Beacon Rock State Park - Hamilton Mountain — Friday, Sep. 26, 2025

Stasia and I scouted out the Hamilton Mountain Trail to locate a potential reroute that will move the trail off of the deeply eroded switch back section above Rodney Falls.

For the past few years, we’ve been working with State Park Staff, in an effort to get a grant for the planning, and design work and eventual construction of this reroute. The section in question has degraded to the point where it’s rather sketchy. In years prior, we had attempted to maintain this section of trail to get water to shed off, but stacked switchbacks like these are notoriously difficult to keep water and are not consistent with modern trail design practices.

Once we have a flag line, then Park Staff will work with other specialist to ensure the route is viable, and doesn’t impact any sensitive natural or cultural resources. One status done. WTA volunteers will construct the reroute and decommission the old trail.

I don’t have an exact timeline, but these things typically take one to two years of planning, and permitting before they are shovel ready