1. Meadowdale Beach Park -- Perhaps the crown jewel of Snohomish County's in-city parks, a trail drops one mile and 450 feet of elevation from the parking lot to the shore of Puget Sound, shrouded by the steep, wet walls of Lunds Gulch and splendid groves of alder, maple, hemlock and fir. A quarter-mile down the trail, the sprawl of Highway 99 less than a mile away is completely forgotten. To get there, take the 164th Street Southwest/Mill Creek exit off Interstate 5 and follow 164th Street west to 168th Street Southwest. Turn right to cross Highway 99, then turn right onto 52nd Avenue West. Turn left onto 160th Street Southwest and then right onto 56th Avenue West. Finally turn left onto 156th Avenue West and find the big wooden park entrance arch.
2. Carkeek Park -- A longtime favorite of discriminating Seattle-area park lovers, this beauty also follows a valley to the shores of Puget Sound, ending at a neat little beach at the small delta of Pipers Creek. A run of chum salmon is expected from now until the end of the month to head up the creek and into its still viable spawning grounds. The park's 216 acres encompass at least eight miles of trails. The best are in the wilder woods of the uplands above the valley, particularly on the south side. The forest along the trail up Venema Creek just may include remnants of old-growth fir, some four feet in diameter. Get to Carkeek by heading north on Third Avenue Northwest from Holman Road north of Ballard, then left on Northwest 110th Street to the park entrance.
3. Schmitz Park -- Is it possible for a virgin forest to exist within the limits of the largest West Coast city north of San Francisco? Visit Schmitz Park in West Seattle for the answer. Even if it didn't offer a relatively wild urban escape, this park is worth visiting just to see what all the uplands above the shores of Puget Sound once looked like: A splendid setting of massive, old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar, many towering some 200 feet, their roots carpeted by sword ferns and salal. This 50-acre forest is one of two spots inside Seattle that contain old-growth forest, the other being Seward Park. About two miles of trail traverse the park's ancient forest gulch. From West Seattle, follow Admiral Way Southwest toward the Sound. At its intersection with Southwest Stevens Street, take a left and find a parking lot.
4. St. Edwards State Park -- This park's 316 acres represent the last big chunk of intact forest on Lake Washington and include 3,000 feet of shoreline as well as ridges and ravines as rugged as a suburban park can get. We recommend a loop that circumnavigates the park. Follow the North Trail, which twists and turns its way down to the lake through a 75-year-old forest of cedar, fir, hemlock, as well as red alder at peak maturity and even some Pacific yews. Then follow the shore south past monstrous black cottonwoods to the South Ridge Trail, the park's finest. It climbs from the shore steeply up a narrow spine of deep forest before returning to the main park grounds. The total loop is almost three miles. To get there, follow Juanita Drive south from Kenmore about a mile to the entrance at Northeast 145th Street. Head right at the "Y" to parking lots near an old seminary building topped by a quaint bell tower.
5. O.O. Denny Park -- Better known is the park's beach on Lake Washington, which on summer weekends is elbow-to-elbow bodies slickened by sunscreen. Almost unknown is the beautiful trail -- about one mile -- that climbs the upland across the street, into the valley of Big Finn Creek. It's a mere sliver of sylvan serenity inside suburbia, but surprisingly wild, with fine large trees and one virgin Douglas fir, a plaque claiming it to be 600 years old and 26.3 feet in circumference. Follow Interstate 405 north to the Northeast 116th Street exit (just north of Kirkland) and take a left at the stop light. Follow 116th Street about two miles to the main intersection of Juanita, where it becomes Juanita Drive. From the intersection, go two miles and take a left on Holmes Point Drive. O.O. Denny is about two miles later; the main parking area is on the left and the trail begins directly across the road.
6. Kirkland Watershed Park -- For decades only locals visited this abandoned waterworks area to look at its two circular, concrete remnants of reservoirs and hike its deep-ravine forests. Even now that its 60 acres constitute an official park, one can still often be alone. The concrete structures are still there, one of them referred to by Harvey Manning in one of his books as a "Martian landing pad," and the ravine is still covered by wonderful woods of fir, hemlock, maple, alder and madrona. Hike all of its two miles of trail to examine the concrete curiosities on the uplands and to cure cabin fever in the ravine's fine forest. Take Exit 17 off I-405, then take a left at the light and another left at the next light, onto Southeast 70th Place. Follow that about two miles to 108th Avenue Northeast and go left. In another couple miles, take a left onto Northeast 45th Street, and find the small main parking lot at its intersection with 110th Avenue Northeast.
7. Mercer Slough Nature Park -- Smack in the middle of ever-growing downtown Bellevue is this 326-acre, mega-wetlands park with six miles of trails for watching ducks and geese, herons and beavers among cattails, rushes and reeds. Manning calls it "the largest wetland park in the western United States." Deep inside its watery reaches along the main trail, one even forgets the surrounding city. The south trailhead is on the south side of the South Bellevue park and ride. From Interstate 90, take the Bellevue Way exit and find the park and ride in two-tenths of a mile.
8. Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park -- About 3,000 acres surrounded by Issaquah, Renton and Bellevue, this park's wilderness character is a tribute to the resiliency of nature. The mountain and its asso-ciated hills were leveled by loggers, torn asunder by coal miners and studded with nuclear missiles by the military. Now, however, the forest is again large and alive, the mines covered (although remnant openings are still to be seen) and deer, bear and maybe even cougar wander where Nike missiles once stood. There are three major trailheads and 42 official trails that present innumerable loop possibilities. Among the wildest is, appropriately, one that follows Wilderness Creek to the park's high point, Wilderness Peak (1,595 feet), and upon which grows vestiges of virgin forest. Free maps and brochures are available at the main trailheads. The Wilderness Creek trailhead is on the north side of the Renton-Issaquah Road (State Route 900) a couple miles southwest of Issaquah.
By Greg Johnston 
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Hurricane Ridge Summit
In the northern interior of Olympic National Park near Port
Angeles
The trail begins at 5,000 feet and, on spring days, brilliant wildflowers
can be found right near the parking lot. Go higher, and it only gets better.
The climb is slow but steady, with magnificent views of the interior Olympics
and the valley carved by the mighty Elwha River. Eventually, the trail
leaves rocky ridge slopes and opens into a series of splendid meadows.
The views from the summit, the site of an old lookout, are unforgettable.
This may be the grandest lunch spot in the entire Northwest, with wildflowers
at your feet, Olympic's grandest peaks seemingly within arm's reach and
the sweet, pungent smell of alpine air all around.
If that's not enough, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island and
the city of Victoria often are visible to the north. Locals prefer this
hike in the spring, when snowfields still linger to chill drinks and sunburn
faces. Winter visits on cross-country skis also are a rare treat, although
the weather, as the hill's name indicates, can be frightful.
Until the mid-1980s, this trail also was a great place to get up close
and personal with a wild mountain goat. But park rangers, saying the goats
aren't native to the park and therefore must go, began "relocating"
them to other states. Today, the only white creature you're likely to see
on Hurricane Hill is a park scientist in a lab coat.
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User groups: Hikers only; no dogs, horses or mountain bikes allowed. No
wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No day-use permits required. A $5-per-carload access permit, good
for seven days at any park entrance, required and collected at the Heart
O' The Hills Entrance Station from June through September.
Directions: From U.S. Highway 101 in Port Angeles, follow Hurricane Ridge
Road 18.6 miles south to the trailhead parking lot at road's end. Note:
Hurricane Ridge Road is closed during heavy winter snows, and sometimes
is plowed and opened by National Park crews only on weekends. Call the
park at (360) 452-0330 for current road conditions.
Maps: For a free Olympic National Park map, contact the Outdoor Recreation
Information Center at the address below. Green Trails' topographic map
of the region is available for $2.50 at outdoor retail outlets. Ask for
No. 134, Mount Olympus. To obtain a USGS map, ask for Hurricane Ridge.
Contact: Outdoor Recreation Information Center, 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle,
WA 98109; 470-4060.
By Dan Nelson and Ron Judd, Foghorn Press
To reach the northwest side of the mountain, exit Interstate 5 at Castle
Rock and drive east on state Route 504. This highway follows the Toutle
River, which carried the worst of the mudflows from the eruption, and leads
to several visitors centers: the United States Forest Service Silver Lake
Center at 5.4 miles; the Cowlitz County Hoffstadt Bluff Rest Area and Visitor
Center at Milepost 27; the Mount St. Helens Learning Center at 33 miles;
and Cold Water Ridge Visitor Center at 45 miles. By midsummer 1997, the
Johnston Ridge Observatory, at 53 miles, is planning to open.
To get to the northeast side of the monument, specifically the observation area on Wind Ridge, follow U.S Highway 12 east from Interstate 5, or west from Yakima to Randle. Turn south on state Route 113, which becomes Forest Service Road 25 at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest boundary just outside of town. The road continues south for 30 miles before its junction with Forest Service Road 99. Follow Road 99 west, then south for 17.4 miles to the viewpoint at Windy Ridge. There are several trailheads and viewing areas along this route. A second access road is Forest Service Road 26, which forks off Road 25 just 8.5 miles south of Randle, following the Quartz Creek drainage before eventually joining with Road 99, about nine miles west of its start at Road 25. The south side of the monument is reached via state Route 503. Turn off Interstate 5 at Woodland and drive east to the town of Cougar. Information and directions to key areas are available at Jack's Store, the unofficial headquarters for the south side of the Monument.
For more information, contact Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, 42218 NE Yale Bridge Road, Amboy, WA 98601; (360) 750-3900. For lodging in the Mount St. Helens area, call the Castle Rock Exhibit Hall and Visitor Information Center at (360) 274-6603. Here you'll find historical exhibitions of the area, including what life was like for residents close to Mount St. Helens during the explosion.
Trails
The crown jewel of the new trail system is the Loowit Trail. This 30-mile loop circumnavigates the mountain, staying mostly above treeline on the south flank and skirting just outside the gaping crater breach on the north side. The trail is rough and dry -- carry lots of water -- but incredibly scenic. Hikers should plan on four to six days to really enjoy this trail.
A shorter hike, with stunning views of its own, is the Truman Trail. This four-mile path leads from the end of the road on Windy Ridge to a viewing area just outside the crater. This is as close as the public can get to the new lava dome still forming inside the crater. The crater itself is a restricted area, off limits to everyone but the occasional geologist.
To step back in time and see what the area used to be like, trek along one of the old trails on the southeast side of the mountain. One of the best is the Sheep Canyon Trail, a 2.8-mile route that weaves through old-growth noble fir forests sheltered from the 1980 blast. Most interesting is the evidence of volcanic activity previous to the 1980 eruption. The trail intersects several other spur trails that lead away into ancient lava fields and mud-scoured valleys.
A better look at the magnitude of the centuries-old lava flows can be found on the Lava Canyon Trail and the Trail of Two Forests. The former begins as a short, barrier-free trail that is wheelchair-accessible. This initial stage of the trail offers great views of a waterfall and a deep gorge cut through the ancient lava bed. The trail continues beyond this first accessible half-mile by dropping down a 30-foot steel ladder. The lower section of trail is 2.5 miles long and explores the steep-walled canyon cut into the heart of the ancient lava flow, with its many waterfalls.
The Trail of Two Forests is a short, accessible trail that offers a unique look at the power of flowing lava. The one of two forests mentioned in the trail's name is a stand of noble and Douglas fir that surrounds the route. The other is a forest that was deluged by a lava flow more than 1,900 years ago. As the lava swept through, it engulfed the trees, then rapidly cooled. The trees rotted in their rocky coffins, leaving perfect casts of their trunks in the black lava. Many of those casts or lava tubes are big enough to crawl through easily.
Climbing is permitted on the south flank of the mountain, and the Monitor Ridge Route leads to the knife-edge rim of the crater. Summiting is much easier now that there is just the one route and because the mountaintop is more than 1,300 feet lower than before -- but the climb is still physically challenging. Permits are required between May 15 and October 31 for any excursions above 4,800 feet and are available by reservation, although 40 climbing permits are available each day on a first come, first served basis.
The formerly popular Spirit Lake is out of reach now, but boaters have new waters in which to play. Coldwater Lake, formed when the water of the melted glaciers filled the mudflow-blocked Coldwater Creek Valley, is a long, narrow lake in the shadow of the breached north wall of the crater. Motors are prohibited on the lake, making it canoe and kayak friendly.
Hoh River Valley
Whether strolling several hundred yards into the velvety
green drapery of the Hoh's ethereal rain forest or trekking 17 miles to
the icy shoulders of Mount Olympus, the Hoh River Trail is a magical experience
you won't soon forget. Don't let the hefty mileage fool you: The first
13 miles of this trail are flat, easy walking through Hoh River Valley
bottom lands.
Day hikers can venture in as far as they please and pause for lunch beneath a canopy of almost ridiculously massive old-growth western red cedar, Douglas fir, bigleaf maple and Sitka spruce, all of which are draped with long, flowing beards of pea-green moss. If you hike here in late autumn, you're likely to see ghostly figures emerging and disappearing in the forest's murky fog. The Olympic Peninsula's largest herds of Roosevelt elk live here, roaming in large, silent clans.
Several miles up the trail, the leafy underbrush beneath the old-growth canopy gives way to rolling, tall-grass meadows that stretch to the river. These river flats, particularly at established sites such as Happy Four Camp (5.75 miles) and the Olympus Guard Station (9.0 miles), make outstanding lunch stops or campsites.
Beyond the guard station, the trail passes a junction with the Hoh Lake Trail (which accesses High Divide). It then ascends at a breathtaking pace to Glacier Meadows (17.5 miles). Here, alongside a rocky moraine to the Blue Glacier, you'll find excellent campsites and unforgettable scenery. An open meadow, flooded in early summer with brilliant wildflowers, leads to the heavily crevassed Blue Glacier. It is the largest ice formation on Mount Olympus, the Olympic Peninsula's highest peak at 7,965 feet. Side trails lead in several directions to equally impressive overlooks. This is the primary climber's access route to Olympus; it is best scaled before July, when glacier travel turns deadly.
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User groups: Hikers only; no mountain bikes, horses or dogs allowed. Wheelchair access to a paved, quarter-mile-loop nature trail near the Hoh Visitor Center.
Permits: Free backcountry permits, required for overnight stays only, available at trailheads and at the Hoh Ranger Station. A $5-per-carload access permit, good for seven days at any park entrance, is required and collected on Hoh River Road from June through September. Free parking.
Directions: From Forks, follow U.S. Highway 101 south for 14 miles, then turn left (east) on Hoh River Road. Follow the road 18 miles to plentiful parking at the Hoh Ranger Station and Visitor Center. The trailhead is just beyond the ranger station.
Maps: For a free Olympic National Park map, contact the Outdoor Recreation Information Center at the address below. Green Trails' topographic maps of the region are available for $2.50 each at outdoor retail outlets. Ask for Nos. 133 and 134, Mount Tom and Mount Olympus. To obtain USGS topographic maps, ask for Owl Mountain, Mount Tom and Mount Olympus.
Contact: Outdoor Recreation Information Center, 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle,
WA 98109; 470-4060.
Hoh Lake
The Hoh Lake Trail, which begins just east of the Olympus
Guard Station on the Hoh River Trail, is a pleasant day trip for Hoh River
hikers who've pitched a camp at the nine-mile mark. It's also an alternate
route to High Divide, as well as a connecting leg for backpackers crossing
from the Hoh to Sol Duc River drainages.
The trail begins near a grassy flat along the Hoh, switching back very steeply through tree stumps that stand as charred reminders of a 1978 forest fire that consumed a thousand acres of prime greenery. Here, the underbrush is thick, the trail is narrow and the campsites are few. Above the burn, the trail levels out somewhat, passing through a series of small meadows (including one good campsite at C.B. Flats) before opening to Hoh Lake, a pristine, aqua jewel, 5.25 miles above the Hoh River Trail.
Fishing is good here in the fall, when water thaws and warms enough to awake sleeping rainbow and Eastern brook trout. Campsites are few; the area has been re-vegetated, and visitors should stay in established sites only. The trail skirts Hoh Lake to the east and climbs steadily about 1.2 miles to High Divide, where it intersects with the High Divide Trail just below the summit of Bogachiel Peak. Views of the interior Olympics from here are outstanding.
Caution: Upper stretches of the trail are snowbound until mid- to late summer. Don't venture toward High Divide without an ice ax and the ability to use it.
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User groups: Hikers and horses only; no mountain bikes or dogs allowed. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: Free backcountry permits, required for overnight stays only, available at trailheads and at the Hoh Ranger Station at the end of Hoh River Road. A $5-per-carload access permit, good for seven days at any park entrance, required and collected on Hoh River Road from June through September. Free parking.
Directions: From Forks, follow U.S. 101 14 miles south, then turn left on Hoh River Road. Follow the road 18 miles to plentiful parking at the Hoh Ranger Station and Visitor Center. The trailhead is just beyond the ranger station. Hike 9.2 miles up the Hoh River Trail to the Hoh Lake Trailhead, which is on the left (north).
Maps: To obtain a free Olympic National Park map, contact the Outdoor Recreation Information Center at the address below. Green Trails' topographic map of the region is available for $2.50 at outdoor retail outlets. Ask for No. 133, Mount Tom. To obtain USGS topographic maps, ask for Mount Tom and Bogachiel Peak.
Contact: Outdoor Recreation Information Center, located at 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109; 470-4060.
Tour Permits
If a unit plans a trip within 500 miles of the home base, it is important that the unit obtain a local tour permit. A national tour permit is required for trips in excess of 500 miles from home or outside the continental United States.
Tour permits have become recognized by national parks, military institutions, and other organizations as proof that a unit activity has been well planned and rganized and is under capable and qualified leadership.
These organizations may require the tour permit for entry.Most short, in-town den trips of a few hours do not require a tour permit; however, it is recommended that dens obtain permission slips from parents.
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Automobiles
It is essential that adequate, safe, and responsible transportation
be used for all Scouting activities. Because most accidents occur within
a short distance from home, safety precautions are necessary, even on short
trips.
General guidelines are as follows
1. Seat belts are required for all occupants.
2. All drivers must be licensed. If the vehicle to be used is designed to carry more than fifteen persons, including the driver (more than ten persons, including the driver, in California), the driver must have a commercial driver's license (CDL).
3. An adult leader (at least 21 years of age) must be in charge and accompany the group.
4. The driver must be currently licensed and at least 18 years of age.Youth member exception: When traveling to an area, regional, or national Boy Scout activity or any Explorer event under the leadership of an adult (at least 21 years of age) tour leader, a youth member at least 16 years of age may be a driver, subject to the following conditions:
a. Six months' driving experience as a licensed driver (time on a learner's permit or equivalent is not to be counted)
b. No record of accidents or moving violations
c. Parental permission granted to the leader, driver, and riders
d. A 21-year-old licensed driver must be a passenger in the vehicle.
5. Passenger cars or station wagons may be used for transporting passengers, but passengers should not ride on the rear deck of station wagons.
6. Trucks may not be used for transporting passengers except in the cab.
7. All driving, except short trips, should be done in daylight.
8. All vehicles must be covered by automobile liability insurance with limits that meet or exceed requirements of the state in which the vehicle is licensed. It is recommended that coverage limits are at least $50,000/$100,000/$50,000. Any vehicle designed to carry ten or more passengers is required to have limits of $100,000/$500,000/$100,000.
9. Do not exceed the speed limit.
10. Do not travel in convoy.
11. Driving time is limited to a maximum of 12 hours and must be interrupted by frequent rest, food, and recreation stops. If there is only one driver, the driving time should be reduced and stops should be made more frequently.
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Campers,Trailers, and Trucks
Trucks are designed and constructed to transport materials and equipment, not people. The beds of trucks or trailers must never be used for carrying passengers. Tour permits will not be issued for any trip that involves carrying passengers in a truck except in the cab. This includes vehicles converted for that use unless they are licensed as buses and meet all requirements for buses.
Use caution in towing trailers or campers as a vehicle's performance, steering, and braking abilities will be altered. Consider these safety tips:
1. Get the correct trailer for the car and the correct hitch for the trailer. Distribute and anchor the load.
2. Allow extra time to brake. Changing lanes while braking can jackknife the trailer.
3. Add safety equipment as dictated by common sense and state laws (mirrors, lights, safety chains, brakes for heavy trailers, etc.)
4. Park in designated areas.
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Buses
A driver of a bus or any vehicle designed to carry more than fifteen persons (including driver) is required to have a commercial driver's license. Possession of a license, however, does not mean that a person is capable of driving a bus safely. It is essential that unit leaders and volunteers be thoroughly familiar with the bus they will be driving, including knowing the location of emergency exits and fire extinguishers and how to operate them. A driver must be prepared to handle and brake a full bus, which weighs significantly more than an empty bus. Other safety tips are:
1. Regular and thorough maintenance program
2. No more passengers than there are seating locations
3. Luggage and equipment fastened securely to prevent being thrown around in case of an accident
4. Emergency exits clear of people or things
5. Pretrip inspection of critical systems (signals, fuel, tires, windshield wipers, horn, etc.)
The safety rules for automobiles apply to bus travel, with the exception of seat belts. In special cases, chartered buses may travel more than nine hours a day. On certain occasions, night travel by public carrier bus is appropriate -- it should be considered permissible when conditions are such that rest and sleep for passengers are possible with a reasonable degree of comfort. However, night travel on buses should not be planned for two successive nights.
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Trains
Observe these safety guidelines for train travel:
1. Don't lean out of windows or doors.
2. When changing trains, don't cross railroad tracks without permission.
3. Stay out of vestibules. Keep the railroad car door closed.
4. In case of illness or accident, see a train official who can arrange for medical help
5. On overnight trips, one leader should be on watch duty at all times.
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Boats
In national parks and some other areas of the country, special boat and canoe regulations are in force, and special boat permits are required for cruising or recreation. Follow these safety precautions:
1. U.S. Coast Guard recommends and BSA regulations require that an approved USCG personal flotation device (PFD) be worn by each participant using watercraft in an aquatics activity. Types II and III are recommended for Scout activity afloat.
A capsized boat is never anticipated, so always be prepared. Be sure each individual wears a PFD.
2. Rowboats or canoes carrying passengers should not be towed behind motorboat or sailboats.
3. Use of canoes should be restricted to swimmers who have satisfactorily demonstrated their ability in launching, landing, and paddling a canoe and in handling a swamped canoe. Canoeists should be taught the proper procedure for staying afloat if the canoe capsizes or is swamped.
4. Small boats, whether under sail or power, used for pleasure or ferry purposes, must have a minimum capacity of 10 cubic feet per person. Boats propelled by hand power--such as rowboats--and used for pleasure purposes only must provide a minimum of 7 cubic feet per person. (Lifeboats on passenger-carrying vessels propelled by power must comply with the 10-cubic-foot law.)
5. Provision also should be made by all boats under sail or power for a sufficient quantity or supply of oars and rowlocks or paddles to be used in case of emergency. Fire-fighting equipment and lights must also aboard.
6. Bilges of gasoline-powered boats should be kept free from gasoline and oil at all times. Thorough ventilation, either natural or by blower, is necessary to dispel gasoline vapor.
7. Motorized personal watercraft, such as jet-skis, are not authorized for use in Scouting activities, and their use should not be permitted in or near BSA program areas.
8. To prevent ignition by static electricity during refueling, establish complete metallic contact between the nozzle of the filling hose and the tank opening or filling pipe, and maintain contact until gasoline has ceased to flow. If a funnel is used, establish contact with the funnel and the opening in the tank. All passengers should be ashore during refueling.
For regulations that govern cruises by private powerboat or sailboat refer to Motorboat Regulations, published by the US Coast Guard.
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Aircraft
Air travel is permitted as follows:
1. On any flight scheduled by a commercial airline.
2. The BSA Flight Permit, No. 23-672 (see sample in appendix), is required for all BSA flying activities except for commercial flights, or flights
3. Hang gliding, microlite and ultralight flying, experimental aircraft flying, parachuting, hot-air ballooning, and flight training (power aircraft inflight) are unauthorized activities.
4. Airplane travelers are cautioned about what they pack in their luggage. In flight, variations in temperature and air pressure can cause some hazardous materials to leak or ignite. Included in the category of hazardous materials that should not be packed in luggage are matches or lighters; flammable liquids and gases; signal flares and other explosives; bleaches, aerosols, mercury, and solvents containing dangerous chemicals that can cause toxic fumes and corrosion.