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Skagit Land Trust has worked for the past 30 years to protect and care for natural lands across Skagit County. One of the Trust’s largest properties is hidden in plain sight at the edge of the city of Mount Vernon. In fact, you’ve probably passed it many times without knowing it. The Barney Lake Conservation Area is just east of Skagit Valley College, bordered by College Way and Highway 9.

Since 1995, Skagit Land Trust has worked to protect and restore hundreds of acres of Barney Lake and its surrounding lands.

The Barney Lake Conservation Area features an interconnected web of wetlands, creeks, seasonal lakes, forests, scenic views, and working farmlands. Waterfowl including trumpeter swans and many species of ducks call Barney Lake home during the winter. Bald eagles and great blue herons nest and forage next to the property’s farmlands and open fields. Nookachamps Creek and Trumpeter Creek, which border the eastern edge of the property, provide important habitat for salmon.

Most visits to Barney Lake occur during volunteer work parties, youth group field trips, and nature walks. The Trust wants to provide better wildlife viewing and nature opportunities for a wide range of community members. To do this, we need your help.

In studying how to improve public access at Barney Lake, our goal is to create a low-impact, inviting experience for people without negatively effecting the birds, wildlife, or sensitive wetlands.To find this balance, we want to hear from the wide range of people who live and work near this conservation area, as well as others who would be excited to visit this place.

Please take our survey on low-impact, wildlife compatible access at Barney Lake

Walks at Barney Lake

We invite you to join us for a tour of Barney Lake where we will look for beaver, great blue heron and other wildlife that share this land with us. During the walk, Trust staff will share the history of this property and how we hope to expand public access in the future. Most importantly, we’d like to hear your thoughts on how you would like to connect the community with these natural lands while protecting its wildlife. Please join us at one of our “Heron & Beaver & Frogs, Oh My!” walks in the month of May.

Sunday, May 22 10:00am-12:00pm

Saturday, May 28 10:00am-12:00pm

Saturday, June 4 10:00am-12:00pm

Walks will include opportunities to learn about, and view birds found on the property.

Swanrise" walk to view Trumpeter Swans

Youth from a nearby apartment complex on a recent fieldtrip to Barney Lake