Yellow Pages
This is one of the area’s top hikes for a number of reasons.
The 670 acres of Rockport State Park are relatively close, so you won’t empty the tank getting there.
This trail can, and should, be trekked year-round as its complexion changes with the seasons.
And if you’re out in a driving rainstorm, you don’t necessarily have to worry about getting soaked as the trail has a thick canopy. However, the drips that make their way to the forest floor are, like the trees, big.
With its massive centuries-old Douglas fir trees, dinner table-sized ferns and shag carpet of moss, this trail winds its way through a fantastic old-growth forest. Hikers get a glimpse of what the Skagit Valley looked like a long time ago.
The campground at Rockport State Park is closed, so park in the day-use area. The state has deemed the campground too dangerous to occupy for long durations because of the number of ancient trees threatening to crash to the ground.
Distance: 3 miles
Destination: Loop trail
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: Minimal
Getting there: State Route 20 east to milepost 96.5, 37 miles east of Sedro-Woolley. Watch for the sign for Rockport State Park.
The Trek: After parking in the lot, check out the sign highlighting the exploits of David Douglas, the namesake of the towering trees seen overhead. He’s also the namesake of the Douglas squirrel, Douglas maple and the Douglas’ silene.
The sign says: “Douglas was the first naturalist to extensively collect in the Pacific Northwest. While gathering botanical materials for the Royal Horticultural Society of London, Douglas obtained specimens from the tree that today bears his name.”
Pick up the trail east of the restrooms. Begin on a service road, then pick up the clearly-marked trail on the left. A sign says the distance to the Broken Fir is 0.7 miles, Fern Creek 1.5 miles and back to the campground 2.6 miles.
Enter the forest and prepare to be awed by the greenery as the trail twists and turns through the understory. As is the norm on trails in the Pacific Northwest, the trees are immense. Look for towering Douglas fir as well as cedar trees. On this trail, be sure to look in all directions. There is a lot to see.
Reaching a four-way intersection, cross the service road and continue straight. The path bends to the left, then continues downhill a short distance, passing a huge fir tree on the left.
Cross the first of several footbridges. As you cross the stream, look left to catch a glimpse of another big tree perched on the hillside. Continue through a gully of ferns and devil’s club as the trail climbs a small hill. Encounter a plank walkway as the trail makes its way above a small, barely trickling stream.
Make your way between a pair of shattered monoliths. The stumps of the two trees bear the scars of lightning strikes.
It’s a short distance before another bridge is crossed. A few paces farther and the Broken Fir is reached. The tree stood from 1660 to 1974. About all that is left is the massive stump.
Just past the Broken Fir, pass another sign. Looking around, the amount of damage the area sustained because of storms is hard to fathom.
Downed and leaning trees litter the area. There’s also plenty of sawdust on the ground, a testament to the hard work that goes into keeping the trail clear.
The trail, now root-strewn, presses on. Now deep within the old-growth, one gets a sense of the serenity of the area. The only sounds are of a babbling creek, chirping birds and trees groaning in resistance as the wind blows.
Reaching a low-lying area, water pools and puddles everywhere. It’s a perfect setting for tall, sprawling stands of devil’s club.
The plant’s spines shimmer in the sunlight. It’s not a plant with which one wants to have a close encounter.
It’s the perfect habitat for big trees. And there are some whoppers. The enormous arbors border the trail on both sides.
At the next sign, proceed right and immediately head up a steep incline. The incline continues as the trail ventures deeper into the woods.
The sounds of Fern Creek rushing downhill fill the air. This time of the year, the creek is running high and fast.
Cross the creek on a bridge. After reaching the other side, turn left and continue to climb. Once atop the ravine, Fern Creek is left behind, it’s roar fading as you continue along.
The trail flattens before beginning its slow descent. At the service road, go to the right.
Continuing downhill, another stream rolls along on the right as the route goes from a narrow path to a double-wide trail.
Cross three bridges before reaching the junction for the West Loop Interpretive Trail.
Proceed left on the Evergreen Trail. At a fork, stay left. Venturing right leads through a campground loop.
At the next intersection, go right. In a short distance, bear left and trek a short distance back to the rig.
Evergreen Trail
Vince Richardson
The Evergreen Trail is worthy of its moniker.
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