Firelane 1

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

During fall and winter months, between the Wildwood Trail and Leif Erikson Dr., there are some larger stones that can be hidden under fallen leaves.

Firelane 1 is a picturesque trail with ravines that descend on both sides. You'll see Douglas Fir and Alder trees at the top end of this trail along with some Western Hemlock, Big Leaf Maples, and Western Red Cedars. The trail starts out as a gently rolling hill and then changes to a fairly steep descent past the Wildwood Trail. Here you'll see mostly Big Leaf Maple and Alder mixed in with a few conifers.

Between Wildwood Trail and Leif Erickson, the surface has a lot of stone with some larger rocks that can be hidden under fallen leaves in the autumn.

After Leif Erickson you'll start seeing several impressive Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar as well as Lady and Sword Ferns. Seasonal wildflowers and fungi are abundant.

The bottom of the trail parallels US 30 for the next mile or so until you reach the end. Here you'll see several trails created by the black-tailed deer and coyotes, which frequent the area. From this point on there are many blackberry and thimbleberry bushes as well as cottonwood trees. Elderberry and huckleberry are also common.

The trail also changes to singletrack and gently rolls until descending to the end at St. Helens Road. There are views of the Willamette and Cascades to the east.

Seasonal wildflowers, fungi, and various forest plant life are abundant along this trail as well as animals such as black-tailed deer and coyotes and smaller ones such as brush rabbits, chickerees (Douglas squirrels) and garter snakes.