Ames Lake Forest, Tolt-MacDonald Park — Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020

Began my morning hike through the Ames Lake Forest from the Ames Lake side through the Green Crow property. You can also come in from the Tolt-MacDonald Park side in Carnation. I parked off 228th Ave. NW where the trail starts on an old logging road by some concrete ecology blocks. At the first junction I went left where the trail goes up through a 12 foot high Doug Fir stand to get to an area that was logged off a couple of years ago. It has since been replanted with Doug Fir trees. I followed the trail left at another junction, crossed a small creek and then entered Tolt-MacDonald Park. I was now on the Shingle Wood Loop Trail. I headed east on this wide trail. At another junction, the SWT goes left and I went right on the Turnpike Trail. All the trail junctions within the King County park have trail signs. This trail comes back out onto Green Crow property that they have logged off in the past several years. There is a road that makes a loop around logged off area (it has all been replanted). I went left on the road, then right on a trail to get to the road on the far side. The trail snakes it way along to a tree oasis as it goes through a tree plantation. I now had some views of the mountains to the north, east and south. 

When I got out the far side of the road loop, I went left a short distance, then right on another road up hill to the east view point. A trail takes off from here heading down the hill side. There is a log bench to sit on and enjoy the view. I had a nice view of the Snoqualmie Valley out to some of the local peaks like, Si, Mailbox, Mt.WA, Rattlesnake , Tiger, plus Little Tahoma and Rainier. From here I went west on a trail over an old skid road out to another road. Then back north to a four way junction where I went left, then right on another trail in the logged off area, then back into the forest going down hill back to the main Green Crow road near Ames Lake to get to one more trail to finish my loop hike. I saw two birds, one woodpecker and a hawk.

Some of the trails were a little muddy in places. Note, the trails within the Green Crow property do not have any trail junction signs. The roads are gravel/dirt. If you have not hiked here before you will want a map. The trails are shown on the Tolt-Mac Donald Park maps from the Evergreen Mtn. Bike Alliance and King County Parks. Some are shown on All Trails maps. I have hiked here the past 15 years, so have hiked them all, even the ones that are no longer existing. Some new trails have been built since the Green Crow logging. I only saw one other hiker on my trip. He was coming in to do some trail work. No mtn. bikers today.

Prior to Green Crow owning their part of the Ames Lake Forest, it was owned by the Pork Blakley Mill Company. Years ago they were planning on building a large housing development with a 18 hole golf course. Then King County bought the development rights so the land can only be a forest as Green Crow's tree farm. So there will be trails here for years to come. Only when the planted Doug Firs get large, the view will go away. The trails are open to hikers, mtn. bikers and horse riders. In 15 years I have only seen a few horses, like 4 or 5. King County Parks has been doing trail work in their section of the Ames Lake Forest over the past few years and built some new trails with the help from WTA volunteers. Check it out. George