Safety first at Mailbox Peak in Middle Fork Snoqualmie

Can you imagine going to your favorite hiking spot, taking a wrong turn, and getting stranded overnight? A few weeks back this happened to hikers descending from Mailbox Peak in Middle Fork Snoqualmie Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA), just outside of North Bend in East King County.

The Mailbox Peak Trail gains 4,000 feet elevation in  miles. Photo: DNR

Hikers are drawn to the beautiful forests, streams, wildlife, and views of Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area from the Mailbox Peak Trail, but many have stayed away because of safety concerns and environmental damage on the trail.

The current trail is very steep, with a 4,000-foot elevation gain in just 2 miles. This grade causes significant erosion along with dangerous conditions where hikers can become injured or lost.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), with the help of Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, has broken ground on a new trail and trailhead that is being built with safety and sustainability in mind. DNR looks forward to hosting a celebration for the completion of this 18-month project on National Public Lands Day, September 2013.

So, what can you do? Here are three things you can do today to stay safe on the trails—and also lend a hand.

1. Safety is always first. No matter the length of your hike, always make sure you tell someone where you are going and pack the ten essentials.

2. Get dirty! Get your hands dirty and volunteer to help build the new trail at the following work parties:
•  July 28
•  August 11

Be sure to register beforehand with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.

3. Speak up. Mailbox Peak is in the Snoqualmie Corridor recreation planning area that is currently underway with the help of a citizen-based planning committee. We are asking for feedback on what recreation opportunities the public would like to see on DNR-managed state trust lands and conservation areas within the corridor.

Read the blog for more details and take a few minutes to fill out the survey.

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Your voice counts! Help shape the future of recreation in the Snoqualmie Corridor

View of the Middle Fork River in the MIddle Fork Snoqualmie NRCA. Photo: Diana Lofflin, DNR

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released a survey today to gather input on how the public would like to see recreation managed on 53,000 acres of DNR-managed state trust lands and conservation areas in the Snoqualmie Corridor (map).

Your voice counts. This survey comes in the middle of a recreation planning process that began earlier this year.  The survey results will guide a citizen-based recreation planning committee as it works to improve recreation access and opportunities.

The survey should take less than ten minutes to complete. Hurry, the survey closes on July 31, 2012.

Want to stay informed about future updates on the Snoqualmie Corridor Recreation Plan? Sign up for our newsletter.

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Commissioner will celebrate National Trails Day® with volunteers – June 2

The 10,270-acre Middle Fork Snoqualmie Natural Resources Conservation Area in eastern King County designated NRCA by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark. Photo: DNR

Commissioner of Public Lands, Peter Goldmark, is lending his hand to celebrate the launch of construction on a new Mailbox Peak Trail and trailhead in Middle Fork Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA) in the Snoqualmie Corridor during National Trails Day®.

The Middle Fork NRCA is conserved to protect native and unique habitat, while providing trails and facilities that offer low-impact and sustainable recreation, such as hiking and wildlife viewing.

Commissioner Goldmark also will talk about other enhancement projects including:

• Conversion of roads to trails in Granite Creek Basin
• Improving access to the Middle Fork NRCA  (including paving the access road and building  a 42-car parking lot).

This event is a joint project with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and will also feature a presentation by Sally Jewell, immediate Past President of the Greenway Trust, and CEO of REI.  

Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust have enjoyed a 20-year partnership in many efforts in the I-90 corridor. This partnership has resulted in the Greenway landscape that you see today– a matrix of working forests and conservation lands connecting 1.5 million acres with recreational access for a variety of low-impact activities. The best part: This area is less than an hour’s drive from Seattle.

Mailbox Peak Trail – Did you know?!
The Mailbox Peak Trail is one of the highlights of this National Trails Day® event. It is a hiker magnet, but dangerous conditions and environmental damage have inspired the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and DNR to work with stakeholders to redesign the trail to be sustainable and user friendly. 

…And guess what! You can be a part of the solution by volunteering to kick-off trail construction at Mailbox Peak Trail on June 2! Or join one of the other National Trails Day activities going on across the state.

Happy Trails!

 

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