Super cool! Writing this as a manual wheelchair user who can limp a few steps with assistance. The main plaza is incredibly well-maintained and paved. The bathroom was accessible and clean. From there, the trail itself is mostly gravel with some uphill portions. Getting up to the main set of buildings was a workout for me, propelling, and another person pushing me. There are two paths, one gravel and the other semi-paved with concrete ridges. I would not recommend getting up there without help in a wheelchair, but it was certainly possible, and worth it in my opinion. The buildings are super cool. The area is surrounded by nature and mountains. We turned back after getting tired, but will absolutely come back better prepared to see some more stuff. read more

See all

I went here with a group of people from a social group I am in and really enjoyed it a lot! It's the grounds where the defunct Nortgern State Hospital was. We went by soke run down buildings, one that was more of a food preparation area and they once grew fruit trees there for the facility. The fruit trees can still be seen and at the time we were here were bearing fruit! We also went to some old barns where livestock was once kept for the hospital. Those buildings were very impressive and a bit creepy. To add to that someone in our group went over some of the experiments that went on here as well as possible mishaps that they pulled up online. That definitely added to the creepy vibe. But still it was a very pleasant stroll as we also was in a nice field and encountered a babbling brook. It was a great outing with great company! I'd love to explore the grounds even more as I have a feeling some of the buildings I didn't get to see. read more

See all

This amazing very scenic trail was once an insane asylum. 1914 and 1972 this place has a rich history and once abandoned has now been converted into an amazing outdoor park. This park includes open fields, very wide trials, small creek, abandoned buildings (possibly haunted), old insane asylum, old abandoned farm, and a disc golf course. read more

This is a great stopping point before you reach the northern cascades/mountains. This area has a great trail, and clean restrooms. This stop is approximately one hour before you reach the mountains. read more

See all

What a fascinating network of trails that take you through some Washington history!! This 700+ acre rec area used to serve as the grounds for the largest mental institution in Washington state back in the early 1900s!! The portion of land the trails run through was once the institution's self-sustaining dairy farm and cannery!! The main Loop trail through the grounds takes you around all of the old farm buildings, the cemetery, and the frisbee golf course - which is a cool bonus to the park imo! The trails are well maintained and are gravel. The main loop is almost 5 miles long according to AllTrails- I only did about 2 miles of it - so much to explore!! The wards and hospital buildings that are still standing are closed to the public, but the dilapidated barns and cannery buildings are fair game! Just be careful - they are crumbling and in terrible states of urban decay so they aren't quite what I'd call safe - and there are signs all over the buildings warning people to stay out for safety reasons - so use your judgement. We did stumble upon a little nest of snakes (visited in June) - but they were harmless. Still - be careful! The cemetery is more like a beautiful park and has a very heartfelt memorial sign nearby. I only saw one true headstone with a few little square grave markers though. Apparently the ground is so soupy and swampy that it kept swallowing the headstones so they had to stop placing them. There's plenty of parking and some pretty decent bathrooms on site. The trails are well marked and I would consider them handicap accessible if you have some decent trail tires for wheelchairs etc. There are trail maps at the parking area as well as info markers there and also along the trails. We will definitely be back to explore more next time we are in Washington!! read more

Northern State Recreation Area - One of the old, abandoned barns - Hiking Near Me - Sedro-Woolley, Washington

What a perfect place for a leisurely stroll on a sunny afternoon! Took my two teenagers who loved exploring the many abandoned structures. I appreciated the clean trails and many shaded areas. We walked about 3 miles of the trails and it took us 1.5 hours. There are clean bathrooms and several covered picnic areas with tables, for those who want to spend more time at the park. We didn't make it to the cemetery because boys were too hot, but definitely will come back for that. I strongly recommend taking a picture of the map before starting on the trails. Even though they had a natural progression, it would've been nice to know where we are at any given point instead of just wandering. read more

See all

I've wanted to go here for years and years, but always heard stories of most parts being closed off with fences around it and security guards that chased you off. I'm not so into the fact that it is supposedly haunted, but interested more in that I work in mental health so the history of this location fascinates me. This area is still location for a lot of places currently in existence like Pioneer Center North, Telecare E&T and Cascades Job Corps. At some point recently the fence must have been removed and now everything is open and you can walk around and do some exploring. There's lots of old dilapidated buildings and you can venture close to some of the old farming ones. You can peer into the windows of the old Northern State hospital, but little can be seen thru the windows. You can walk slightly up the road and peer at a green field that is the site of the cemetery. There a few interpretive signs that tell you about the history of the place. I was amused to witness a person taking pictures of his old fashioned car in front of the abandoned hospital, but the grass is nicely mowed and it is a unique photo op. A guidebook I read told me this was a 5 mile loopish hiking trail, but I could not figure this out. There is a fair bit of walking, but no clear trail. I was amazed to find that this is also the location of a disc golf park, and was a little sad I didn't come prepared to attempt this. There are bathrooms and picnic tables. We came in the summer and enjoyed feasting on the plethora of blackberries all over this location, next time we might bring a bucket and take some home. read more

Northern State Recreation Area - Hiking Near Me - Sedro-Woolley, Washington

This huge site of the abandoned former Northern State Hospital is a place I've wanted to visit for years. I didn't realize - until recently - that it's an actual park managed by the Port of Skagit County. The grounds are sprawling and huge, with a good-sized parking lot (and covered picnic pavilion) leading to many trails up to the abandoned areas. We arrived late afternoon on a summer evening, and headed up the main path to first check out the dairy barn ruins. On the way we saw a sign warning about bears in the area, which wouldn't surprise me as there were more blackberry bushes here than I've ever seen in my LIFE. Even though they were trimmed back and well-maintained, this place is a blackberry utopia. Sadly, I didn't bring my bucket or I would have brought a few home! After checking out the cool buildings of the dairy area - which were fun to photograph in the late afternoon shadows - we continued on the path up to the hospital area for some more interesting photos. It's sobering to peer into these buildings wondering what life must have been like for the patients and staff who once roamed these now-abandoned halls. The sun was starting to set and it was a bit of a walk back to the car, so we headed out along the loop trail and enjoyed the beautiful trees and the gorgeous salmon stream along the way. There's also a disc golf course and other areas for picnicking. They're in the process of building "real" restrooms, but until they open there were a couple of not-well-serviced outhouses along the way. I would have appreciated more signage and maps along the way, as the trails were long and I was never quite sure we were heading in the right direction. Even an arrow pointing back to the parking lot would have been helpful - we sort of had to guess and luckily we took the shorter path since it was getting dark. Also, it would have been helpful and interesting to have more details about certain points of interest along the way, and the history of the area. Quick note if you go: NSRA is located along a side road just east of Sedro-Woolley, but be sure to use your GPS because there's no signage indicating the park is coming up. We ended up passing it by several miles as I assumed there'd be signage. Also, read up on the history of the area and the facility before you go - it makes the entire experience more interesting and thought-provoking. There's also a cemetary up the road, just past the parking area, but we didn't check it out on this visit. read more

See all

Fun trail and open areas with abandoned buildings. Just make sure to follow the signs all the way to the Swift Center to see the mental hospital's primary grounds. read more

Although this is entirely a walking path all throughout the grounds, it was well beyond my expectations. The old dairy farm, which is one of the first areas with structures you'll come across, was the only disappointment, considering the endless amounts of trash graffiti that adorn the walls of the structures you first see. Once you make it beyond that however, you'll really start to see this park shine. The manicured trail towards the back end of the grounds were really well done. Seeing a number of old structures that have succumbed to weather or other reasons, was really cool. Made me wonder more about the history of this space. I saw tons of wildlife, at one point seeing 5 bald eagles soaring around the skies above me, including one who hadn't yet reached the age of adulthood yet. Do yourselves a favor on this walk... look up. Finished the route on the grounds of the old Northern State hospital and was completely mesmerized by the buildings. It's been decently well preserved, but much of the glass on the ground floor windows have been broken, so just be careful. And obviously, no trespassing inside the building itself. The views in this entire park were really incredible. Mountains and meadows all around, trees and water, birds and even a snake! I'd go back again and again and I likely will. read more

See all

Super cool historic location and walking trails! Do yourself a favor by researching "Northern State Hospital" before you tackle these historic grounds. Having more information regarding the history will make your visit even more rewarding. Northern State Recreation Area offers walking trails near historic buildings/ruins, disc golf, covered pavilion, and open activities field. Plenty of space to get fresh air and be active while still maintaining a safe social distance. I highly recommend taking the historic route, which is opposite of the old farm ruins, first. Some buildings are in use while others are in a sad state. Then, venture over to the farm buildings and proceed to the hospital cemetery. *Construction of a proper bathroom had been started during my last visit. I don't know if they've been finished yet. read more

Northern State Recreation Area - Hiking Near Me - Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Beautiful place with breath taking tails and views lots of places to sit and meditate and activities for everyone's interest

I picked the wettest and dreariest of days to explore this park so that was poor planning on my part. Despite the endless mud puddles and constant drizzle, I was still able to see what a mammoth facility this once was. I wish there was more signs, placards, anything - displayed around the park to explain to visitors what parts they are seeing and the history of it. Would love to visit this spot again in the future when the weather is kinder and I'm more prepared. Regardless, this spot is still pretty cool. Oh yes! I did find a SUPER COOL duck sketched into the cement. read more

Northern State Recreation Area - Find the duck. Quack. - Hiking Near Me - Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Very cool free area to walk. It's big enough that though we visited once for about an hour, I think we barely scratched the surface. We're thinking it may be cool to go back with our mountain bikes to get a more complete lay of the land. read more

Northern State Recreation Area - Hiking Near Me - Sedro-Woolley, Washington

See all

This place was amazing for taking photos, walking around and exploring. Semi- safe for kids if your near any of the buildings - just be sure to watch out for them - all of the buildings are very old and falling apart. But besides that this is a great place to explore for the day. Definitely felt creepy vibes in some of the buildings and even heard some random banging in another. I can see why people say this place is haunted! Safe enough during Covid too since it's open and can easily stay away from other explorers. Definitely recommend this place to check out! Great for taking photos as well. I brought my Polaroid and had a blast. read more

See all

Beautiful area for walking or running. They have a nice picnic area with a shelter overhead. New bathrooms. There is frisbee golf. I love to walk around the old barn areas. Lots of different routes to take so you don't get bored with the same route. read more

We've been to the dairy barn area before but recently learned that the main campus area of the hospital grounds were now open to the public. You can't go inside the buildings, but the walk around is interesting. We walked in from the parking lot near the dairy barns and frisbee golf area off of Helmick Road, but it is possible to park much closer if you drive in on Fruitdale Road off of Hwy 20 as your heading East from Sedro-Wooley. https://flic.kr/p/2hTaP8Q read more

Very interesting and a good way to get out and explore during the pandemic since there aren't many visitors, and the place is huge so you won't run into people. Bring a mask just in case though. The Northern State Rec area parks you closest to the dairy farm/cannery and frisbee golf course (odd pairing, but ok) and the actual Northern State Mental Hospital ruins are a short drive away behind Pioneer Services (which is currently in use as a drug rehab and human services facility - kind of weird that the two are so close together.....). It's a really interesting place to go because of the history, but eerie to see something so abandoned. At the dairy farm you can walk around and see things up close without having to go into buildings (don't - they may fall on you) and at the actual hospital you can kind of see in the windows (many of which are smashed). In one smashed window you can see hospital equipment. It's disturbing to think that people had to live in this place. read more

See all

This is a neat little stop off the beaten path for history buffs, or even someone looking to do an abbreviated hike. Northern State is known for its rep as one of Washington's "ghost towns", since the abandoned buildings on-site (and some of the active ones farther up and out of the public domain) used to house hundreds of mental patients around the turn of the century. Many of these buildings are close to the road and still accessible for people who want to check them out. And the park provides historical signboards telling of the remote mental hospital and its eventual demise. All of these buildings are less than a five minute walk from the parking area. Farther in, there are paths that snake out but don't really go anywhere. A map shows a sprawling disc golf course, which I believe is open to anyone anytime if you bring your own Frisbee. A small actual-golf course is on the opposite side of the park, though I don't know much about it. The highlight for me was the cute stream/salmon habitat. My dog had a great romp and even I took a dip because it was extremely hot and dry when I went. MAJOR PLUS - in the late summer there are so many blackberries, you could be picking ALL. DAY. Bring some bags if you visit this cute little park! ** Important parking lot info - The parking lot is big! But, though the lot is for the Northern State Rec Area, the parking lot is signed for "Veteran's Memorial Park" and has a little covered picnic area. There is a single, poorly-maintained port-a-potty, but no water. So if it's hot, just make sure you bring your own water! Dogs must be leashed, but nearly everyone I encountered had their dogs running (respectfully) free range. There are horses that frequent these very well-maintained paths, but the owners and on-lookers alike were very composed. read more

me and my dad used to walk there and it was fun but the abandoned buildings are a little creepy.

Within the recreation area lies the northern cascades mental hospital hike. While we were expecting an actual mental hospital there was only a few abandoned dairy farms and an abandoned cannery. It was a fairly easy hike and flat for the most part but a map would have been nice as us and some others were very lost at times. read more

Great place to walk your dog, or take a family walk. Well-maintained trails. Please keep your dog on-leash and pick up after yourself and your dog. Exploring the old barns and buildings is always spooky yet fun. Horses are welcome. There is a creek that is fun for a dip on hot days. Beautiful area! read more