It’s hard to believe this historic wildland is surrounded by suburbia. This area was once ruled by coal and the miners who extracted it.
The area has miles of mining tunnels. Don’t venture too far off the trail. Divots, where the ground has caved into shafts below, have pock-marked the area. If you venture too far off trail, that next step may be a long one.
This hike is a looped option off the Coal Creek Park hike.
The Trek: After parking the rig, venture onto a path that is triple wide. Enter the forest and begin following Coal Creek. The path bends to the right as it passes a huge root ball before narrowing to double track.
Cross a small feeder stream on the first of many footbridges one will encounter. Continue on.
Trudge uphill and reach the first junction. From this point, it’s 0.4 of a mile to the Forest Drive Trail, one mile to the Primrose Trail and 2.7 miles to the Red Town Trailhead. Your destination is the Primrose Trail.
Proceed right on hard-packed gravel.
There are plenty of trails that head to the right. They all end at the creek’s banks, which are littered with old bricks. Some bricks are shattered, some are whole. They are everywhere.
The canopy is a thick mix of cedar, Douglas fir and cottonwood trees. Though the light manages to reach the ground in some spots, the majority of this area is in the shade.
Massive cedar stumps are also plentiful. Most boast springboard notches.
The trail rises and falls as it follows the stream.
Switch back up a flight of wooden stairs before descending into a forest of devil’s club and stinging nettles.
A short distance from the patch of devil’s club the trail becomes paved with old bricks. Cross another stream on a footbridge, then proceed downhill on a staircase of bricks.
Peering downstream as you cross another bridge, the rusty hulk of an old car sits beside the stream. Climb up a slight incline before reaching another junction.
At the junction for the Primrose Trail, proceed left and descend to the stream. Hug a clay cliff where the footing is treacherous.
Pass a trail on the right, continue straight and end up at Sandstone Falls, which don’t fall as much as they seem to crawl down the pitch’s face.
Backtracking, take the trail that was passed moments before. A footbridge spans a deep hole in the stream that is home to a number of fish.
Hoof it up a muddy hill and be greeted atop by a huge, toppled cedar. The splinters of its shattered trunk paint the area red.
The Shazo Mine lies in the woods not far from this spot. It takes some doing to locate the trail off to the left that goes to the mine.
Return to the main trail and venture uphill. Pass two narrow-gauge railroad wheels.
The trail runs along a cliff’s face. The stream runs far below, plunging through a boulder field. Continue to climb, this time on a wooden staircase. A thick cable just breaking the surface of the trail likely indicates another shaft just up the hillside.
Reaching the Coal Creek intersection, proceed right to complete the loop and return to the rig.
Distance: 4.3 miles
Destination: Loop trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Getting there: From I-405, take exit 10 (Coal Creek Parkway, Factoria). Turn east on Coal Creek Parkway SE. Go about 1.25 miles, including through the light at Forest Drive SE. At a major dip in the road, look to the left for a gravel parking lot.
Primrose Trail
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