Quick Facts:

Location: Snoqualmie Valley south of Monroe

Land Agency: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)

Roundtrip: 2.2 miles

Elevation Gain: None

Notes: Discover Pass required; Crescent Lake is an active hunting area, so be aware of hunting seasons.

Access: From Everett follow US 2 east to Monroe. Turn right onto SR 203 and follow for 3.8 miles turning right onto 203rd Street SE. After 0.2 mile come to a junction and turn right onto Tualco Road. In another 0.2 mile turn left onto Tualco Loop Road and reach trailhead after 0.1 mile.

Contact: WDFW North Puget Sound Region

Good to Know: Dog-friendly, bird-watching, snow-free winter hike, trails can be muddy and brushy

Ever wonder where the Snohomish River begins? It starts right where the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers converge—about three miles south of downtown Monroe. Much of the surrounding land at the confluence of these two rivers is lush and saturated floodplain supporting mature riparian forest and productive farmland. Crescent Lake sits right between the rivers near their confluence. A 10-acre oxbow lake that was once part of the Snoqualmie River, it is now the centerpiece of a 360-acre wildlife area.

Managed primarily for pheasant and waterfowl hunting, hikers and birdwatchers will delight in visiting here as well. Crescent Lake is one of the best spots in Snohomish County for observing wintering tundra and trumpeter swans. From November to April, a large gathering of these beautiful birds can often be seen feeding in the refuge’s fields.

From the trailhead walk an old service road 0.1 mile to a bridge. Cross over a large marshy area and arrive at a field. About a third of the refuge is farmed through sharecropping agreements. The grains left over in winter after the harvest provide feed for the wintering avian residents.

There are no formal trails on the property, but there are several miles of (usually) mowed pathways around the farm lands and through the forest. An excellent exploration can be had by heading right at the bridge crossing to another farmed area. Then continue into a grove of beautiful, mature, and gigantic maples and cottonwoods. Continue for about 0.7 mile and you’ll come to Crescent Lake. Walk along the lake and through forest for about another 0.2 mile to the marshy outlet of the lake. You’ll want to turn around here and either return on paths left along Riley Creek or paths right to more fields abutting Crescent Lake.

The creek side paths tend to get pretty wet and muddy during the winter and spring months, so you may want to stick to the field periphery. And you’ll get some good views of Lord Hill and Mount Pilchuck from the fields. An out and back to Crescent Lake’s end with a return around the field makes for a nice 2.2 mile hike. It’s short, but with lots of bird watching opportunities, plan on spending a few hours.

For detailed information on lots of nearby snow-free hikes in Western Snohomish County, pick up a copy of my Urban Trails Everett guidebook. Book also includes chapters on Camano and Whidbey islands.

Fidalgo Island highpoint grants sweeping views

Quick Facts:

Location: Fidalgo Island

Land Agency: Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL)

Round Trip: 5.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 910 feet

Contact: Anacortes Parks and Recreation

Detailed Information: Day Hiking San Juans and Gulf Islands (Mountaineers Books)

Map: online

Notes: Dogs permitted on leash. Some trails open to bicycles, horses

Access: From Exit 230 on I-5 in Burlington, head west on SR 20 for 13.5 miles and turn right onto Campbell Lake Road. Follow for 1.5 miles bearing right onto Heart Lake Road. Then continue 1.5 mile and turn right at a sign indicating, “Mt Erie Viewpoint.” Proceed a couple of hundred feet to trailhead.

Good to Know: kid-friendly, snow free winter hikes, dog-friendly, old-growth,

Yes, you can drive to the summit of Mount Erie—but a hike is much more rewarding. On sunny weekends throngs of visitors crowd summit viewing posts making this mountain far from a quiet retreat. Try for a weekday. And if you’re lucky, in the winter occasional icing closes the road guaranteeing you solitude at the summit.

            Begin on Trail no. 215 soon coming to a junction. Then head left on Trail no. 320 traversing a beautiful grove of old growth cedar above Heart Lake. After crossing a creek, come to Trail no. 21 near a monster Douglas-fir. Turn right and follow this old fire road on a steady ascent.  Bear right onto Trail no. 230 and hike through a low gap staying left at the next junction. Enjoy easy walking descending into a ravine above a bubbling creek reaching another junction.

            Turn right onto Trail no. 207 and switchback upward reaching a junction. Here Trail no. 26 heads right  to the Mount Eire Road offering a much shorter and easier approach to this hike. Continue left through a stile onto hiker-only Trail no. 216 and start winding your way up Fidalgo Island’s highest summit. You’ll pass several confusing unmarked trails within the first half mile—stay left at all of these junctions.

            At just over two miles the trail brushes up along the road before making its final pitch over ledge and through thick forest. Bear left at a junction just below the summit reaching the road at the summit at 2.5 miles. Then turn left and walk a short distance on the road to several developed viewpoints. The one east overlooking March Point and Fidalgo Bay is growing in. Head to the busy overlook south near the communications towers and savor the scenery. The view is excellent over Whidbey Island out to Glacier Peak, Three Fingers and Mount Rainier. Great view too of Skagit Bay with Kikit, Skagit, and Hope islands; and of Campbell Lake directly below the mountain’s north face. The lake’s little island happens to be the largest island on lake on an island in Washington state.

            Peregrine falcons nest in the cliffs below. Rock climbers can often be seen clambering up them. Big birds thundering from the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station can often be observed from here too.

For detailed descriptions (including maps) for this hike as well as many others on Fidalgo Island, pick up a copy of my Day Hiking the San Juans and Gulf Islands (Mountaineers Books).  You’ll find 136 hikes in all on 23 islands!

As we migrate from FeedBurner to Follow.it, this email is to check to see if it's working correctly.