Yudwasta Big Rock Park - Skagit Land Trust

[48.42121554230242,-122.2606437618436]

Property Type: Easement, Trust-Assisted
Date Added: 1996, 2023

Big Rock
96 acres
Open to the Public, Featured Property
Hiking & Walking

Get Directions

As of March 17, 2026, Yudwasta Big Rock Park has officially opened as a Skagit County Park! Read more about the park in our February 2026 newsletter.

Site History

Known to the Upper Skagit People as Yudwasta, meaning “of the heart,” Big Rock has always been more than a scenic landmark on the edge of Mount Vernon. It is a place where generations of people have formed lasting connections with the land. Big Rock also lies at the heart of a vital wildlife and open space corridor running north to south along Nookachamps Creek .

Conservation Story

The park’s more recent conservation story began in 1996 when Skagit Land Trust facilitated Dr. Richard and Holly Hoag’s donation of 13 acres of land (and a conservation easement to protect it) at the top of Big Rock. About 15 years ago, however, public access to the park was lost over the surrounding private property. Over the decades, Skagit Land Trust and Skagit County Parks looked for ways to re-open and expand the park. In 2023, when 63 acres of land adjacent to Big Rock Park went up for sale, both organizations recognized a rare opportunity to protect a beloved and culturally and ecologically significant landscape before it was lost.

Acting quickly, Skagit Land Trust took a risk to acquire the property and hold it until the County could assume ownership. The Trust covered the $1.8 million purchase using organizational funds and a loan from the Washington Opportunity Fund. The Trust also committed to raise additional funds to help make the purchase affordable for County Parks.

With the land secured, Skagit County Parks pursued state funding. The project was awarded a $1 million grant from Washington State’s Recreation Conservation Office, which ranked the project #1 out of 64 applications statewide in the local parks category. The County also contributed $400,000 of their own funds. Lastly, the Trust was able to absorb over $400,000 of the final cost due to donations from 350 Skagit Land Trust families and businesses.

Community voices strengthened the project’s grant application. Local organizations such as SeaMar Community Health Centers spoke about the health benefits of expanded nature access for east Mount Vernon’s growing and diverse neighborhoods. SeaMar affirmed that nearby open space is essential to community well-being, and neighbors agreed.

Big Rock’s cultural importance helped to make the project a success. Scott Schuyler of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe supported the grant application, sharing with state reviewers the deep historical and ongoing connection between the Upper Skagit People and Yudwasta. The future park will honor this legacy by highlighting Indigenous history and continued relationship with the land.

“People need a place to get out into nature and enjoy it,” says park neighbor Bill Dunlap. “The hope is that if they enjoy it, they’ll be motivated to protect it, too.” Inspired by these values, Bill and his wife Ellen Rak donated 20 acres of wildlife habitat they owned adjacent to the expanded park. Their parcel includes a portion of Gribble Creek, where Coho return each year. Black bears, coyotes, otters, and other wildlife also pass through the property frequently.

“There’s often a tension between protecting wildlife and creating access, but the Trust walks that line well,” says Ellen. “Projects like this create ways for people to coexist with all the other beautiful parts of life.”

Access

Yudwasta Big Rock Park is open to public access. There is a fully developed trail to the top of the rock built by Washington Trails Association. Hike is approximately 0.5 miles to the top of the rock, with 350 ft of elevation gain, including a steep climb and several flights of stairs. Please use caution when summiting the rock.

Skagit County has plans to develop a full parking area, but an interim parking lot is available.

How to Get There

From I-5: Take the College Way exit off of I-5 and head east 3.5 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto WA-9 S. Continue on WA-9 for 0.8 miles. Take a right onto Mt. Vernon Big Lake Road and continue for 0.2 miles. The parking lot will be on your right.

From Mount Vernon: Head east on Division Road until it becomes Mt. Vernon Big Lake Road. Parking lot is on the north side of the road, about 0.2 miles before you reach the intersection with SR-9.