Trail of the Week: Auburn’s White River Trail

Auburn’s White River Trail

Hike description: Much is packed into a short paved trail along the White River in Auburn.

Watch and listen to hawks, eagles, herons and deer. Turn loose the kids (on the play toys) and the dogs (in the off-leash area) in Roegner Park. Go fishing. Play disc golf on the 18-hole course at Game Farm Wilderness Park. Or even spend the night at a trailside campground.

The White River Trail links Roegner and Game Farm Wilderness parks and allows for a peaceful stroll or bike ride along the river. A soft service path runs next to the trail and is open to horses, but is more commonly used by joggers looking to show mercy to their knees.

The river can be accessed at multiple places along the trail. In Game Farm Wilderness Park, the trail passes through a disc golf course that can be busy in the evening. Signs warn “Watch for flying discs.”

It won’t take long for visitors to notice that the river seems to have two names: White and Stuck. At one point, the Stuck River flowed south to the Puyallup River while the White River traveled north. However, during a 1906 flood, the White River annexed the Stuck’s channel.

Directions: From state Route 167 in Pacific, take the Stewart Road exit and drive east on 8th Street/Stewart. When the road becomes Lake Tapps Parkway and begins climbing uphill, follow the signs to exit right and loop around to East Valley Highway. Turn right on the highway and continue to Lakeland Hills Way. Turn right, then make an immediate left on Oravetz Road. Continue to Roegner Park, where parking and trail access are available.

Difficulty rating: 1 (5 is most difficult, 1 is easiest)

Miles round trip: 4.5

Elevation gain: Mostly flat

Best time of the year: Year-round.

Map: The trail is shown on the King County Parks regional trails map. The map can be downloaded at kingcounty.gov.

Pass: None. Camping is $25 per night at Game Farm Wilderness Park.

Also: Additional walking opportunities are nearby. Game Farm Park is located across the river and has three miles of paths. The park was used earlier this year for a 1,000-mile fundraising walk by Auburn’s Don Stevenson. Stevenson started the walk on his 80th birthday to raise money for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. He estimates he’s walked more than 18,000 miles in the park.

For history of the area, Auburn’s White River Valley Museum, 918 H Street SE, is a short drive from the trail. King County laws require pet owners to keep their animals on a leash and to clean up after them. Several geocaches are hidden along the trail and in the parks. For more information, visit geocaching.com.

Info: auburnwa.gov

This story was originally published June 27, 2016 at 1:18 PM.