Upper Sandy River Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Wildlife

The Upper Sandy River Trail is an old rocky logging road that heads from the end of Marcy Street down towards the Sandy River. The first part of the trail heads down the hill with a view on your left, and an old slide after that. The road takes a sharp left turn at the bottom of the hill. At this point, the Jim Slagle Loop Trail is on your left and is an actual designed trail instead of the logging road. If you decide to stay on the logging road, continue north as the trail/road travels through a 20-year-old logged-over area. There are lots of hardwoods, young Douglas fir, and cedars. You pass an old failed beaver pond where a culvert crosses under the road. When you come to a large opening (old log landing), the Sandy River Midway Trail is on your left and connects back to the Jim Slagle Loop Trail.

Continue on the old logging road as it curves and drops a bit steeper down the hill. You come to a flat area where the Jim Slagle Loop Trail intersects. If you want to skip the trip down to the river, you can make a loop and return on the Jim Slagle Loop Trail. Otherwise, you can continue on the Lower Sandy River Trail to the river.

This trail has a variety of hardwoods (alder, bigleaf, and vine maples) and conifer trees. There are also deer, coyotes, and an occasional bear or bobcat although rare. Groundcover includes grasses, sword fern, deer fern and maidenhair fern, salal, Oregon grape, salmonberry, thimbleberry, and stinging nettles that can cause discomfort if you touch them.