2.2 hr
Overview
This hike takes in the northern 4 1/2 miles of the Wildwood Trail, beginning at the Newton Road Trailhead. You'll be hiking through secondary forest with some congregations of alder and maple among the conifers. The Wildwood navigates gullied, heavily wooded slopes but reaches an opening when you come to the B.P.A. Road under the power lines at Hole in the Park. Signs of larger critters, such as elk and black bear, can be sometimes be seen in this part of Forest Park. While not ancient, the woods are quiet and serene, the large stumps monuments to the massive trees that once lived here. Head down from the parking area in an alder grove with plantings of cedar, Douglas-fir and Oregon grape and enter green and mossy woods of western hemlock, western red-cedar, Douglas-fir, big-leaf maple and sword fern. Soon join the Wildwood Trail and go left. The trail can be muddy and slick in the wet season. The Wildwood wends in and out of small gullies on a pretty level contour here. Come to a junction - another spur trail leading up to the Newton Road Trailhead - and pass through a snowberry/ salmonberry thicket. Reenter woods and note the quarter-mile markers on trees, both blue diamonds and, higher up, actual numerals. After crossing Newton Road, the Wildwood proceeds in and out again and drops very gradually, passing by some large Douglas-firs. Pass through a mossy grove of big-leaf maples and under bowers of mossy vine maple to cross a creek. Licorice fern and maidenhair fern also beautify the woods here. The trail switchbacks up under powerlines to the B.P.A. Road. Turn left on the B.P.A. Road for 40 yards and resume the Wildwood to descend and traverse. Cross three creeks, the last in a valley principally supporting cedar and pass a memorial bench. There was logging here a long time ago and you can note plenty of stumps with springboard notches. Descend to cross a gully and pass a good-sized grand fir on the right. Then head up and cross Firelane 15. Pass a natural log bridge that's nursing a few tiny hemlocks. Cr
Trail Stats
0.0 km
667 m
0 m
0 m
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Photos
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400px-NewtonNewberryMap
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250px-Vine_maple_bower%2C_Wildwood_Trail
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