Editor’s note: As in summers past, we have spent the better part of July and August focusing on the great outdoors: namely, some of the noteworthy campgrounds and trails found in the Evergreen State – and maybe just a few opportunities for a good, long walk. Most of the destinations have been within reasonable driving distance from our part of the Puget Sound region. This series always hopes to provide encouragement to enjoy life outside – whether pitching a tent or “glamping” in a luxurious motor home, whether walking a paved pathway or mountain trail.
This series began with a look at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and has included stops as diverse as Fort Warden State Park, Belfair State Park, Lake Sawyer Regional Park and Lake Wilderness. As the weeks slipped by the only certainty has been a dedication to the outdoors.
This summer series concludes today with a visit to the North Bend area where a handful of opportunities can be found, including the relatively stress-free, family-friendly Oxbow Loop Trail.
All campgrounds and trails were visited recently by the author, his wife and Rosie, a great dog. They aren’t exactly roughing it these days, having long ago abandoned a tent for a travel trailer.
The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley provides outdoor opportunities ranging from day-use locations to strenuous hikes to relatively easy trail walks – so, there’s something for nearly everyone who wants to spend quality time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
It’s always better to converse with nature than, you know, other people.
Today, we focus on the not-at-all-difficult Oxbow Loop Trail that provides well-traveled pathways, tall trees and gorgeous views.
This trail, like others in the North Bend vicinity, is managed by the state’s Department of Natural Resources. A welcome sign explains that DNR’s mission is “to protect native ecosystems, plants and animals and to conserve outstanding examples of natural Washington.”
The Oxbow Loop Trail is easily traveled, a fact made clear during a recent visit where a young couple was seen pushing a stroller and, later in the loop, a family was covering the trail on bicycles (including a couple of small kids on even-smaller bikes).
The trail is largely free of underbrush and, in most places, is wide enough for a retriever (Rosie) and a rottweiler (her pal Delilah) to walk side by side.
The loop trail is less than two miles and that includes a short stretch between parking areas, the loop itself and a quick side trip to the river. But what it lacks in milage is more than balanced by the scenery.
The loop circles sometimes pristine and sometimes marshy Oxbow Lake, other viewpoints look out over the surrounding valleys and tall, jagged peaks of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness often dominate the landscape. And the trees: take time to stop, look up and enjoy giant Douglas fir, Western hemlock, alder, red cedar and bigleaf maples.
The trail is mostly flat, with a few minimal ups and downs. All things considered, the elevation change is just 60 feet or so.
While circling the loop don’t ignore a well-worn spur trail that leads to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. The shoreline is fully covered with large rocks, making the footing a bit dicey, but the view is stunning.
As noted above there are two identified parking areas. It seems that most visitors pull into the first lot they see while arriving from the south via Southeast Middle Fork Road; the bigger and better parking area is just a short distance up the road and is home to the only restroom facilities (vault toilets).
Plan for bugs: Depending on the time of year, this trail calls for a can of insect repellent. Perhaps two cans.
During a mid-August hike the lake loop saw visitors constantly covered with mosquitoes – and they were out for blood. However, the short, slightly-downhill stroll to the river was largely mosquito-free.
Interesting history: The historically-recent history of the area includes glacial encroachment some 19,000 years ago, the formation of a huge ice dam and the eventual ice melt that sent water gushing through the region creating present-day rivers in the Snoqualmie Valley.
The region’s resources were enjoyed for thousands of years by indigenous people.
In more recent times (meaning about 100 years ago) the area just north of Oxbow Lake was home to North Bend Timber Company’s logging camp and accompanying railroad lines. That endeavor ended in the early 1940s and the site was then used for a boy’s camp and, later, a Forest Service station.
The Oxbow Loop Trail is fairly new, courtesy of a joint operation between the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Getting there: Head to I-90 East and, once in the North Bend area, take exit 34. Turn left onto 468th Avenue Southeast and follow for less than a mile to the junction with Southeast Middle Fork Road. Turn right, follow for two miles and, at a fork in the road, keep right and the Oxbow destination is another five miles. Enjoy the PNW scenery.
Other nearby options: For the physically fit, hard core hikers, Middle Fork Road is home to the Mailbox Peak trailhead, the starting point for a climb of more than seven miles with an elevation gain of almost 4,000 feet. Yes, this one is rated “hard” or “challenging.”
The same road takes you to the Granite Creek Trailhead and a hike that is a bit longer (8.4 miles) but not quite as difficult (elevation change of 2,400 feet).
Within easy driving distance are the Pratt River Trail (13 miles roundtrip with 1,500 feet elevation gain) and the short-but-steep Stegosaurus Butte hike (just 2.2 miles but more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain). More relaxing are the Camp Brown location (a half-mile, ADA-accessible loop trail with picnic tables and charcoal grates and access to the river) and the Russian Butte day-use area.
Many other hiking and camping options are found before the road terminates at Snoqualmie Lake, which features a camping area at the north end.
