Mileage: 522 acre park with a 10+ miles of trails (I did 5.6 miles)
Elevation Gain/Highest: 300ft/934ft (I did about 665ft of ascent total)
Map: PDF
Favorite Eats After Hike: Skagit Valley Co-op, Shambala Bistro and Bakery, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty Please.
Hike Details:
Little Mountain is a 522 acre park with a roaming trail system just outside the city limits of Mount Vernon, WA. Popular with locals and trail runners, it offers hours of nature wandering without a long drive up a forest road. The trail names are unique and named after local hikers who have been working on building new trails in the park for years. One such outdoorsman is an author guidebook named Fred Darvill.
My Hike:
3/16/2020
I wanted something nearby with a view so Little Mountain it was! Bonus is picnic tables at the summit and the ability to get a little writing done.
I parked at the summit parking lot overlook and waited a bit for a group of 10 to wander off before taking in the scenery. I could see over to the snow capped Olympics and a few daffodil fields were turning yellow.
Then I headed past the tower to the south, over the “true” summit and dropped down to meet Bonnie & Clyde. I know I’ve been in Bonnie & Clyde before but this was the first time seeing the abandoned truck it gets its name from. I imagine that was one heck of a story. I bet my friend Ginny knows.
Just past it I took a turn up Fred’s “difficult or dangerous” trail and got those calf muscles burning. All the trails are dry right now so it wasn’t TOO difficult or dangerous.
At the top I went left for the North Viewpoint Trail and stopped quickly for a view of Baker. Not a soul so far.
I headed down the road to meet the Service Road trail and looped back to B&C to make a figure 8. Back up Fred’s and to my car for about 2 miles and an hour of walking. There were far more people at the parking lot viewpoint upon my return so I didn’t end up staying to work but you know, that whole #socialdistancing thing.
11/10/17
There was a break in the clouds with rain rolling in tomorrow so I knew I had to get out. I hate to admit it but sometimes I plan my hikes around a food establishment I want to try and Shambala Bakery opened their restaurant cafe this week so I opted to hike Little Mountain just outside of Mount Vernon so I would have an excuse to stop by.
This is a low level hill with a viewpoint you can drive to nestled in an outskirts neighborhood, miles of multi-purpose trails woven around its slopes and contours. Like similar local trails, they are whimsically named by their creators and give you a hint of both the creator and the trail itself.
I drove to the top parking lot, although you can park just off the road and in pullouts along the mile or so up from the entrance off Little Mountain Road. I walked over to the lookout point first and took in the Skagit valley below and the islands out in the bay. Having been here before, I know this is a great vantage point for the tulip and daffodil fields in the spring that this area is well known for.
From here, I took off down the Ridge Trail in hopes of making a long loop to the east and then back up to my car. There were quite a few social trails laced in the trees here as there was very little underbrush but eventually they all make it down into one heading down the slope with the sun and Puget Sound peeking through the foliage to the west.
I wondered for several hours and 5 miles down Surfer’s Way to Cairn to the East Parking lot and back up to Rooty and Huff N’ Puff to Sidewinder which aptly describes a trail with switchbacks so tight as to be superfluous to anyone but a mountain biker which was clear by the amount of cuts in them. My guess is that keeping the trails at a minimal grade was priority in their design.
Despite the multi-use, I only saw a handful of bikers and other hikers. Dogs on leashes and giggling children were evidenced on the trail, too. I particularly like the nature trail by the east parking lot (2.5 miles from the top) with its interpretative kiosks in both English and Spanish with the history of logging and other events that have left scars upon the mountain.
This is great hike just a short distance off I-5 if you are stuck in traffic or want to burn off (or preburn) calories from the delicious treats you can find in town at the Shambala Bakery or the Skagit Valley Co-op, both of which are housed in the rehabilitating downtown of Mt. Vernon. Read more about them on my Little Mountain and the Shambala Bakery and Bistro or Skagit Valley Food Co-op posts. You can, also, find more information about the park on the City of Mount Vernon website.
Directions: From I-5 northbound, take exit 225 onto Anderson Rd and turn right (east) for 1 mile. The road curves right onto E. Blackburn Rd, then right again on Little Mountain Rd to the park entrance a short distance further for a total of about 1.5 miles. No parking pass needed.
For more low level hikes, head on over to my On The Puget Sound page.
Thank you so much for stopping by Must Hike Must Eat!
If you need some healthy eating inspiration start here:..
Need some eating out suggestions when friends want to stop after a hike? I have a Pacific Northwest Eating Guide here.
Find out what’s been happening outside the blog:
If you have a question you don’t want to post in the comments, you can ask them here: