This is a great outing for the entire family. The park is nestled on the shores of the Stillaguamish River and boasts a boat launch, fishing access, picnic shelters and tables, barbecue pits, campsites along with plenty of wide open spaces.
The area is a public park. It is also a working farm, with the meadow annually harvested for hay.
There are about six miles of trails that can be taken. On the historical front, this was at one time the site of a village for the Stillaguamish tribe. The area boasted three longhouses that were used by the Stillaguamish during the winter months.
The foothills of the North Cascades, recently blanketed again with snow, can be seen in the distance.
Distance: 5 miles
Destination: Numerous trails that run through the park
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: None
Getting there: I-5 south to Exit 208 (Arlington/ State Route 530). Take SR 530 a half-mile past the bridge spanning the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River. Take a right on Arlington Heights Road. In another mile, turn right on Jordan Road. Drive two more miles to reach the park entrance.
The Trek: To get started, park and walk down the road past the camping area or along the banks of the Stillaguamish. Both routes will take one to the trailhead.
If you do choose the river bank option, be aware that the banks have been severely undercut by rising waters and the portion of land you currently stand upon to get a better look downstream may have nothing supporting it but thin air.
After reaching the trailhead, venture immediately into the woods. Staying to the left at the first fork, your feet now traipse along a trail of sand above the raging waters of the Stilly. The sand is easy to walk on and even easier on the knees. It makes an excellent surface on which to hike.
The sand also is excellent for preserving tracks of deer and birds, which are plentiful in the area.
Constant reminders of the power of water are everywhere. Flooding is nothing new to this area as the river rises and falls each season. Logs and brush lay bent in the direction of the once higher waters.
Reaching a large gravel bar, one can either continue on the trail or hike out and continue on the bar.
On the other side of the river is a massive cliff that is slowly succumbing to erosion. Its mass is gradually being erased as it cleaves off and disappears into the swift waters below.
If the sand bar route is taken, reconnecting with the trail will be about a quarter-mile farther on. A right, followed by a left reconnects one with the main trail.
An old-growth forest called Bar Woods is home to plenty of fowl and foliage. Listen closely for the sounds of woodpeckers hard at work in the canopy of fir, hemlock, alder, birch and cottonwood trees.
The trail continues along the river until Jim Creek is reached. The path loops back through Homestead Terrace.
Homestead Terrace is the site of the area’s first homestead. It at one time included a house and a barn that overlooked Great Meadow. Remnants of the garden and the orchard remain.
Continue down the south side and cross the road into Funnel Meadow, eventually coming to a stand of cedar trees. The trail now follows the river upstream.
From this point, one can explore a number of other trails to explore or one can turn around and head back to the rig.
River Meadows
Vince Richardson
The Stillaguamish River can be seen through the trees.
Previous Hike• Lewis Creek Trail |
Next Hike• Geneva Pond |
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