A group of us enjoyed a day hike on this trail, however we encountered a couple of things others should know about: The trail was VERY wet beyond the Darrington Bluegrass Festival grounds.... virtual "lakes" across the trail. Also, a short ways to the East of the festival grounds at a big bend in the river, the trail is about 1/2 washed out. This is a very dangerous situation as the trail is high above the raging river at this spot and one could easily meet their demise if more of the bank gave way as one crossed this section of trail. It's not an easy place to bushwhack a detour route. Otherwise, it's a lovely trail with majestic mountain views in some areas.

My hiking partner lives out in this area and this ended up being our back up plan for the day. We wanted to head to Old Sauk Trail out by Darrington but the persistent rain and us leaving our rain gear at home left us not wanting to brave the rain this day. Back in Oso on Hwy 530 it was dry so we headed back to her place and hit this old rail bed trail at Whitman Road and walked toward the closed Oso General Store. We walked about 2.5 miles on the trail one way and crossed one bridge over the North Fork Stillaguamish which was cloudy, full and moving fast with all the rain and runoff from it. The bridge was slick from the showers that morning and may not be the best place to bring small children as there are gaps between the rail ties that a foot could slip through. Along the way we came across lots of puddles and spots of mud but all were easy to navigate around. This isn't the most secluded walk but on sunny days you will have mountain views as you pass small farms and of course views of the river. In warmer months you can even swim under the bridge you cross! Once in Oso the trail became overgrown right before the General Store. Back where we started at Whitman Road the trail goes at least 2+ miles to the east and passed under the big slide on Hwy 530 with a lot more river views. Not really a hike and more of a long walk this was still a great way to spend some time on a Saturday. It started to shower off and on on us on the way back but we returned before getting too wet.

I have been wanting to check out this end of the Whitehorse Trail after doing the Arlington to Trafton end last spring. Today seemed to be the perfect day to get out there and do it. Clear and frosty with just a layer of snow on the ground made for easy walking and beautiful scenery all around. We started at Fortson Mill Pond, where we were able to see some salmon in the small creek under the bridge, and headed towards Darrington. We could hear the eagles and did spot a couple flying overhead as well as a couple of herons sounding a little angry at our approach. The snow covered mountains, the frosty trees along the river made for a very picturesque hike. We turned around when we reached the Darrington Bluegrass Festival Grounds, which made for about a 7.5 mile RT. We encountered only a few others out on this chilly day, as well as a couple of local dogs making sure we didn't head onto their property. Bridges could be a little slick so take care on those.

We hopped onto the Whitehorse Trail, the old railroad grade that runs along the Stillaguamish River between Arlington and Darrington, and parallels Highway 530. There are several trailhead entrances; we chose Fortson Mill, a few miles west of Darrington (there's a Wildlife Viewing sign at Fortson Road). The old trains stopped at Fortson Mill, and dropped loads of freshly cut logs into a giant holding pond for storage, awaiting their turn at the sawmill. Now it's a place to see eagles in winter! At Fortson are a couple of small trails that lead to the Stilly; fishermen were out! We saw lots of salmon carcasses in the Mill Pond - and where there are salmon carcasses in January, there are eagles! We saw and heard quite a few this day. We also witnessed a couple of angry Blue Heron's flap and squawk while chasing a full grown bald eagle. A perfect leg stretcher. Walk toward Darrington just a short ways beyond the mill pond for an excellent view of Whitehorse Mountain.

Once again, we lucked out with a mostly dry day! With all the rain we have been having, I am overjoyed when it stays dry long enough to get out and walk or hike! The Whitehorse Rail-Trail is 27 miles long, but only 6 miles are currently open. Snohomish County will be working on some safety issues with bridges, trestles and SR 530 crossings and hope in the future to open the rest of the trail. The first time we went on this trail, I had trouble finding clear directions.....so here is my version: Take I-5 North to exit 208 (SR 530) and head towards Arlington/Darrington. Follow 530 through Arlington as if you are going to Darrington. Turn left at Swede Heaven Rd. The trailhead is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile down Swede Heaven Rd on the right. There is only enough parking for 2-4 cars at the trailhead so parking on the corner of SR 530 and Swede Heaven Rd and walking to the trailhead is the other option. On the SE corner of SR 530 and Swede Heaven Rd is the Whitehorse Shell and Food Mart....this is a good place to pick up a snack, get gas or use the restroom before or after the hike. There was no elevation gain in the 3 miles or so that we walked. It is a nice dirt and gravel trail. There were a few wet/muddy spots, but they were easy to walk around. A great trail for small children and would also be a lot of fun to ride bikes on. We ate our lunch on one of the bridges. They have nice wooden sides that make nice benches, as well as a good view of the water (which was running a lot higher than in the fall when we went). We were the only people on the trail today....aside from the resident dogs that seem to be a permanent fixture on the trail. They hung around and waited for us to finish lunch and then came and cleaned up the crumbs when we left. One dog named Gracie followed us for most of the trail - and would not stop. She is a golden retriever and very sweet, but followed us all the way out to SR 530 and we were worried she was going to get hit. She had tags on and we called her owner and he came and picked her up. For my full trip report and photos check out my blog post: http://ahomeschoolmomshikingblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/whitehorse-rail-trail.html