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 Reporter |
Summary: The trail begins in a second growth forest and then descends to the former mill town of Robe. The trail is flat until it joins the river then steep hillsides and the results of years of erosion take over. When following along the route, you take a step back in history, as this rail-trail was instrumental in the Monte Cristo gold rush days. The land in places was so steep that tunnels were placed in frequent location along the line. Use caution when entering these tunnels. The first tunnel #6 is at approximately 1.4 miles. At 1.7 miles is tunnel #5, which is 250 ft. long and on a slight curve. Tunnel #4 was removed by the railroad and is now a cut with a rockslide at the west end. Just beyond this point is a huge rock wall built up from the river to the grade. Further along is tunnel #3 which has collapsed. This trail is on private land. Trailhead: From the Verlot Public Center (11 miles east of Granite Falls), travel west on the Mountain Loop Highway 3.9 mile to the trailhead on the left (south). (Lat:48.11 Lon:-121.86) Trail Guides for Old Robe Trail: Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (800) 627-0062 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Peter Koths, who has posted 1 other hike on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 3 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Karnov on 9/29/2009 Finally passed the washed under retaining wall and found the entrance to another tunnel, the western portal of which was blocked by a massive rockslide, a narrow, precarious trail leads up and over it but is potentially very dangerous, a fall from there would almost certainly result in death. Nice enough view though. 
Reviewed by Chris and Becca on 8/19/2009 It was a nice hike. The trailhead was not very well marked, just a brick sign with the word Robe very faded. We saw lots of harmless snakes in the vegetation on the side of the trail. We also saw a few small frogs and one big one. There was a sign BEFORE the first tunnel that said no hikers allowed after the sign. We saw another hiker coming from there and he said the sign has been there for years. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING YOUNG CHILDREN PAST THE SIGN. The rocks are tricky. Older kids would be fine. The first tunnel we came to was good. It was dark and cool, but our eyes adjusted quickly. 
Reviewed by Scott on 7/22/2009 Took the hike on 7/12. It was a rainy morning so it kept most away until I was on the way back out. Very slippery. New trees down along the hike. Went all the way to tunnel 3. Getting more and more dangerous to go past tunnel 5. There is a in fact a tree down on the retaining wall "bridge" before tunnel 3. You can see pics at www.iphlogger.com
Reviewed by Mandy on 6/3/2009 We liked this hike last time so we went back again today. There were a lot of trees down over the trails and even more slides then last time. Right now you can’t really go any farther then the 1st tunnel. Total time for this including pictures was only 1.5 hours.
Reviewed by tt on 5/19/2009 This was a very easy hike. However I usually carry my daughter on my back and Im glad I didnt this time. I would not recomend bringing any children, this hike has some difficult spots. I would do it again because the old tunnels and the bridge were fun and its a nice change in pace for a hike. We were really upset when there was no way to go farther then the last tunnel. Has anyone ever figured out a way to go farther then the last one?
Reviewed by Mandy on 5/10/2009 My husband and I did this hike 3 weeks ago as our first hike. It was a lot of fun and went well past tunnel five but had to climb over rock slides with lots of loose rocks. We went as far as we could and ended up climbing up some huge rocks and found wild roses (like the ones at the store!). The view was amazing and we had a great time seeing the old rail road. If you plan to go off the trail and down on the rocks I would recommend some gloves. Would do this again and should be easy for kids, as there were many over the age of 8.
Reviewed by Harmony on 4/19/2009 A good hike!! We did this yesterday, and there were five us, two of whom were under 8. I would advise the kids to be older (at least 6 0r 7) as they soon become a drag to carry, and some spots can be sketchy. However, it is a great hike for everyone in the family to experience. We only made it to tunnel five, but it was still fun to see the old train caves and to watch the roaring river right next to you. I definitely enjoyed this hike very much! Also, I noticed people of all ages (from about 2-70) and I think it is pretty doable for all, but you have to use caution in some areas were there are potential loose rocks. Would recommend to almost everyone.
Reviewed by WDactle on 4/6/2009 I love this hike! In response to mickey, my girlfriend, her sister and I went past all of the tunnels. 6 is the first short tunnel, 5 takes you through, you will go through four which is short and hike across rock slides to get to the rock wall. Just past the rock wall you'll see the bridge. I'm afraid of heights and it gave me a GOOD scare. Plus there is a fallen tree over it now that you have to climb over to continue. You'll continue hiking and get to tunnel 3 which is dark and closed. At this point we cut left up the hill and over tunnel 3. There is not a trail past this point. It was a blast, but stressful. Dangerous to press on past the rock wall but worth it if you're feeling daring. 5 stars. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Washington Hiking, Washington Trails, Washington Hikes, Snohomish County Hiking, Snohomish County Trails, Snohomish County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
