Location: Monroe.
Length: Connects to several miles of trails.
Level of difficulty: Level-to-gentle grass/dirt/gravel trails.
By Cathy McDonald | July 14, 2005
Location: South of Arlington.
Length: Provides access near the northern end of the 17.5-mile long Centennial Trail.
Level of difficulty: Level-to-moderate, paved, multiuse Centennial Trail is flanked by a dirt horse trail.
By Cathy McDonald | June 2, 2005
An achievement 22 years in the making deserves more hoopla than your standard ribbon-cutting.
So when Snohomish County on Saturday officially opens a 10.3-mile section of the Centennial Trail, celebrants instead will lift a faux railroad-crossing arm, symbolizing the trail's 116-year-old roots as a railroad grade.
"It definitely was worth the wait," said former state Rep. John Wynne, who was among a small group of Lake Stevens visionaries who conceived the rails-to-trails project in December 1982.
By Diane Brooks | March 30, 2005
SNOHOMISH -- Stand at First Street and Avenue B, in the heart of the historic district, and it's easy to see why Snohomish bills itself as the Antique Capital of the Northwest.
Although an economic slowdown has changed the retail mix somewhat, this picturesque shopping district still boasts some 450 antiques dealers. First Street itself is a charming throwback, lined with wood and brick storefronts that hark back to the late 19th century.
By Cecelia Goodnow | January 27, 2005
Take a Walk
Location: Stanwood.
Length: Several miles of trails.
Level of difficulty: Paved road and flat-to-steep dirt/gravel trails with stairways (can be muddy after rains).
By Cathy McDonald | June 24, 2004
Birders' Top Spots
Location: Near town of Index, Snohomish County.
Habitat: State-owned 400-foot granite wall with mixed forest at base along North Fork of Skykomish River.
Best seasons for birding: Spring and summer.
Birds commonly seen: Peregrine falcons nest on cliffs. Check the Skykomish River for harlequin ducks and hooded mergansers, and the riparian willow and cottonwood trees for warblers and swallows.
Viewing tip: Walk to the base of the cliff to view peregrine falcons April-August.
April 22, 2004
Location: Marysville, Snohomish County.
Length: About a mile loop.
Level of difficulty: Level dirt/gravel/grass trails (muddy on west side after rains).
By Cathy McDonald | January 22, 2004
EVERETT -- Kayaking through the myriad sloughs, islands and wetlands of the Snohomish River estuary feels like paddling into the past.
After launching at Langus Riverfront Park on the river, you paddle upstream under the mechanized hum of the superfreeway, Interstate 5, past rotting pilings from an earlier era and the barren log yard of an abandoned mill. In about a mile you turn left into Steamboat Slough, one of the major channels of the river and immediately paddle into a curious juxtaposition.
By Greg Johnston | April 17, 2003
Habitat: A 428-acre Snohomish County park with forest and beach areas on a branch of Puget Sound known as Port Susan.
Best birding season: Winter.
February 27, 2003
SMITH ISLAND On a crisp fall day, just after the fog has lifted near the mouth of the Snohomish River, Smith Island's splendor comes into full view. Eagles and hawks soar overhead while herons move slowly through miles of still-water channels, searching for food.
If things had gone differently, this unspoiled natural landscape might have been like the area surrounding Seattle's Duwamish Waterway, a vast industrial landscape.
By Peyton Whitely | October 2, 2002
