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This is an update to my review of last year. The ride is still great and the same as I described then except that last fall's washout mentioned by TrailLink is indeed very serious. I checked it out yesterday. I talked to two bikers that lifted their lightweight road bikes over the barrier blocks on the west end of the washout but there was no way I could do that with my heavier 60 lb eBike.
Besides that, and more important, walking your bike along what's left of the trail is very dangerous. It is narrow (1-2 ft) and one slip and you are in the river, fatally for your bike if not you as well. On top of all that I had to fight blackberry brambles all along the washout edge. I only did it because I did not realize that once you start you are commited -- there is no way to abort and turn your bike around.
I strongly recommend NOT starting at Trafton -- unless you detour out to the highway and back (there are 2 roads available to do that). Instead start at Miller Shingle trailhead (35.5 mile round trip to Darrington) or, as I did yesterday, at a small (half dozen vehicle) parking lot at the west end of the Cicero Bridge (40.8 mile round trip), where you can access the trail (the short paved section of it). Alternatively there is some parking along the highway just beyond the east end of the bridge but you have to ride back across the bridge to access the trail.
We did this trail last weekend, from Trafton to Darrington and back, 48.5 miles total, on 1.5" and 1.25" tire bikes, one an eBike, one not. The only downside was the last 5 or so miles at the Darrington end, which got fairly bumpy for stretches totalling at least half that distance, but nonetheless quite do-able if you keep at it. Fantastic scenery. Other people encountered averaged about 1 every 2 miles, my kind of trail, and that on a Saturday in July in perfect weather. The log over the trail reported by the last reviewer had been clearly cut and moved out of the way. There are 2 places where there are "trail closed" signs, one a bridge and the other where the river is starting to eat away at the trail, but we ignored the signs and had no sign-related problems.
One of the things that stands out to me is how well people take care of this trail. After a storm, I often find that the trail is cleared, branches (big and small) are removed, and other obstacles are taken care of. I often see signs of saws or chainsaws to deal with larger trees or branches that have blocked the road. Good job, volunteers and clean-up crews!
I road from Rasar State park towards Sedro Woolley. One obstacle was a bridge that I had to walk across because the approach to this small trestle was a big step on both sides. It almost looks like the bridge has moved. I got to Lyman and thought I would get into SW by lunch time. A few miles east of town, I ran into some mud and water. I walked and the encounter running water and it got up to my ankles. It looked worse ahead so I doubled back to Lyman for lunch at the tavern that near the trail. Nice place too back the trail was got bad so I didn’t finish it. Hope they resolve this bad section because it is a nice trail and there isn’t any option except for Hwy 20.
Nice wide smooth trail. Lots of different views as one goes along.
76° on a late afternoon Sunday in July, but the asphalt Centennial Trail from the Pilchuck Trailhead in Snohomish to Arlington was only lightly traveled - occasional families and friends cycling or ped’ing - on my year-later return visit cycling this rural trail.
Pilchuck trailhead, it turns out, while a couple miles further north from the endpoint in Snohomish itself, is faster to get to from Seattle. It's actually about .2 miles north of 6398 S Machias Rd., the address I’d put into Maps, but keep your eyes open: its large gravel parking lot (with portapotties) on the east side of Machias Road is hard to miss.
Embarking north from Pilchuck trailhead, the trail parallels S Machias Rd for 2.8 miles, passing one farm after another, then crosses it at a signal before angling into the countryside; at 3.3 miles it reaches a train depot with restrooms - the Machias trailhead.
At 4.1 miles the trail returns to paralleling Machias Rd as the valley narrows. At 4.8 miles the terrain transitions from farmland to sylvan and what was mostly flat trail angles up to a slightly uphill grade that over the next four miles takes cyclists and peds from the valley to the ridge.
At 5.9 miles, the Lake Stevens trailhead’s large gravel lot signals a bit more than a mile of light industrial, the Hartford trailhead turn off early in that mile, before we return to forest. At 7.8 miles, a mown wide shoulder on the east side of the trail sports sections of single track paralleling the paved trail, for the more adventurous among you.
At 8.8 miles, reaching the ridge, the trail flattens once more. At 9.5, on the west side, look just beyond the kiosk, picnic tables, and portapotties, where a wooden bridge provides access to Lake Cassidy. At 10.9 you pass the Getchell trailhead with its large gravel lot just to the east of the trail; just a hundred feet further, you may want to use the crossing signal for busy 84th St NE.
At 11.7 miles as you cross beneath Highway 9, you're at more or less the highest point on the trail, and begin the five-mile decline to Arlington. But you don’t get a view out across the valley until 13.2 miles from the Pilchuck trailhead, where a half mile or so of breaks in the forest and underbrush reveal lovely views of farmland below and the Olympics in the distance (not to mention a trailside billboard (!) advertising home lots with views just below).
Don’t be confused when you reach Armar Road at 15.9 miles and the trail appears to veer west - it’s just a leg off to the trailhead there, and more importantly a signal to horse riders to take the turn and not continue horseriding to Arlington. Cyclists and peds: to stay on the Centennial Trail, continue straight.
I turned around at 17 miles, when the trail began to literally be a sidewalk along busy 67th Ave NE, as it approaches Arlington.
The parking, the restrooms, the signage no longer exist.
Instead of going east from here to Concrete, we drove to Concrete and then took the trail west.
The park in Concrete was convenient and shaded.
Much better than parking at Baker lake road, even if it was available.
Have ridden the Whitehorse a number of times and enjoyed it each time. Trail is still closed between the Centennial Trail at Arlington and Trafton due to a slide. Its lightly used and a bit rough between Trafton and the Hwy 530 crossing where a short 2.3 mi paved section starts. It does smooth out a bit after the pavement and I always enjoy the bridges, river views, and mountains. The trail is paved thru the Oso Memorial to C Post Road. We were glad to see the memorial is finished and it is quite beautiful. It pays tribute to the 43 people who died as a result of the March 22, 2014, slide. Plan to spend a some time looking at the touching remembrances, there are bike racks, please don't ride your bike.
The trail does continue on to Darrington, but the times I've started from the memorial it was a bit overgrown. Plus there is a slide closer to Darrington. We plan to try it this summer.
I rented a bike from the Snohomish Bike shop on Pine Ave. The shop is right next to the trail. I cycled the trail to the end at Nakashima Heritage Barn North Trailhead, about 29 miles from the bike shop, I cycled back to Snohomish. there are lots of trailheads all have either a restroom or a portapotty. However, none of the drinking fountains were working, the bike shop rent a bike only had one water bottle cage. In Arlington there is an art walk and a nice coffee stop. my ride ended at 62.6 miles. A bucket list ride
Rode the trail from darrington to trafton with a car at both ends on a bluebird day. Blue sky, fall colors, salmon swimming upstream. What a day! Enjoyed the eastern half of the trail a bit more than the western half. It was more wooded and further away from Hwy 530. It was also narrower so difficult to ride abreast. Eastern half is all gravel while western half has several extended paved sections. Don’t know how those decisions were made. Crossed well over a dozen bridges/trestles on the trail. The bridges were slick as snot due to wet leaves so use caution
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