This column was originally published in Vol. 33, Issue 7 (March 2023)
WSU Vancouver boasts six miles of interconnected trails, weaving through campus and reaching the far corners of the grounds. No matter the season, the Cougar Trails provide the WSU Vancouver community with everything from bike paths that meander through our densely forested campus, to more traditional hiking trails that roam alongside Mill Creek and beyond.
Four main trails make up the trail system on campus. However, numerous alternative routes exist and all paths are interconnected one way or another, allowing travelers to choose their own adventures.
My favorite spot on campus is a hidden little creekside opening on the east end near the WSU barn. Accessible via a fern-lined jogging trail that briefly intersects with the orange loop, this small beach alongside Mill Creek provides the perfect ambiance for an after-class debrief. As an avid rock hounder, just a few minutes traversing the creekside supplies enough gorgeously tumbled rocks to overfill my pockets with.
The journey through the forest to get to the creek invites hikers to practice their plant identification skills, and some collections of vegetation are even marked with identifying signs. During mushroom season, the moist environment and numerous downed trees provide the perfect conditions for mushroom hunting.
In the winter months, accessing this spot from campus is slightly treacherous due to the unavoidably muddy path. However, it is also a short walk from Salmon Creek Avenue via a wood chip-covered path – though parking along Salmon Creek Avenue is limited. Despite this, community members and their pets can be spotted donning their raincoats and braving the rain in true Pacific Northwest fashion.
In the summer, this area is lively with people splashing in the creek, wandering the rest of the trails and even decorating the footbridge with chalk.
The Cougar Trails are regularly maintained by WSU Vancouver students and staff. The next volunteer opportunities for trail maintenance are on March 25 and April 15.
On the Cougar Trails map, found on the WSU Vancouver website and occasionally on the trails themselves, the path to Mill Creek is marked by a thin gray line that indicates a running trail. Leaving the lower gray lot, follow the path alongside the pond until you come to the orange trail. Going right will bring you to a short footbridge that eventually leads across Mill Creek. From here, follow the creek and choose where you would like to pop down to the stream!
