New projects on the Darrington District

Please consider making a donation to Washington Trails Association by April 30 and help us reach our spring goal of $16,000. You'll help keep your favorite trails open this summer and beyond. As of today, we have raised $10,767.

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The Darrington Ranger District, home to the Mountain Loop Highway, Wild Sky,  and the only western access to the Glacier Peak Wilderness, is gearing up for public comment on a long list of trail and road projects. The deadline for public comment on these projects is April 30.

Some of the projects that will be of interest to hikers include:

• Rebuilding segments of the White Chuck Bench Trail;

• Rebuilding the Old Sauk Trail and trailheads;

• Repairing the Mountain Loop Highway at Hemple and Benson Creeks; and

• Upgrading the road that leads to the Three Fingers trailhead.

There are also a couple of road closures on the list that bear further examination as well. The closure of Forest Road 4150 and Forest Road 1890 at milepost 1.2 look interesting, and I'll be checking any potential trail access impacts from those projects.

On the whole, I'm excited about the rebuilding projects on White Chuck Bench and Old Sauk. The OId Sauk Trail, in particular, is a gentle river walk with subtle and profound rewards.

I encourage you to submit a public comment on one or more of these projects. Also, don't hesitate to contact me at 206.625.1367 or by email at jonathan@wta.org to learn more. And as always, ranger districts are great sources of information.

Thanks for taking the time to speak out on behalf of your favorite trails.