The ladt straw for us was how rough the trail got as we approached Hamilton. The area at mile 4.8, near Minker Creek, is abominable. As it is, there are too many crossings to have to stop and walk through 2 of these at every side street. The barricades could be unlocked and opened just a little more so a cyclist could ride through, while still blocking road traffic. riding around the outside can be done at alot of them, but it's not consistent. Also, the barricades at road crossings are unneccessarily enormous and positioned in a way that you cannot easily get around them. It doesn't help that these areas occur more frequently at road crossings. Even the widest tires will sink into loose pea gravel with no stone dust, so you have to be constantly alert to these wide areas. Maintenance on this county trail seems to entail throwing down piles of loose gravel. It would take very little effort to correct most of these problems. But the surface condition is so bad that it detracts from the enjoyment. The trail is quite flat and the scenery is lovely, so for those two key elements it is an excellent trail. Skagit County Parks and Recreation Department. Skagit Transit (SKAT) stops at four points near the trail, enabling users to access shorter stretches. Parking is also available in Lyman and by Challenger Road, which parallels SR 20 for 2 miles in Concrete. Find horse trailer parking at all trailheads. To reach the midpoint Birdsview trailhead from Cook Road, follow SR 20 for 17.3 miles, and turn left onto Baker Lake Road. Turn left (north) into town on Douglas Vose III Way, and immediately turn right onto Railroad Avenue to the Concrete Senior Center. Turn left onto SR 20/SR 9, and follow it 23.9 miles. To reach the Concrete trailhead from I-5, follow Cook Road 4.3 miles west. Turn right to the trailhead there is easy trail access for horse trailers here. Take a left onto SR 20/SR 9, and drive 2 miles to Fruitdale Road. To access the western end of the trail, take Interstate 5 to Exit 232/Cook Road. Cross the historic Henry Thompson Bridge, one of the longest single-span cement bridges in the West when it was built, to rest at the riverside picnic tables at the Baker River Project and Visitor Center. The trail ends at Concrete Senior Center (after passing concrete silos and crossing E Avenue). Expect a couple detours a little less than three-quarters of the way in, the trail diverts at Baker Lake Road onto a bridge walkway along SR 20, crosses Grandy Creek, and returns via Bird Dog Lane. After you've passed mile 14 and Lusk Road, consider heading south approximately 1 mile to the 169-acre Rasar State Park, a beautiful location for fishing, camping, and eagle spotting.Īs you continue along the trail, note the beautiful backdrops of the region. Here, you'll have the option of heading west for less than 1 mile of paved trail or east for 22 miles of crushed rock. SKAT BUS SCHEDULE PORTABLEA portable toilet is available at the trailhead. You can start the trail in the outskirts of Sedro–Woolley at the Fruitdale Road intersection. The nearby river provides for some great fishing and nice river views, as well as scenic vistas of Sauk Mountain and other Cascade Range peaks. The mostly crushed-stone pathway runs through cultivated fields, open space, scattered woodlands, and river bottoms. The trail, completed in 1999, claims its origins from the Great Northern Railway, which transported lumber and concrete during the 20th century. The 22.5-mile Cascade Trail-boasting 12 benches, 23 trestles, and two bridges made from repurposed railcars-follows the Skagit River as it parallels State Route 20 into the Cascade foothills of northwest Washington (ending in Concrete).
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