I followed the directions on the above link. He gave great directions on how to get to the Tree Farm and a great 3 mile trek on the forest roads within the tree farm. These roads are accessible all year round, whereas the trails are only for use between May 1st and October 31st. We parked on the side of the road and were careful not to block any of the horse trailer parking areas. It was a bit muddy on the sides of the road, so I parked carefully to make sure I wouldn't get stuck on the way out. The trails and forest roads are used by equestrians and bicycles as well as hikers. We only encountered 2 horses and riders during our hike.
Much to our surprise, we encountered quite a bit of snow on the ground! It made the hike pretty and the kids were excited to see the snow.
The directions for the 3 mile forest road loop that Craig lists on his article are easy to follow. There is some elevation gain, but it is mainly a climb in one area. It was muddy and wet, especially in the open areas. The hike itself was beautiful and I will definitely be doing this one again. I would imagine that the area gets pretty busy on the weekends and summers.
Do keep in mind that this is a privately operated tree farm and the owners of the land are gracious enough to allow people to use it. Please follow all of the required rules including keeping your dog leashed at all times. For any updates about the trails you can check this website.
There are some pretty views along the forest roads as you walk.
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| In this picture you can even see Mt. Rainier in the distance. I bet it would be spectacular on a really sunny day! |
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| I spotted a bird's nest |
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| This lichen caught my eye |
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| I didn't see too much color, aside from this Holly |
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| At the end of the hike, we spotted several caterpillars |
Megan
Thank you for all of this!! I just found your blog through a google search and it's perfect for my family. We homeschool as well and I was trying to compile a list of hikes we could do throughout the year...we're in Marysville. Your blog has made that compilation process pretty easy :) Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it helped! That's one of the reasons that I wanted to do it. There are so many great hiking areas around Snohomish county, and I figured this would be a great way to let other families know about the ones that might work for them and that we've enjoyed. I have most of the hikes from this summer to add blog posts for. Maybe this winter things will slow down enough for me to get them done.
ReplyDelete;-) Happy Hiking!