Whitehorse Trail Oct 2009

Along the Stillaguamish River near Arlington

Crossing the river about 4 miles from Arlington

Whitechuck Mountain seen from HWY 530

Length: 27 miles. Elevation Change: 500 feet. Surface: gravel, dirt, old ballast rock near Arlington. One end at Haller Park in Arlington, and at Price St. and Railroad Ave. in Darrington.

Updated March 29, 2010

The Whitehorse Trail is a Snohomish County Park gravel trail that is good for hiking, biking, and horseback riding that follows the old railroad line between Darrington and Arlington, WA. The trail goes through mixed forest and farm land with many river views and views of the snow capped mountains above the valley.

The trail is not completely developed as of March 2010, but it has been brushed and cleared the entire length. The trail from Swede Heaven Road To Darrington is officially open, while the rest of the trail is still work in progress.

The major remaining work left to do is to put in decking and handrails for about half of the 16 old railroad bridges. The un-decked bridges have 6 inch to 12 inch gaps in the cross-tie structure. Most people find the bridges easy to walk across and a bike can be pushed across. The best trail conditions are between Darrington and a mile east of Oso. The section from Swedeheaven Road to Darrington is complete. On other sections there are some old railroad bridges that are not re-decked and the open ties are easy to walk but not OK for bicycling or horses. The first bridge east of the junction with the Centennial Trail near Haller Bridge Park has been decked.

The east end of the trail between Arlington and Oso is covered in old ballast rock and is less than ideal as this surface has a loose gravel feel. About a mile east of Oso the trail becomes well-packed gravel and is good for bikes with wide tires.

Two sections have very annoying blackberry vines on the path, one at 139th Ave for a mile east, and one just east of Lake Cavanaugh Rd at Oso.

The Centennial Trail is currently being paved north of Haller Park in Arlington.

State route HWY 530 parallels the trail and has numerous access points as does the Community Transit Route 230 which can carry at least two bicycles.

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