South Ridge Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Quite a nice option if you want a more natural tread and a workout.

The South Ridge Trail starts climbing from the southern tip of the arboretum. It quickly crosses over the Fairhaven Trail to a small flight of stairs. Clusters of roots and a steady grade at the bottom will keep runners working as the trail twists about.

Very soon though the grade lessens and the singletrack continues to move up along a rounded ridgeline and up past the Douglas Fir Trail. Above, a nice patch of crowding salal gives the trail a delightfully natural feel even though the faint hum of traffic reminds you of how close you are to the roads. The trees eventually become denser, but the pleasant open-woods feel persists.

Along the way, there are a number of connecting social paths that scamper around the woods to one viewpoint or rock. By sticking to the most traveled path you should stay on track without much issue. Where the trail turns to the left near the top it enters into a especially nice wood depression full of ferns and trees. From there, it's just a hop and a skip to connect back to the Douglas Fir Trail.