington. The walkway beneath the traintracks, seen in the foreground, has been completely redone and is now significantly more spacious than the previous path.(Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lunds Gulch, page 55: Good year round, but a nice hike to and along a walkable beach in spring (if the tide’s out), and less crowded than on those sunny summer days. 2.6 miles round trip.
Mill Town Loop, page 61: A fun urban saunter under the cool blue skies and puffy white clouds of spring. Take in some history at Grand Avenue Park then either descend to the waterfront via the overpass/elevator at 16th St, or do the full loop described in the book. Pop into the artsy old Weyerhouser building for a warm-up. 2.7-mile loop (more or less).
Lord Hill, page 130: Spring is a great time to explore the 30-plus miles of trails at this 1,480-acre county park. Things are greening up, wildflowers are blooming and the birds are singing louder than hikers. Check the map at the trailhead and dive in. Other hikers can point the way if you get turned around.
North Fork Sauk River, page 216: Find one of the best old-growth forest walks in the region near the end of a long and potentially rough road (high clearance recommended; may be impassable early spring). This is a major launch site for summer backpacking into the high Cascades, but spring is a perfect time to enjoy the low-elevation forest walk. 1 to 5 miles or more.
To find up-to-date conditions and reviews of trails, Wilcox suggests looking at the Washington Trail Association website. You don’t have to be a member to use the resource, and it offers recent reports for you to check out before you hit the road.
You can follow Wilcox’s work at https://www.kenwilcox.com/about.
Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson.
Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
