With names like the Hobbit Trail and Wind in the Woods Trail where you can find bird's nest fungus and witches butter fungus, Federation Forest State Park can be an enchanting place to visit. And, if like me, you had spent the previous day standing in snow for nearly 10 hours, and I do mean standing, waiting for navigation students to find their way through the woods then Federation Forest is also a perfect place to decompress.
Federation Forest consists of 619 acres stretching along Highway 410 and the White River. I've often zipped past the park as I'm heading to & from Mt Rainier and always think "I need to stop there." But never seem to.
Until now.
One of my resolutions this year was to visit Washington State Parks - wonderful little gems dotting our landscape. Often times we get too focused on our "big" parks: Mt Rainier, Olympic, North Cascades. We get focused on the grand landscape and the miles of glorious trails. But this year marks the centennial of the Washington State parks system and I wanted to devote a little time to our pretty little parks - well-loved by us but sometimes an after-thought as we drive by.
Looking for Trails to hike? Federation Forest has 12 miles of trails through big trees and along the river.
Looking for solitude? I saw a few people in the parking lot when I arrived and another photographer studying fungus on the Wind in the Woods trail. But as I set out on the Hobbit Trail, I had the forest, the birds, the streams and moss all to myself.
Worried about road noise? For most of my hike I was far enough away from the road to not hear the cars as they passed. I knew I was getting close to the 1/2-way point when I could once again hear traffic.
Looking for a little enchantment? Hike the Hobbit Trail and you will come across a hobbit village tucked away in the woods complete with gnomes and little blue dinosaurs. And then there's the moss. Moss everywhere - dripping from trees, covering the forest floor like a luxurious blanket, glowing in the sun.
Looking for raw nature? Ancient trees mixed with vine maples and sword ferns. Streams giggling through the exposed roots. It's nearly primeval.
My resolution is off to a good start. Won't you like to come explore with me?
1 comment:
The trail names like Hobbit Trail or Wind in the Woods is enough motivation for me to go hike there. Must be wonderful to savor the solitude even when you know you're close to the highway.
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