Work done on Northrup Canyon's "old wagon road"

Work was done recently on the “old wagon road” trail at Northrup Canyon, including using a “trackhoe” as well as laying down gravel in areas.

The Washington State Park Service approved the work which was done by the Crab Creek Riders, a chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of America.

The work was done to “improve the conditions of the trail for safer public access,” explained Jared Liening, a park ranger at Steamboat Rock State Park. “It’s smoothing it out and applying gravel in areas that needed it due to washout and erosion slipping off of the hillside.”

Liening said the park service doesn’t feel like the work was destroying a historical trail, a concern of local hikers and history enthusiasts, but simply was maintenance. He emphasized that the work was done through the proper channels and was “in the works for many years.”

The road/trail was used by early settlers in the area, including the Northrup family for whom the canyon was named.