We wrapped up the 2025-2026 build year on June 13, 2026. Thanks to our community partners and our team of hard-working, dedicated volunteers we added four new segments to theContinue reading “Milestones: Our 2025-2026 Build Year Report”

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks to our incredible team of volunteers, we completed Norlum Trail Phase One ahead of schedule. On June 13, 2026, we were joined by participants fromContinue reading “Trail Update: That’s a wrap! Norlum Trail Phase One is done.”

Saturday, May 23, 2026… 36 volunteers gave 239.2 hours! The day started out a little cloudy but warmed up to a beautiful spring day. Volunteers enjoyed the sunlight filtering throughContinue reading “Trail Update: Photos from our trail day with the Mountaineers GoHike Team.”

Background May 9, 2026 was our team’s first work party on Norlum Trail, our second phase of expanding the Northern State Trail System at SWIFT Center. Tentative plans are toContinue reading “Trail Update: Norlum and Spike’s Trail (Work Party plan for May 23)”

Exploring Norlum Trail Loop In early April, Skagit Trail Builders and the Port of Skagit team walked the roughed-in route of Norlum Trail Loop. This is our second phase inContinue reading “Trail Update: Expanding the Northern State Trail System with Norlum Trail”

🧡 Finishing the Thompson Pond Loop Trail 🧡 Join us Saturday, April 25, 2026 for a day of rock, rakes, and restoration! About the Project The Thompson Pond Loop TrailContinue reading “Trail Update: Join us for our final work party on the Thompson Pond Loop Trail on April 25, 2026”

As we work on the new trail system at Northern State Recreation Area, we are often asked about the history of Northern State Hospital. Northern State Hospital was designed byContinue reading “Northern State Hospital History: Resources”

Our work on the Thompson Pond Loop Trail at Olmsted Park continues on April 11! On March 28 we were joined by youth volunteers from Kidz-N-K9s 4-H. We put themContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party Plan for April 11, 2026”

💚 A milestone moment for our team! On March 25, 2026 we were honored to be recognized by Mayor Julia Johnson, the Sedro-Woolley City Council, the Port of Skagit, andContinue reading “We are honored!”

Adapting to the Elements and Making Progress at Olmsted Park! Our plans for the March 14 work party evolved thanks to several days of heavy rain. But, as it turnsContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party Plan for March 28, 2026 at Olmsted Park”

We wrapped up our work on Quarry Trail,  Saturday, February 28 with final capping and trail side restoration. On March 14, we’ll be crossing the road to start work on the ThompsonContinue reading “Trail Update: Thompson Pond…here we come!”

Feb 28 is our last work party on Quarry Trail before we move to a new project at Thompson Pond. Goals for the work party Schedule 8:45 am Volunteers Sign-inContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party Plan for February 28, 2026”

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the trail lovers who donated their time to Quarry Trail on Feb 14, 2026! Beth from United General District 304 treated us to decadent butterContinue reading “Trail Update: Valentine’s Day on Quarry Trail”

Background The Port of Skagit is developing the spur trail to the top of South Knoll. Pit run and rock were recently delivered to the base of the south knoll,Continue reading “Trail Update: Work Party plan for Feb 14, 2026”

Skagit Trail Builders is proud to be a program of United General District 304. Learn more about how they support community health in Skagit County by reading their latest impactContinue reading “United General District 304: 2025 Impact Report”

In spite of freezing temperatures, we had a solid turn-out of 22 volunteers at our January 24, 2026 work party. We had a late-breaking change to our work party plan,Continue reading “Trail Update: Freezing Temps and Sunshine! Building Quarry Trail on January 24.”

Join us Saturday, January 24, 2026 as we are continue building Quarry Trail on Port of Skagit property to expand the Northern State Trail System! About the Project Quarry TrailContinue reading “Trail Update: Our Work Party plan for Saturday, January 24, 2026…Building Quarry Trail!”

For planning purposes, Quarry Trail is divided into 3 sections (see map below). On January 10, 2026, our volunteer crew made excellent progress! The trail surface is nearly complete onContinue reading “Trail Update: Good times building Quarry Trail…photos and video from our Jan 10, 2026 work party”

The plan for our Jan 10, 2026 volunteer work party We are continuing our work on Port of Skagit property expanding the Northern State Trail System. In November 2025, weContinue reading “Trail Update: New Year, New Trail!”

We canceled our volunteer work party scheduled for December 13, 2025 due to the historic flood event brought on by this week’s atmospheric river. Flooding in lowland areas has promptedContinue reading “Skagit Flooding 2025: How you can help with disaster relief and recovery”

Dear Friends and Supporters, We are cancelling our volunteer work party scheduled for Dec 13. The rain this week has been extreme, flooding lowland areas and prompting road closures. WhileContinue reading “December 13 Work Party Cancelled”

Saturday, December 13, 2025 Volunteer Work Party Plan Today’s goal! Build the connection between Winfield Trail and South Knoll Trail. We’ll be crossing the lawn up to the rock wall/BrickyardContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party plan for December 13, 2025”

Northern State Hospital opened in 1909 as an asylum for the mentally ill, growing to become the largest institution of its kind in Washington State. At its peak in theContinue reading “Building Trails for Community Health”

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:Continue reading “Trail Update: Our Work Party Plan for Nov 8, 2025”

Wild Weather and Great Progress on the Winfield Trail! Our October 25 work party started out with a bit of chaos then turned into a wild, windy adventure! An earlyContinue reading “Trail Update: A wildly windy work party!”

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:Continue reading “Trail Update: Our work party plan for Oct 25, 2025”

It’s October, and the rain has arrived! “If we hadn’t packed rock into the clay soil, we would have just been sliding all over the place!” Executive Director Jim “JT”Continue reading “Trail Update: Rainy days make for muddy work!”

This will be our second volunteer work party on Winfield Trail on (Port of Skagit) SWIFT Center property in Sedro-Woolley, WA. At our first session on September 27, the crewContinue reading “Trail Update: Our Work Party Plan for October 11, 2025”

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 rockContinue reading “Trail Update: Breaking Ground on Winfield Trail!”

Trail Project Update – Phase 1 We’re excited to share the first steps in creating new trails at the SWIFT campus! Thanks to the dedicated work of the Port ofContinue reading “Trail Update: Growing the Northern State Trail System in 2025-2026”

In partnership with United General District 304’s grief support program Rooted: Grieving & Growing Together and Skagit Parks and Recreation, Skagit Trail Builders is supporting the installment of a Wind Phone on Hill Creek Trail.

We are proud to be part of an amazing community that recognizes the health benefits of parks and trails and wholeheartedly supports outdoor recreation! On September 19, we celebrated theContinue reading “Community Support at the Song Sparrow Bridge Ribbon Cutting”

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 volunteersContinue reading “Trail Update: Stewarding Our Trails on September 13”

🌼 September 13 Our final work party at Northern State Recreation Area! We will be focused on trail stewardship activities like managing vegetation and decommissioning unsanctioned trails. 🎉 September 19Continue reading “Trail Update: September Events!”

VINCE RICHARDSON . Skagit Valley Herald Aug 20, 2025 SEDRO-WOOLLEY — Olmsted Park continues to take shape as what was once an empty field is being transformed into a highly-anticipated recreationContinue reading “In the News: Olmsted Park construction in full swing”

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,Continue reading “Song Sparrow Bridge Ribbon Cutting September 19, 2025”

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-settingContinue reading “2025: Putting the Final Touches on Hill Creek Trail, Pumphouse Trail, and Elk Trail”

The site for Song Sparrow Bridge was identified for a trail crossing during the planning phase in 2018. We were thrilled when permitting was granted in 2024! Note: At thatContinue reading “2024-2025: Song Sparrow Bridge and the Connector Trail”

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 bankContinue reading “2023-2025: Developing North Knoll Trail and the West Meadow Loop”

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 weContinue reading “2022-2023: Building the Elevated Segment of the Pumphouse Trail”

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 crewContinue reading “2021-2022: Building the Pumphouse Bridge”

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 TrailContinue reading “2021: Ivy Control at the Historic Guard Shack and Thompson Pond”

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. AsContinue reading “2019: Building Brickyard Creek Trail”

During the winter of 2018-2019, we broke ground on Hill Creek Trail at Northern State Recreation Area. 🤓 (Side note! At the time, it was being called the “Pumphouse Trail”Continue reading “2019: Breaking Ground on Hill Creek Trail”

Skagit Trail Builders started working on the Northern State Trail System in 2019. After spending a few work parties breaking ground on the Pump House Trail (now renamed Hill CreekContinue reading “2019: Building Dovetail Bridge”

Our 2024-2025 Build Year was our best year yet. We hosted 18 work parties engaging with 205 volunteers who donated over 4,000 hours of their time. 18% of our volunteerContinue reading “Trail Update: Build Year Report 2024-2025”

Join us on Saturday, July 26 for Public History Day at Northern State Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Pre-register for a free tour of the Colman Ward. Learn from speakers andContinue reading “Join us at Northern State Hospital for Public History Day July 26 2025”