‘No trail’ no more: Beaverton Marsh trail open house shows community support
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 10, 2026
The Mullis Center buzzed with energy last Wednesday during the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank’s open house for the Beaverton Marsh trail extension. Community members gathered to see maps, mock-ups and goals for the path that is now less than a year away from breaking ground.
The plan, which seeks to widen and connect the already existing Beaverton Marsh preserve paths with Linde Park via a “wheel-accessible” boardwalk, has been met with open arms by the community, unlike the original idea to use funding for a trail from Zylstra Lake to Friday Harbor. Backlash to that potential pathway was no secret, as anyone driving down San Juan Valley road in 2023 could attest after seeing “NO TRAIL” signs on almost every property.
“Not NO trails, MORE trails!” laughed David Hassin, a resident in attendance who was reminiscing on how that previous concept was received. Heidi Corbett, standing next to him, agreed. “I am just so excited to be connected to town finally! Someone said, ‘What, do you want to bike to get your groceries or something?’ and I said absolutely!”
The race is on to finalize plans for submission for funding by the fall, with contract bidding starting soon after and construction hopefully beginning at the end of this year and likely lasting through 2027.
At the open house, Land Bank staff mingled, answering questions and listening to feedback, all of them clearly excited about what is being proposed and the number of people there in support. Doug McCutchen, Land Bank Preserve steward, could be seen leaning his ear toward a soft-spoken resident’s input one moment, and later kneeling next to an 8-year-old girl with rainbow hair, chatting to her about the bug walks she’d gone on at the marsh.
“The turnout has been phenomenal,” McCutchen told the Journal, at ease with the crowd around him. “I’m not shocked by that because the hum on this project has been pretty high.”
He mentioned that the plan is more of an urban development than the Land Bank typically does, because it’s interfacing with an urban site. It connects the urban with the natural, and he hopes the design of the trail reflects that.
“Trails are stories. They have a beginning, middle, and an end – they’re a story of place,” he said, explaining that he wanted the trail design to reflect the movement from sports fields, to a developed urban park, and finally into natural areas. “It’s not just simply getting from one point to another, but it’s this interaction, this relationship that people develop with that site that we are really trying to key into.”
McCutchen was thrilled that they were able to involve Rachel Dietzman, a former San Juan County Engineer who spent almost a decade with the Public Works department, to come out of retirement last September, specifically to manage this project for the Land Bank.
“We are so incredibly lucky to have her,” McCutchen said of the engineer who spotted the Journal’s camera and slowly tried to lean behind someone’s head to avoid a photo. “I’m not a spotlight person!” Dietzman laughed, even though her name was praised in every single interview of the night. She had similarly kind things to say about her colleagues and the project itself — repeating the word “delighted” without realizing it; the fifth time as genuine as the first.
“To get down to the marsh is incredible,” she shared. “The first time I got down there, I recognized just how special it was to be in the marsh, away from the roads, in a place that is usually just for the wildlife and I’m excited for others to have that experience. The existing trail, even though it’s going to be wider, is still going to be a land bank hallmark, field-fitted, beautiful trail that preserves vegetation and native plants and will provide a variety of experiences. It’s just delightful.”
Cathryn Campbell, a trailwalker attending the open house, shares Dietzman’s delight to have newer, longer walking options. “I live right near Zylstra and I go around and around and around,” she laughed. In the winter, she can’t even go around her favorite loop since it’s closed. “I am like Ulysses S. Grant – I don’t like to retrace my steps! It’ll be nice to have someplace new to walk.”
Those interested in learning more about the Land Bank’s plans or contributing public comment can visit sjclandbank.org.
