Big plans for Little Mountain
March 20, 2008 - 12:00 PM
by Stephanie Kosonen
by Stephanie Kosonen
Kevin Kiper of Whidbey Island and his dog Kaiko walk on Little Mountain last week. Kiper said the park is a great place to find solitude and get exercise. He said he was happy that more bike trails are planned for the park as well.
An open house is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 24 at the Hillcrest Park lodge in Mount Vernon to review the updates to the Little Mountain Park Master Plan.
Mount Vernon Parks Department staff will present an overview and accept public comments on the changes.
Planning efforts were spurred by the fact that the community is expected to grow, in effect increasing the need for parks services in the city, said Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Director Larry Otos.
Plans call for an expanded entry at the main entrance to the park via Little Mountain Road.
Trailhead facilities, including a parking lot and restrooms, would be added there, Otos said.
The main features of Little Mountain Park include two large viewpoints at the top of the hill overlooking the Skagit Valley.
Community members have voiced a desire for more low-key, “peek-a-boo views” on the hill, but no additional large-scale viewpoints, he said.
The plan calls for trails that can be used by people of all ages and abilities, both by foot and by bicycle, Otos said.
Currently, the park offers three main trails, but they are not built as multiple-use. Some are designed for bikes, while some are marked only for hikers.
It’s hard to say how many trails exist now, because a lot of the trails created by volunteers aren’t mapped, Otos said.
Part of the master planning process will be mapping existing trails. Those will be combined to form a system of multiple-use trails that connect to single-use trails.
Linking Little Mountain Park trails to others in the city was also voiced as a priority by the community, Otos said.
Otos said plans are in the works with local developers to link the park’s trails to future trails within those neighborhoods.
Mount Vernon Mayor Bud Norris said he would also like to see trails linked to Bonnie Ray Park, located off Blodgett Road.
“We have a lot of soccer fields and athletic-oriented type of opportunities,” Norris said. “This will add to our trail system and it will complement the Kulshan trail, that type of opportunity.”
Sidewalk improvements along Blackburn and Little Mountain roads would also help people feel safe walking to the park, Otos said.
New restrooms are proposed at the top of the park, where the viewpoints are located. Restrooms are also suggested at the main entrance.
The Eagle Rock Challenge Course would get restrooms as well — currently it is serviced by portable restrooms.
One thing that likely won’t change is the park’s hours.
It opens to vehicle traffic at 10 a.m. and closes at dusk. Pedestrians and bicyclists use the road in the morning hours, Otos said.
“We’ve found that that’s a good compromise to let people enjoy the area up there before vehicles can get up,” Otos said.
If no major changes are requested at the open house, the project will move on to environmental permitting and public hearings within the next month, Otos said.
Questions and comments can be addressed by the Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Department at 360-336-6215.
