Douglas Creek Canyon - North

The Great Northern Railway built a branch line up Douglas Creek Canyon in 1909, mainly to carry grain from the wheat fields on the Waterville plateau.  A small network of rails served Waterville, Mansfield, Palisades, Alstown, Douglas, Supplee, Withrow and Touhey, all connecting to the mainline via Douglas Creek Canyon. Only Waterville and Mansfield are anything like towns anymore, though all still appear on maps. The last trains ran on this line in 1985.

The tracks, ties and bridges have been removed and the rail grade is now a remote and scenic hike. Begin your walk at the Douglas Creek North trailhead off Slack Canyon Road. From here, a short trail leads half a mile to the actual rail grade.  For the first mile or so on the old grade, you might not realize this was once a railroad — the line crosses the creek several times, and with the bridges gone, it can seem like you are just winding around on a creek trail. But soon, the creek crossings become less frequent, and the familiar cuts and fills of a rail grade appear.  

The best time to walk this trail is in fall and early winter, when fall colors pop and the creek crossings are dry or easily stepped over. There are also many wildflowers in springtime, though the creek typically has more water then and may require getting your feet wet to cross. Watch out for isolated patches of poison oak near seeps.

The trail generally heads northwest, though the canyon makes lots of U-turns as it slowly climbs to the Waterville Plateau. You leave the Douglas and Duffy Creek Bureau of Land Management Area after about 2 miles, but the continuing old grade is public property and open to the public. The trail officially ends at the next road crossing, Kelly Davis Road SW, about 6.5 miles in. Here, there is a signpost but no sign. The steep canyon walls near the beginning of the hike have dwindled to low rounded hills. 

Vegetation is largely sagebrush and the like, with some cottonwoods in the riparian area. Willows and red osier dogwood add to the depth of seasonal colors, and birdcalls are constant throughout the canyon. The walking is easy, with a wide smooth trail and little chance of getting lost. An excellent feature of the hike is the seeming remoteness and solitude, despite Wenatchee being less than 20 air miles away.