Goss Lake Woods parking area completed

The trees have been cut, the ground cleared and the gravel partly laid for a new, large parking area along Lone Lake Road.

Island County parks opened up the 160-foot wide by 200-foot long trail head along Lone Lake Road in May to provide more access to Goss Lake Woods. Walkers, horses and bicyclists share the trails throughout the woods.

The new lot provides open space for horse trailers to pull off the road, park and turn around. Cars and trucks may also park there.

The true purpose, however, is to help equestrian riders.

“It was really created for horse trailers,” said Teri Arnold, superintendent of the Island County Parks Department.

Now all the lot needs is vehicles and trailers.

Without explanatory signs at the lot entrance, many people do not realize what the lot is for, Arnold said. People assume the lot provides space for a new housing development or something else.

The signs should arrive in about one month.

The new lot will solve an ongoing access problem for Goss Lake Woods.

Drivers with horse trailers have parked along the shoulder of nearby Keller Road to get to the trails, since the shoulder of Lone Lake Road does not have enough space for people to safely pull off the road.

Gary Putney said that has caused problems along Keller Road, especially for drivers pulling horse trailers.

Putney and his wife, Diana, live along Keller Road and were key supporters of the new lot. They both belong to the Island County chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington.

The narrow dead end road prevents horse trailer drivers from turning around, and vehicles unable to turn in time have also gone into the ditch.

The narrow shoulders also make seeing far ahead difficult, he said.

The new lot fixes those problems by providing more parking space off the road, and allows drivers exiting onto Lone Lake Road a clearer view of traffic.

The lot is located about a 1/3 of a mile from the intersection of Keller and Goss Lake roads.

The project – done by the county’s public works department – cost approximately $15,000.

Arnold said the county plans to finish graveling in the fall. The installment of benches, an information kiosk and hitching posts are also in the works.

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