Oxbow Loop Trail Maintenance

Join us in maintaining this popular, easy hike through Spruce forest in the Middle Fork Valley! Using hand tools we will repair eroded sections of trail damaged by winter flooding.

We will also remove invasive blackberry canes, which are encroaching on the site.

For safety, volunteers are required to wear:

• Long pants (we’ll be working with tools, so no shorts!)
• Sturdy, close-toed shoes (absolutely no sandals)
• Gloves

In addition, we recommend that participants bring:

• Warm layers, especially during the fall, winter, and spring
• Rain gear
• Big sack lunch
• Water for the day (3 liters minimum)
• Small daypack for lunch, extra layers, etc.

From Seattle, drive east on I-90 to exit 34. Turn left onto 468th Ave SE and follow it 0.6 miles to the junction with SE Middle Fork Road. Turn right and follow SE Middle Fork Road 2.1 miles, until reaching a fork and staying left on the road, which becomes Forest Road (FR) 56. Pass over bridge spanning the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, and reach a pull-in parking area on your right after 5.1 miles (2 miles past the bridge). There is an “Oxbow Trail” sign across from the parking area. The parking lot has parking available for approximately 15 vehicles.

Discover Pass required for parking.

Please note: There is limited cell phone reception in the Middle Fork Valley. Please be prepared ahead of time and contact your event lead before the event if you have any questions.

Google: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WFhG76GzxNV25qz78

Google Map

The Oxbow Loop Trail is a great family friendly opportunity to explore the Middle Fork valley. This trail is a 1.5-mile graveled loop taking visitors on a journey through spruce and big-leaf maple forests and along the river to an oxbow lake, originally formed from a section of the Middle Fork River.

The Greenway Trust partnered with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to construct this trail and trailhead in 2018-2019. Read more about that project and about the geological history of the area here: A Great Year-Round Destination: Oxbow Loop Trail - Mountains To Sound Greenway Trust

There is a pit toilet at the trailhead.