This trail is part of a system of paths at Four Springs Lake Preserve. The 50-acre preserve is home to several streams, a small lake, wooded trails and a large open meadow area. The area boasts picnic areas and Four Springs House, a facility that can be rented.
Several structures hearken to the early years of agriculture on Camano Island.
Distance: 1 mile
Destination: Loop trail
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: None
Getting there: From I-5, take Stanwood/Camano Island exit (No. 212). Head west on Hwy 532. Take Hwy 532 through Stanwood, then cross a small bridge to reach Camano Island. At a “Y” in the road, about 9.3 miles from I-5, stay left on E. Camano Drive. Drive through a stoplight, then pass Camano Plaza on the left and a sprawling alpaca farm on the right. Turn right on Camano Hill Drive, about 12.1 miles from I-5. Turn right on Lewis Lane, about 14.6 miles from I-5. After a 90-degree bend on Lewis Lane, turn right on a gravel road that enters Four Springs Lake Preserve. Continue around the loop. At the second “T” intersection, turn right and park in the grass lot.
The Trek: After parking, set out. Locate the map post and head toward the Holton Wetland Trail. Other trails include the Perimeter, Ravine and Drop Off.
It’s about 10 steps before reaching a sign that describes the grassland in front of you. Several types of grasses and numberous wildflowers make up the ground cover. There are also several invasive plants, including dandelions, Scots broom and crabgrass.
Keep an eye out for wildlife, which may include robins, finches, flickers, deer, mice and rabbits.
Walk under the branches of a huge maple tree and continue past an old corral and barn. The barn has been deemed dangerous to enter. Heed the warning.
At the next intersection, go to the right, toward the wetland and Perimeter trail. The large grassy area on the right has plenty of flat spots where deer appear to have bedded down for the night.
Continue downhill on a mowed path and enter the forest.
At the next junction, go left on the Holton Wetland Trail.
At the bottom of the hill, reach a marsh complete with interpretive sign. Marshes boast standing water yearround. Along with such plant life as duckweed, soft rush and sedge, the area is frequented by marsh wrens, red-winged blackbirds and geese.
Circle around the marshland and pass a bench on the right. Continue on a double-wide trail to an intersection. At the intersection, go straight.
Many of the larger stumps in the area boast spring-board notches, while others show signs of fires that swept through the area in the previous century.
A sign explains the particulars of the wet meadow now before you. Wet meadows are often flooded in the winter, then dry during the summer.
Here, skunk cabbage, red-twig dogwood and ninebark thrive in the moist soil, while salamanders, tree frogs and toads frolic in the brackish waters.
Cross a small footbridge and follow the trail to the right, passing a sign that proclaims the path you just completed as the Holton Wetland Trail. Stay straight.
The trail bends to the left and heads uphill, hugging a fence line. Continue to climb via a pair of switchbacks.
Atop the hill, burst out into a small clearing. At the intersection, it’s straight past the barn encountered earlier, then back to the rig.
Holton Wetland Trail
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