Yellow Pages
Park in the day-use lot. The campground is closed to camping.
The trail meets the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is wheelchair, crutch and walker friendly.
The trail also boasts interpretive signs. Be prepared to learn along the way.
The fact that this trail is wheelchair accessible by no means diminishes it. The wide, comfy path makes for easy going. What steals the show, however, are the massive old-growth trees in the area. Douglas fir, cedar, Western red cedar and Western hemlock can be found along the route.
Beneath these behemoth arbors thrive ferns, mosses, fungi and numerous forest animals. Keep an eye out for squirrels, chipmunks and deer.
Distance: 1 mile
Destination: Loop trail
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: None
Getting there: State Route 20 east to Rockport State Park (milepost 96.5)
The Trek: After parking, cross the park’s entry road and pick up the trail just west of the ranger station.
This section of trail is part of the massive Evergreen Loop Trail. It will lead to the trailhead for the West Loop Interpretive Trail in about 0.4 of a mile.
After skirting the rangers’ residence, reach a service road. Cross the road and pick up the trail on the other side.
Reaching a fork, proceed right. Going left leads to the Sauk Springs and Skagit View trails. Both can be found across Highway 20.
Cross a stream on the first of numerous bridges complete with grated surfaces. Take time to stop and enjoy the sounds of the rushing waters.
It’s a short distance from the bridge before the West Loop Interpretive Trail is met. Get your bearings using the large map and set out. For this writing, I went to the right.
Immediately encounter the first of four “challenge grades” along the route. These inclines provide a change of pace for those in wheelchairs. The second “challenge grade” is about 0.1 of a mile from the first.
Reaching an intersection, proceed left to stay on the West Loop Interpretive Trail. At the next intersection, again stay left.
Immediately cross another grated bridge deck and encounter the first of several interpretive signs. This one explains the lives of those who live above and below ground, such as the Pacific banana slug, Pacific giant salamander and Townsend mouse.
Continue on the cushy, double-wide path, all the while soaking in the ambiance of the area. Pass the first of many pullouts, built so those in wheelchairs can maneuver around one another.
The trail has wide turns, making maneuverability easy.
The next interpretive sign explains the importance of trees that are alive as well as those that are dead. It also explains the specifics of old-growth forests.
Meandering along, the trail eases through groves of massive trees, their bases covered by ferns and their lower limbs by dangling moss.
The different shades of green are explained on the next sign.
The diversity of plant life in the area is impressive. Red huckleberry, Western trillium and devil’s club all thrive under the canopy. Rockport State Park is a Mecca for ferns. Deer, lady, sword, licorice and bracken species are found in abundance.
Reaching another grade, take time to look skyward at the towering crowns of massive trees, while watching for pileated woodpeckers, barred owls, red-breasted sap suckers and Northern flying squirrels.
At the next interpretive sign, learn about these species and the importance of “snags.”
Look low for signs of squirrels and chipmunks as well as deer tracks and feathers from numerous species of fowl.
The trail sweeps to the left then to the right before reaching a sign titled “More than Meets the Eye.” It highlights the abundant life found in the canopy high above.
Just past the sign, prepare to be awed at the size of the tree bordering the trail. Just when you think they can’t get any bigger, this guy appears.
Characteristics of an old-growth forest — big trees, large snags and large fallen trees — are explained on the next sign. The trail then jogs left before veering right. A sweeping switchback leads down as the trail continues.
Cross the final stream and return to the trailhead. Pick up the Evergreen connector and head back to the rig.
West Loop Interpretive Trail
Vince Richardson
Towering trees can be found along the trail.
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