Portage Creek Wildlife Area─Wetland wandering on the Stillaguamish Floodplain
Quick Facts:
Location: Arlington
Land Agency: Snohomish County Parks and Recreation
Contact: Snohomish Parks and Recreation Department
Roundtrip: 2.0 miles
Elevation Gain: minimal
Notes: Dogs prohibited
Access: From Exit 208 on I-5 (Arlington) head east on SR 530 for 2.3 miles. Then turn right onto 59th Ave SE. Continue for 0.2 mile and turn right and proceed to trailhead.
Lying just outside the bustling commercial center of Smokey Point is a quiet little wildlife reserve that surprisingly few folks know about. Occupying 157 acres of prime Stillaguamish River Floodplain, find the Portage Creek Wildlife Area with its kid-friendly trails. Once used for peat and dairy farming, Portage Creek became a park in 1995 after much of it had been restored to wetlands favoring wildlife. The wildlife area came to fruition thanks to the vision of Gene Ammon, the former owner and peat miner who began restoring this property in 1978 and subsequently donated it to the county.
Head west across open meadow. The trail may be overgrown as maintenance is not always frequent at this park. The area is also prone to flooding and you may have difficulty crossing the little waterway traversing it. If conditions permit wander the wide expanse, all part of the floodplain of the Stillaguamish River. Admire the Cascade foothills off in the distance. Closer, look for beaver and otter sign. Watch for herons probing wetland pools and for hawks zeroing in on scurrying rodents. The property is quite pleasant if not a tad bit noisy being so close to a busy commercial center. Highway sounds buzz in the distance, and the Arlington Airport lies just to the south with its low flying aircraft approaching and departing adding more background noise. But in spring, hopefully most of the racket that’ll be vying for your attention will be from the nesting birds and amorous frogs of the wildlife area.
A loop can be made along the meadow periphery. Branching off if it a trail continues south to an old barn near a couple of small ponds that usually harbor a fair amount of waterfowl. Scope them for ducks. Then follow a short loop around a marsh of golden grasses, swaying cattails, and songbird hiding reeds. An old road–once the property’s main entrance leads south to Cemetery Road. This property has a lot of potential and it would be nice if Snohomish County Parks invested in its infrastructure and converted this park into an environmental learning center.
For more detailed information on nearby hikes in western Snohomish County, pick up a copy of my Urban Trails Everett. This guidebook also contains chapters on Whidbey and Camano islands. Get your copy today!
