Yellow Pages
The Huntoon and Douglas Fir trails are located in the 180-acre Sehome Hill Arboretum. The trails are just a pair of the numerous paths in the arboretum.
Start this hike on the Huntoon Trail. The return route is upon the Douglas Fir Trail.
The area has undergone changes throughout the years, from mining to logging to a protected park frequented by hikers, joggers and nature enthusiasts.
About midway through this hike, a tunnel is reached. In 1923, workmen blasted the tunnel though the sandstone for Huntoon Road.
Model-T Fords sputtered in and out of the tunnel while on Sunday drives.
In 1967, Huntoon Road was closed to cars, and Sehome Hill became an arboretum. The noisy engines were replaced by birds and folks walking along the road.
Huntoon Road had its name changed to Arboretum Drive in 1975.
Distance: 1 1/2 miles
Destination: Loop trail
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Getting there: I-5 to Samish Way (Exit 252). At the top of the hill, turn left, crossing over the freeway. Turn left on Bill McDonald Parkway. Turn right on 25th Street. If Western Washington University is in session, parking is at a premium. If the lower lot is full, continue up the hill to the upper lot.
The Trek: After finding a place to park, locate the trailhead and set out. There are a myriad of trails in the area. This trailhead, however, is marked by a sign with a drawing of a tower.
After getting your bearings, it’s less than 50 feet before an intersection is reached. To the right is a stairway. This is the end of the Douglas Fir Trail and will be the return route.
Continue on the trail to the left. Just below, through the brush, a busy road — and the Western Washington University dorms — can be seen.
The trail narrows as the canopy closes in.
It’s about a quarter-mile before another intersection is reached. This one offers another route to the Douglas Fir Trail.
Stay straight.
Reaching a “Y” intersection, stay to the left on the main path as the trail becomes double-wide. This time of the year, despite the warm temperatures, the arboretum is ablaze in green. Ferns, moss and lichens carpet the thick understory.
Reach a kiosk complete with a map of the area. After committing the route to memory, continue on.
At a major intersection, left leads to the South Campus Trail. Stick to the Huntoon Trail, which continues to the right upon an abandoned roadbed.
Immediately start to climb.
Pass an outdoor “classroom” that has numerous benches set up auditorium style. All face an exposed portion of rock.
Continuing up the old road, pass the site of a recent slide. The hillside bears the scars of the event. Exposed rock faces are now common and ferns cling to the steep pitches.
Pass a sign that reads “unwelcome guest.” The sign explains the damage caused by such invasive species as English ivy.
Continuing uphill, pass a shelter built of tree limbs. The roof is made of moss.
Pass the Miller Hall trail and continue on. The paved path makes a sweeping turn to the right before reaching an old parking lot.
Go to the right and reach yet another “Y.” To the right leads to the Tower Trail. The Huntoon Trail continues left.
Staying to the left, the roadway wraps around the hillside. An sign reading “hard hat zone” explains that the surrounding area is home to the hairy woodpecker, a bird adept at finding and extracting insects from trees.
The next intersection boasts trailheads heading in seemingly every direction. The Tower Trail and Tower Bypass Trail are just a couple. Head through the tunnel to the left, stopping first to read a sign about the tunnel’s historical significance.
On the other side, pass a radio tower before reaching the upper parking lot. Take a gander at another map at a kiosk. Find the trailhead for the Douglas Fir Trail at the southwest corner of the lot.
Continue down a set of stairs and begin to descend on a narrow single-track trail. There are several rather steep hills. Make sure of your footing, particularly if there has been rain.
The Douglas Fir Trail certainly lives up to its name. The trees dominate the skyline and keep the way shaded and cool.
At an intersection, continue to the right. Then at the next intersection, stay straight. Reaching a four-way intersection, go straight as the path narrows and becomes root and rock strewn.
Reach the set of stairs mentioned earlier and go left to return to the rig.
Huntoon / Douglas Fir trails
Last Updated: August 20, 2009 - 01:06 PM
Vince Richardson
Huntoon Road is now open only to foot traffic.
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