8:45 am: Sign-in at the trailhead Please note the new parking area for volunteers is located on the gravel road behind Trevennen Hall. Directions can be found here. 9:00 am: Introductions, explain today’s work, assign teams, safety talk and group photo 9:45-noon: Work on Winfield Trail noon: Lunch at the trailhead & advisory committee meetingContinue reading “Trail Update: Our work party plan for Oct 25, 2025”
Category Archives: Trail Map
Trail Update: Breaking Ground on Winfield Trail!
What a great start! On Saturday, September 27, seventeen amazing volunteers rolled up their sleeves and made impressive progress on the new Winfield Trail. Together, we built a long rock retaining wall, cleared or covered exposed roots, and hand-shaped the trail’s surface to make it smooth and inviting. Using power carriers, we brought in mineralContinue reading “Trail Update: Breaking Ground on Winfield Trail!”
Trail Update: Stewarding Our Trails on September 13
You may have heard that that September 13 was our last volunteer work party on property managed by Skagit County Parks and Recreation. We were joined by 41 community volunteers including 21 people from the Mountaineers Go Hike Course. These volunteers come from all over Western Washington to explore and steward our local trail systemContinue reading “Trail Update: Stewarding Our Trails on September 13”
Song Sparrow Bridge Ribbon Cutting September 19, 2025
Press Release from the City of Sedro-Woolley: Ribbon Cutting for Song Sparrow Bridge September 19, 2025 The public is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Song Sparrow Bridge, a remarkable new addition to the region’s trail network, on Friday, September 19. Festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. at 1960 Thompson Road with refreshments and updates onContinue reading “Song Sparrow Bridge Ribbon Cutting September 19, 2025”
2025: Putting the Final Touches on Hill Creek Trail, Pumphouse Trail, and Elk Trail
While we completed work at Song Sparrow Bridge in the spring of 2025, we also put the final touches on the Northern State Trail System. With excellent weather and record-setting turnouts, our dedicated volunteer crews tended to the details that make this trail a peaceful escape into nature. We held several “special sessions” with smallContinue reading “2025: Putting the Final Touches on Hill Creek Trail, Pumphouse Trail, and Elk Trail”
2023-2025: Developing North Knoll Trail and the West Meadow Loop
North Knoll Trail is a 3/4 mile section that extends from the Song Sparrow Connector, past the North Knoll, to the wild flower meadow. It follows Hansen Creek’s east bank through mature cedar forest, passing pools of bright blooming skunk cabbage, salmon berry patches, and hanging gardens of moss and licorice fern. Rough-in work onContinue reading “2023-2025: Developing North Knoll Trail and the West Meadow Loop”
2022-2023: Building the Elevated Segment of the Pumphouse Trail
When the Pumphouse Bridge was complete, we celebrated! Now we could cross the creek with power carriers and materials to build the first section of the Pumphouse Trail. When we explored the trail routing in 2019, Hansen Creek had recently flooded, covering the lower meadow with heavy clay mud. Because it was such a beautifulContinue reading “2022-2023: Building the Elevated Segment of the Pumphouse Trail”
2021-2022: Building the Pumphouse Bridge
Work on the Pumphouse Bridge began in the fall of 2021. When the overwater work was put on pause during the salmon run from November to March, our volunteer crew concentrated on building the switchback trail. Working with our backs to the water, every time we heard a splash💦splash💦splash💦, we would turn to watch aContinue reading “2021-2022: Building the Pumphouse Bridge”
2021: Ivy Control at the Historic Guard Shack and Thompson Pond
Coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in 2021 was a challenge. Contracts and permits were delayed, leaving our remaining work at Northern State Recreation Area uncertain. Hill Creek Trail was incomplete, and construction of the Pumphouse Bridge had not yet started. One of the proposals on our docket was a loop trail around ThompsonContinue reading “2021: Ivy Control at the Historic Guard Shack and Thompson Pond”
2019: Building Brickyard Creek Trail
When we started working on the Northern State Trail System in 2019, we were thrilled to accept the help of the 6 to 8 volunteers who showed up regularly. As the trail system has grown, so have our volunteer teams. At our June 28, 2025, work party, we had 56 volunteers participate, demonstrating that ourContinue reading “2019: Building Brickyard Creek Trail”
