County gains new access to O’Reilly Acres parkland

GRANITE FALLS — A scenic stretch of land along the Pilchuck River here has been a largely untouched gem of the Snohomish County parks system for nearly seven decades.

The O’Reilly family bequeathed 124 acres to the county in 1947 for use as a public park. It’s a lot with moss-covered trees, rugged terrain and river access. It could be used for hiking, outdoor education and camping.

But until seven months ago, the county didn’t have access to what became known as O’Reilly Acres. No public roads were near, and a foot bridge that spanned the river in the 1970s was removed around 1986 due to deterioration and vandalism.

Then last year, the county bought land adjoining O’Reilly Acres to nearly double its size. And now there is an access point, though it could be years before there is a master plan for the property.

It’s a long-awaited project.

The county bought five riverfront acres in 1969 with the hope of building a vehicle bridge to the land, but no vehicle bridge was ever built.

At the time, there were roughly 36 miles of unmaintained trails that “picknickers and hikers who enjoy roughing it” could explore, according to a 1968 article in the Granite Falls Press.

After the foot bridge was removed, park planners wanted to purchase parcels with better access, but the County Council declined to fund the acquisitions in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Last year, the council approved two purchases that connect the O’Reilly property with Crooked Mile Road. The county bought about 35 acres in March for $235,000 and another 65 acres in August for $199,000. The money came from the county Conservation Futures program, $612,400 of which was set aside for O’Reilly Acres.

The site is now more than 220 acres and includes about 5,700 feet of river shoreline, principal park planner Sharon Swan said. There’s a narrow gravel drive from Crooked Mile Road, and beyond a locked gate, a one-lane bridge crosses the Pilchuck, leading to a bumpy road that traverses the property.

The only way to access the original 1947 donation is a makeshift trail, marked by pink ribbons tied to trees. It snakes up a heavily wooded hill.

County officials aim to develop a park someday, but there’s a lot of planning to do and no firm timeline, Swan said.

“It’s a little premature to narrow things down because things could change,” she said. “When it comes time to develop this, it would depend on what the public needs.”

In a letter to the county, Granite Falls officials said they hope to expand a city park at Gardner Lake to the Pilchuck. That would be right across the river form the county property, creating an expansive recreation area.

O’Reilly Acres could become a community park, a campground, a hiking destination or a preserve. Parks department staff members plan to host meetings and gather ideas when they’re ready to move forward. That could be a few years or decades down the road, Swan said.

Some details are clear, though. The design of the park is limited by the landscape, and habitat preservation would be key.

“I think ecologically, it’s really interesting,” Swan said. “This property has a lot of topography to it, so it’s not really comparable to a community park where we might put ballfields.”

There is level space for parking, but much of the terrain is wooded, hilly, wet and rocky.

It’s a great place to explore and would suit an outdoor education program, Swan said. The river access is a draw, as are old logging roads that could be turned into trails.

There’s been talk of a campground and an equestrian center, county parks director Tom Teigen said. However, the bridge and road need improvements before it’s ready for public use, he said.

“We’re smiling huge over here that we’ve been able to work with the council and Conservation Futures to get access out there,” Teigen said.

“There is a demand for camping in Snohomish County, and this could be a really good site for that,” Swan said.

At this point, though, it’s all just brainstorming.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439, kbray@heraldnet.com