"Moffitti Marsh Trail - open only seasonally" Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge Things to Do Tip by glabah

Much like the Morgan Reservoir Trail, the Moffitti Marsh Trail come south from Smithfield Road and runs along wetlands areas as well as fields of grass. At the end of the trail it is possible to continue on the Intertie Trail to the loop trail around the summit of Baskett Butte, or to return north to the Smithfield Road parking area by either going back the way you came, or make a loop by taking the Morgan Lake Reservoir Trail.

During the summer, after some weeks without rain, the water level will have dropped quite a bit. Also, blackberries and other weeds will have grown up along the edges of the marshland. This makes viewing the wildlife a bit difficult, though there are still places where it is possible to see the marshland even under those circumstances.

There is no real trailhead here. In fact, the gate at the trail entrance says that the area is closed beyond that point. Yet, the map of the refuge distributed at the several literature racks in the refuge says that this is in fact a trail that is open for people to use (at least during the summer season), and there are no signs at the other end telling people to avoid coming in here.

To get to the trail, it is necessary to park at the Morgan Lake Trailhead at the intersection of Livermore Road and Smithfield Road. You must then walk west on Smithfield Road about 1/4 of a mile (slightly less than half a km) to a gate on the south side of Smithfield Road. It is a narrow road, so watch for cars!

The trail is approximately 1.5 miles (2.5 km) one way, to which you can add the various other trails to see more of the refuge.

Address: Smithfield Road & Livermore Road, Rickreall, Oreg.
Directions: The nearest parking area is the Morgan Reservoir Trailhead. See the instructions for getting to this area in the Morgan Reservoir Trail tip, at the bottom of the text.