Re-opening of Middle Fork Road, new trails, to be celebrated Saturday, National Public Lands Day

The newly paved Middle Fork Road near North Bend is now nearly finished after three years of construction.

To celebrate National Public Lands Day, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and partners will celebrate completion of the new road and the opening of several new trails and trailheads.

The celebration, 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 30, includes a ribbon cutting and speakers: Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, Washington’s First Congressional District; Sandra Otto, Division Director, Federal Highways Administration; Dianne Guidry, Deputy Regional Forester, U.S. Forest Service; Brock Milliern, Division Manager, Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Fred Jarrett, Deputy County Executive, King County; and Jon Hoekstra, Executive Director, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.

Next, the group will celebrate the Granite Creek Trailhead opening, 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., and at 1, they will celebrate the Middle Fork Trail opening.

Kevin Brown (King County Parks), Laurie Benson (Washington State Department of Natural Resources) and Jon Hoekstra (Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust) will speak at the Granite Creek Trailhead. Dianne Guidry (US Forest Service), Jon Hoekstra (Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust) will speak at the Middle Fork Trail opening.

The day will also include several volunteer events, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a volunteer celebration, 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Nearly 200 volunteers from across the region will build trails and plant trees at several popular Middle Fork sites, including the Middle Fork Trail, the new Granite Creek Trailhead, and the future trail to Garfield Ledges. REI Co-op will host an after party for volunteers and public land managers at the USFS Middle Fork Campground.