Skagit-Sauk Reach Trail
Watch for eagles along an old remote rail line
Quick Facts:
Location: Skagit Valley
Land Agency: Skagit County Parks
Round Trip: 3.5 miles
Elevation Gain: minimal
Contact: Howard Miller Steelhead Park
Detailed Information: Day Hiking North Cascades Second edition (Mountaineers Books)
Notes: Dogs permitted on leash.
Access: From Burlington (exit 230 on I-5), travel 38 miles east on State Route 20 to the town of Rockport. Then turn right onto Alfred Street (just before junction with SR 530) and continue 0.2 mile. Then turn left onto Railroad Ave and immediately bear right entering the Howard Miller Steelhead Park and proceed to day use parking area.
Good to Know: kid-friendly, snow free winter hikes, dog-friendly, historic, car camping nearby
Follow an historic rail line along the Skagit River at its confluence with the Sauk River observing bald eagles. Find the trailhead near the park’s Maintenance Area and start hiking the Skagit-Sauk Reach Trail, a former rail line. Rockport was the eastern terminus of a Great Northern Railroad line from Burlington that serviced outposts, timber camps and mines in the upper Skagit.
Walk on the near level trail skirting the campground field and entering a mature hardwood forest. At 0.7 mile come to a junction with the Wetland Wildlife Trail. Continue straight passing wetlands, big mossy maples, towering cottonwoods and impressive cedars. The trail follows alongside the base of a steep bluff harboring old-growth forest within Rockport State Park.
Cross a creek and then soon afterward emerge on an open bluff on the Skagit River. Enjoy sweeping views of across gravel bars and islands here at the Skagit’s confluence with the Sauk River. This is an excellent spot for eagle watching. The trail continues down river along the bluff passing more good view spots. At 1.6 miles come to an area prone to slumping and washouts. This is the turning around spot. Beyond this point the trail leaves the river passes through the old Sauk City site and enters private land.
Now turn around and head back to the trail junction. Then follow the Wetland Wildlife Trail which is actually a series of trails across a floodplain of meadows. Cross a slough and stick to the trail closest to the river. There are a few short spurs leading to the river and good view points. Enjoy good views too of Sauk Mountain rising above the flats. Continue walking east passing a couple of interpretive signs eventually reaching the arched trailhead at a campground loop. From here walk through the campground back to your vehicle.
For detailed descriptions (including maps) for this hike as well as many others in the Skagit Valley, pick up a copy of my best selling Day Hiking the North Cascades 2nd edition (Mountaineers Books). You’ll find 136 hikes in all covering Skagit, Whatcom, and Okanogan counties as well as the Mountain Loop Highway!
