Hikeoftheweek.com

Quick Facts

Location: Mountain Loop Highway

Land Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Roundtrip: 1.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 200 feet

Green Trails Map: Green Trails, Sloan Peak, WA - no. 111

Contact: Darrington Ranger District: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest (360) 436-1155; www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs

Access: From Darrington, follow Mountain Loop Highway for 11.3 miles to trailhead located on your right.

Notes: Parking is limited to two or three vehicles.

The Beaver Lake Trail once ran for nearly 3.0 miles providing an excellent year-round semi-wild kid-friendly hike along the Sauk River. Utilizing an old logging rail bed and traversing old cedar groves, sloughs teeming with wildlife and spectacular river bank, this trail was once one of the best kept secrets off of the Mountain Loop Highway. And it still is—however, it’s not quite the trail it used to be.

In 1995 the Sauk jumped its bank and washed out a large section of trail beneath a steep bluff severing the trail in two. With a lack of funding and difficult terrain making a reroute a most daunting task, the trail has remained in two. While the northern longer section of trail continues to receive some hiking traffic, the smaller southern section has fallen off of the radar of most hikers. Too bad, for it contains quite a few charming surprises—and despite nearly no maintenance, it remains in remarkable shape.

Referred to now as the Lookout Tree Trail, this old section of the Beaver Lake Trail quickly descends 200 feet from the Mountain Loop Highway. Here in a dark and lush flat several gigantic cedars remain, spared by the flurry of logging activity in this region in the early 20th century. A couple of the ancient cedars are enormous with diameters exceeding 15 feet. One, now no longer alive; once served as a fire lookout for rangers stationed at the nearby and no longer in existence 1916-built Sauk Ranger Station. Scan the giant snag for evidence of spikes once used for footholds. The big tree allowed for some decent viewing of the valley vicinity.

Beyond the massive evergreen the trail bends north, crossing Lyle Creek and then following along a quiet channel of the Sauk. A few minutes later the trail comes to an abrupt end at the site of the 1995 washout. Views are good up and down the Sauk and west to surrounding peaks and ridges. Be sure to snoop around the trail here for old railroad trestle remains once belonging to the Sauk Lumber Company. There are quite a few remnants of the 1926-built railroad line hidden among the thick understory of this lush and semi-wild valley.

Chances are good too that you’ll be enjoying all of this history and semi-wild country by yourself!

For information on lodging and other attractions near the Lookout Tree Trail, visit www.snohomish.org