Happy Creek Nature Trail  | Whatcom County |  |
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Guides |
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Address http://www.nps.gov/noca North Cascades Highway Newhalem, WA 206/386-4495 |
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On the south side of the North Cascades Highway between milepost 134 and 135, about 1/2-mile east of Ross Dam Trailhead.
Description:
Happy is the right descriptive term for this trail. It features a cheerful babbling brook, stately old growth trees, forest that's a cool relief in the hot summer and a leafy shelter when it’s raining. Happy Creek is a great place to let the young and not-so-young stretch their legs during a cross-Cascades drive.
A wooden boardwalk takes you up the forest slope (about an 8-percent grade) and then down along Happy Creek as it tumbles off the slopes of Ruby Mountain. At only 1/3-mile it doesn’t take much time, but the interpretive signs are interesting and informative and will help anyone to better understand the complex ecology of the North Cascades.
A few benches and the hand rails allow you to pause and enjoy dappled sunlight and wonder at the caddis fly transformations or which burrow in an old growth tree may contain a bird nest. For a special treat and a welcome refresher from an evening drive, don’t pass the opportunity to spend a moment here in the twilight. Though the boardwalk may be slippery and is not flat, it offers a little more security than a normal trail while peeking into an old growth forest at twilight.
To recharge the "happy" in you life, don’t pass up a visit to this delightful little nature walk right on the North Cascades Highway.
Written By: Bud Hardwick
Features
Bathrooms
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Walking Trails
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