Because of a windstorm on 11-15-10 most of the trails in the park are impassable. We talked to Al, the resident ranger who was working on clearing the many blowdowns on the south side of the park across HWY 20. He told us that a section of the Evergreen Trail has hundreds of match stick blowdowns and a huge Douglas Fir has fallen on a section of the trail. This will require a complete rerouting. We hiked the 0.4 mile Sauk Springs Trail and the 0.5 mile Skagit View Trail which are on the south side of HWY 20. These have been cleared but evidence of the storm are obvious everywhere you look. Al told us that he had lost all his aides because of budget cuts and that he was the only one working on the clearing. We walked through the campground and then did a section of the West Loop Interpretive trail which is open to hikers but is no longer suitable for ADA because of damage from the storm. A single picture can not show the extensive damage from this storm. Ferned understory is covered by fallen trees and debris in many areas of the West Loop.

We hiked the 3 mile Evergreen Loop. The trail is in excellent condition. We had light rain, but this added to the beauty of the forest with its large trees, vine maple draped with moss, fern under story, and creeks along the way!

Sarah felt like visiting old growth forest. We love the beer at the Birdsview Brewery, we love the bulk candy department at the Food Pavilion in Arlington, so Rockport State Park was the natural choice. I was very happy with the trails we chose to hike. The last time I was there, the Evergreen Trail was closed for repair, and I had never taken the Broken Fir trail before. All the trails we walked today are in excellent condition. Huge Douglas fir and cedars at this park, and big leaf maple. We started on the new accessible West Loop Interpretive Trail. This trail was built for the State Park by the Forest Service and state corrections. They did a great job. The interesting old growth forest interpretive signs are in place. The trail winds along creeklets and next to wetlands and open spaces where big leaf maple are aplenty. We then took the Evergreen Trail. This trail gains a little elevation and the forest canopy closes; it's darker here, and the mosses coat everything. Nurselogs with 6 inches of forest litter on them are scattered all over the place. Here are what I call the "octopus" trees – green mossy bent branches radiating from every tree. Simply amazing. No one can walk this forest and not marvel at them. We then hit the Broken Fir trail. A portion of this trail skirts a deep canyonic slope and also boasts a picturesque curved puncheon that spans a marshy area. The Broken Fir is a wonderful fellow to visit. No cause to mourn this 314 year old giant; snags are useful for many, many years after the tree dies. Such a beautiful park. Closed for camping due to a certain inherent nature of old growth - falling trees and limbs. Day use is open; nice, clean restrooms and a great information kiosk at the parking lot that is always stocked with lots of brochures and park maps. Afterwards Sarah and I went to the Birdsview Brewery where we had burgers, brats, and beer. And a cookie, of course. Birdsview Brewery is on Hwy 20 a bit west of the Baker Lake road. Its eating area is kid-freindly, so bring 'em in. Rockport State Park is on Highway 20, east of Concrete and before the juction with Hwy 530.

I checked out this park a little last month, and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to spend more time here. The old growth forest is incredible. Some areas are as dark as it gets; other areas are open as a result of fallen and/or dead trees. Lots of big leaf maple, doug fir and cedars, all of them covered with lush, fuzzy moss. Impressive Doug fir here and there. Wow. Lots of birds, and I could hear eagles screeching overhead as well. There are quite a few options for the trail system here; many are loop trails. The gate is currently closed, but I walked in and wandered around 'til I saw a trail sign. I hiked portions of the Evergreen trail, the West Loop, Broken Fir, and did the nice little Fern Creek Loop. The Evergreen trail is closed at a junction, due to wind storm damage, but that's ok, you can just take the other trail and loop around. When you enter the park, go to the right, where there's a big parking lot and information board. The park has maps for you to take with you (I didn't discover this 'til I was on my way out).