Pocket wilderness, backyard wilderness, urban wilderness-all are appropriate descriptions of the sprawling forested ridge between the cities of Snohomish and Monroe known as Lord Hill. Over 1400 acres of this emerald upland on the Snohomish River are protected from development within Snohomish County's Lord Hill Regional Park, providing excellent outdoor wanderings close to ever-burgeoning Puget Sound cities.

Lord Hill's location alone, situated within easy reach of hundreds of thousands of urban and suburban dwellers, makes it an attractive place. But Lord Hill is a place of natural beauty too, with placid ponds, Snohomish River frontage, scenic lookouts, and lush forests. Its large and varied habitats also support a wide array of wildlife, including bears, cougars, and bobcats.

There are over 11 miles of trail and several miles of old woods roads traversing this park named for Mitchell Lord, who homesteaded here in the 1880s. Several semiloop options exist, from short leg stretchers to all-day explorations. Here are three good suggestions. Feel free to combine them, or better yet, make them into three separate trips.

Beaver Lake: Head down the Main Trail through a cool forest of big trees, coming to a junction in 0.4 mile. Turn left on the Beaver Lake Trail and follow it through a tunnel of alders to the marshy body of water called Beaver Lake. Take a right on the Pipeline Trail, a right on the Pipeline Cutoff Trail, and then another right on the Main Trail to return to the parking lot.

West View: Head down the Main Trail through a cool forest of big trees to the junction at 0.4 mile. Turn right, following the Main Trail for 0.3 mile to another junction. Turn right again onto the West View Trail. After 0.8 mile come to a 650-foot knoll with a window view that includes Mount Baker. Take the loop trail around the knoll and back to the West View Trail, retracing your steps back to the parking lot. You can extend this hike by heading up the Devils Butte Trail, which branches off of the West View Trail.

Snohomish River: Head down the Main Trail through a cool forest of big trees, coming to the junction at 0.4 mile. Turn right, continuing on the Main Trail and avoiding all side trails. At 1.6 miles come to a junction with the River Trail. Take it and drop several hundred feet in 1 mile to a quiet and secluded spot on the Snohomish River. Retrace your route, or follow the River Trail Cutoff to the Pipeline Trail to the Beaver Lake Trail back to your vehicle for a more varied 6-mile loop.