Lord Hill Regional Park — Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026

Walked the Lord Hill trails from the southern trailhead Tuesday morning, (appears to also be called the Tester or Crooked Lakes trailhead depending what map you look at.)  The lot is free, quite large and currently has a single, well maintained sanican.  There was a bit of recent carprowl evidence and some hobo activity just outside the property under 522.  The trail billboard had warnings for recent bear and bobcat sightings though we saw nothing but a little coyote sign and some deer tracks.  The route was a messy counter clock wise lollipop loop going up Tuck’s and Pipeline, a quick out and back to temple pond, west with a side trip to the super secret viewpoint (now called Rocky Candy Lookout) turning back south on Liquid Bread, back around on Main to Pipeline then back to the lot with a final out and back along Steamshovel.  Total mileage was a shy 5 miles with just a touch over 1000’ gross vertical.  The trail system at Lord Hill is a tangle of various routes with trail signage, especially in the southern part of the park, somewhat limited so it’s not a bad idea to have the Snohoco PDF map on your phone or something.  

Trail conditions are not bad but there is quite a bit of mud as is normal for these trails.  I honestly can’t wrap my head around how all that water is on top of a big hill (where does it all come from?)  Lots of folks have spent lots of hours putting good drainage along most of the trails and yet they get swampy even during summer.  But other than mud there is nothing blocking, not many trees down at all really compared to some other trails.  Just a bit of wildlife out this morning, ducks on temple pond (looked like mallards and ringnecks), a few wood peckers, a pair of raven high up in the thermals and one large juvenile bald eagle joining them.  Views off the view point are still excellent and well worth the side trip - east to the cascades, west to the olympics though rainier to the south has been grown over for a number of years now.  Also don’t miss the mysterious haunted steam shovel at the base of the quarry down next to the Snohomish River.  Some say during the darkest time of the night you can still sometimes hear it filling load after load of gravel…  A nice little walk with lots to see, just wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy.  

Link to the PDF trail map - https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/109298/Lord-Hill-2025-Wayfinding-Map?bidId=

Link to more info about the park - https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/facilities/facility/details/Lord-Hill-Regional-Park-35