29 min
Overview
Residents of Sandy really only have one in-town access point to the Sandy River, and it’s this 124-acre undeveloped park that stretches from the high bluffs of the town down to an oxbow bend in the river. At the eastern boundary of the park, Cedar Creek, where spawning Chinook salmon can be observed in the shallows in the fall, joins the Sandy River. The acreage was purchased in 2002 after the Douglas-fir forest had been logged in 1994. In 2015, the Jim Slagle Loop was completed. Jim Slagle, the trail designer, also designed the Tickle Creek Trail as well as many of the trails around Mount Saint Helens during his tenure with the U.S. Forest Service. Walk past a line of bollards and a small kiosk to begin a downhill stroll on a wide logging road bed shaded by alders, cottonwoods, and maples. Where the road makes a sharp left turn, you’ll come to the upper junction with the Jim Slagle Loop Trail. Stay on the logging road, which becomes somewhat rockier and muddier. Blackberries flourish in the understory, while young Douglas-fir and western red-cedar dominate the forest mix. Pass the east junction with the Sandy River Midway Trail, which serves as a connector to the Jim Slagle Loop. The road bed crosses a wet bench, and there are some views through the tree canopy to the high bluff above. Pass the lower junction with the Jim Slagle Loop, and then cross a small creek. At a large boulder, a spur trail leads left to a viewpoint on a steep bluff. A small waterfall gushes below and the Sandy River can be seen coursing past tall cottonwoods. Switchback down the bluff in a cedar/cottonwood forest to arrive at a wide oxbow bend in the river. Locals may be fishing on the banks. Walking to the right will take you to the mouth of Cedar Creek, where in the fall spawning Chinook may be returning to the small fish hatchery just upstream. User trails lead left along the oxbow, offering views of a braid around an alder island and extensive cobbled bars at low water. For the return, hike up the bluff to the lower junction wi
Trail Stats
0.0 km
147 m
0 m
0 m
—
Photos
350px-SandyRiverJimSlagleLoopMap
350px-SandyRiverJimSlagleLoopMap
250px-Big_cedar%2C_Joe_Slagle_Loop%2C_Sandy_River_Park%2C_Sandy
250px-Big_cedar%2C_Joe_Slagle_Loop%2C_Sandy_River_Park%2C_Sandy
250px-Bottom_of_Jim_Slagle_Loop%2C_Sandy_River_Trail%2C_Sandy
250px-Bottom_of_Jim_Slagle_Loop%2C_Sandy_River_Trail%2C_Sandy
400px-Looking_upstream%2C_Sandy_River_Trail%2C_Sandy
400px-Looking_upstream%2C_Sandy_River_Trail%2C_Sandy