Ebey’s Reserve Bluff Loop Trail closed for repair April 14

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 10, 2018

A small portion of one of the most popular hiking trails in Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve is showing signs of wear and tear and will be closed most of the day on Saturday for repair work.

The closure will occur from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will affect about 1,000 feet of trail from the intersection of the Ebey’s Prairie Ridge Trail up the hill to the high point on the bluff where the Pratt Preserve woodland starts. Signs will mark the closed area.

A dry summer, increasing popularity and hikers failing to stay on the trail have contributed to accelerating erosion on the Bluff Trail. Re-vegetation, new directional signs and drainage improvements are among the repair strategies planned.

The Bluff Loop Trail traverses lands protected by the National Park Service, Washington State Parks and the Nature Conservancy. This project is located on a portion of the trail that crosses The Nature Conservancy’s Robert Y. Pratt Preserve.

Participating in the project are staff and volunteers representing The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service and the Trust Board of Ebey’s Reserve.

These partners remind everyone that it may seem harmless to seek the perfect photo at the bluff edge, explore the forest, or take a short cut down the bluff face, but these actions can cause damage that is difficult to repair. Straying from the trail also causes problems for private property owners who live adjacent to the trail.