The road to the South Parking area is closed, so we had to park in the South Lower Parking lot (which had no toilets). Not a lot of people there. Just a few mountain bikers, though we could hear the highway during most of our visit.
The trails are muddy--in some places very, very muddy. I kind of wish I'd brought my rain boots, though I was able to pick my way around the soggier patches.
The scenery isn't spectacular this time of year, but the pond was lovely, the view from the top satisfying (and on a clear day, I imagine would be gorgeous) and we saw an old steam shovel. It was a nice place to explore and get some fresh air.

I'm attaching a slightly fragmented Gaia GPS track of the walk.

With beautiful January sunshine and only a couple hours free during the middle of the day,  we chose to stop by Lord Hill for a nice walk through the woods with our pup. We parked at the north lot at noon, and it was overflowing with 58 vehicles. 

On trail, conditions were generally good, a aside from the expected muddiness. Good traction is a plus, but there wasn't much risk of getting our feet wet. We saw several families, lots of dogs, some trail runners, a handful of mountain bikers, and a couple people on horseback. Please remember these trails are mixed use, so be aware of those around you and utilize proper etiquette. 

Our 4.5 mile loop went Boardwalks, to Beaver Lake, to Main, to Westview, to Devil's Butte (full loop around the pond and to the high point), back Westview, to Lower Springboard, over to Pipeline, and back Beaver Lake to Boardwalks. At a leisurely pace, with plenty of photo stops, we spent 2 hours total in the park. There are a lot of trails, and not all are signed, so definitely either download the trail maps from the park website, or take photos of the maps in the park.

Upon return, the lot still had 57 vehicles, though there appeared to be much turnover. 

Post-hike tip: for another "trail" experience, stop in Snohomish on the way out for the Snohomish Ale Trail, featuring 6 great breweries in town, one of which has excellent food too! 

Note: the "restrooms" are in poor condition. Tanks in the Porta-Potties are nearly full, trash inside and out, low on TP and no sanitizer, so plan accordingly! 

Been cooped up and decided to respark our family hiking time after being sick most of the winter so far. We grabbed some grocery sacks and decided to do a litter walk on our go-to short loop with the kids (Boardwalk, Beaver Lake Trail, Pipeline Connector, Main Trail).

Trail is wet and muddy in many places, but not difficult to get through. Some recently cleared trees and one other that seemed newish that fell on the north side of the Beaver Lake Trail.

I lost count of how many poop bags we picked up. I know some "intend" to pick them up on their way back, but the road to hell is paved with forgotten poop bags. Also, they are ugly. So were the numerous orange peels we picked up from start to finish. It seemed as though someone took a whole bag of oranges out for a trail snack. Most people who read these already know but just in case, those take a long time to break down, and in the mean time, it starts to look like a garbage dump. We also saw a lot of people with their leashed pets and filled poop bags, thank you.

At some point, the pipeline area was mowed and they ran over some of the pipeline markers with the mower, so there was debris from that but we had to leave it since our bags were too small. I also noticed a lot of flagging in the trees, some of which had fallen and was ground into the mud.

A popular place on a holiday Monday, the parking lot was near full when we arrived. There were some lost items (glasses, child's shoe, bike helmet) hung at the trail head. We saw a lot of families out which is always fun.

I don't go to Lord Hill that much anymore. It's not that I've grown tired of it; I just think it's lost a bit of it's appeal for me. Let me explain -

It used to be called a "pocket wilderness". No more. The last several years have seen the Park grow dramatically. Not only in the number of visitors, but also the number of trails. Parking is at a premium on weekends. And no longer can I go all day without seeing anyone.

The users are divided into three camps - the hikers, the bikers, and the riders. They've been bickering for years as to who gets what. Each has their own agenda; and can't agree on which areas of the Park to share. The Parks Dept. has the tough job of trying to make them all happy - all while trying to make sense of all the new trails, and develop a comprehensive map. I've been tugged several different ways to the point where I've grown weary of it; and I just don't care anymore. The problem as I see it is not who gets to use what trail; but rather how many trails are out there now.

It used to be I could go out to the "back forty", by Bald Hill Pond, and truly feel that I was "lost" in the woods. There were no trails back there, and the trees are old enough to give you the feeling that you were in the deep forest. Bald Hill Pond was mysterious - down in a bowl and hard to get to. One winters day, I sat on the bluff above the pond checking out all the ducks in the water. Being as isolated as it is, it's a popular place for them to congregate. They were so thick that you could walk across the pond on them. No kidding. When I got up to leave, I spooked several of them, and they took off. That spooked the rest of the flock, and they all took off at once. A thousand ducks at least! They circled a couple times to get out of the bowl - and then the pond was empty. I felt bad for disturbing them; but I will always remember the sight.

That might never happen again. I was out at Bald Hill Pond today. I hadn't been on a good exploration for awhile, and the last time I was back there, I noticed they had gotten quite a ways in with their flags. (yes, that was me that took them down) Well, not only are there flags everywhere, there are trails to match! They go everywhere - all the way to Bald Hill Pond and beyond. And flags hanging from what seemed like every limb - you cannot get out of sight of them. I had hoped that they would leave this corner of the Park alone. We don't need to invade every part of the woods just because we can. Let it be at peace. Cougar Mountain has an area that is left to nature - it would be nice to have that here also.

Years ago, while exploring in the woods below Bald Hill Pond, I came across an old sign in the brush above the creek. I decided to try to find it again today. I came across several boundary markers for "NGPA" and finally, the old sign. I wonder if they know that the trails back here are in a protected area? There is just nowhere left in the Park anymore that doesn't have a trail nearby...

No, I'm not angry. Or bitter. Or even disappointed. (well, maybe a little) I think the feeling that best sums it up is resignation. I knew this day would come. With the Puget Sound population booming, and it's close proximity - it was bound to happen. It has turned from a "pocket wilderness" to an urban park. I think today was the day the realization set in, and it made me a kinda sad...

With sunny days in the dead of winter being a rarity here in the Pacific Northwest it was hard to say no to my Dad's offer of a short stroll through the wild this afternoon.  

We arrived at the South Parking Lot around 3pm - just enough time to trek out into the forest and back before sunset.  We started out on the Lower Riverview Quarry trail, which was VERY muddy (more so than normal I'm told). I would recommend going up the hill from the parking lot to avoid this. We took the trail up to Beaver Lodge Pond then cut across on the Riverview trail.

The Riverview trail offered the perfect view of the river and sun over the horizon. We took our time soaking it up before heading back as the sun was sinking out of view and peeking through the trees.  

From Riverview we made our way back down to the South Parking Lot on the Upper Riverview Quarry trail and ended our stroll by the time it was getting dark. 

All in all, not a bad way to cap off my weekend. (I work weekends)