From my bedroom window in Mount Vernon, I can look southwest and catch a glimpse on a clear day of the Olympic Mountain Range. Just beyond it, not so very far as the bald eagle flies, await the legendary temperate rainforests for which our corner of the Pacific Northwest is so justly famous throughout the world. Getting there from the Skagit Valley is no slight undertaking, but it’s eminently doable if you’re willing to make a long weekend of it.

If, on the other hand, you’d like a dose of rainforest within day trip distance, you need only travel about 20 miles east of I-5 — a mere eight miles west of Concrete — to find yourself surrounded by the verdant mystery of Rasar State Park (pronounced “racer”). But don’t mistake it for a scaled-down version of its Olympic Peninsula counterparts. Rasar State Park offers much more than dripping moss, acres of fern that would do justice to a Jurassic Park sequel, and trails that wind through second-growth forest with killer views of the mighty Skagit River and the foothills of the Cascade Range.

Established 23 years ago, Rasar became the first new state park to be opened in Western Washington in 15 years — but its origins go back to Civil War America and a family from Carter County Tennessee. It’s a story that begins with Peter Rasar, and continues to this day with his Skagit Valley descendants, one of whom was responsible for the park’s creation as a public trust.

Peter Rasar Goes West

Peter (Pete) Rasar was born in Tennessee in 1853. With the thunderclouds of secession on the horizon, it was a difficult time to be an American. His family migrated to Blount County around the time of the Civil War. Peter’s father, Daniel, joined the Union Army, leaving his mother Sarah Peters Rasar at home to raise their family of 9 children (that’s right, nine). 

It’s not clear to me why Pete Rasar left Tennessee and headed West. Perhaps it was the same call of Manifest Destiny that lured so many other pioneers in the late 19th Century. Maybe it was just the need to escape a large family and enjoy a little more elbow room. Whatever the motivation, we know that sometime between 1882 and 1884, Pete Rasar traveled across country by train to Seattle, and from there to La Conner by boat. From La Conner he journeyed to Edison, where he settled on the Samish flats of Skagit County, returning thereafter to Tennessee to bring back a wife.

Pete and his bride, Allie Kerr, had two children: sons William and Carl. Allie passed away in 1896, while the boys were still toddlers, and William died not long after from diphtheria. Life was a tenuous proposition at the best of times back in the day. Pete Rasar journeyed once again to his native state to marry his second wife, Docia Elizabeth Blevens in 1898. He was never again to return to Tennessee. He and Docia raised four more children in the Edison area: sons Daniel and Robert, and daughters May (Hanstead) and Jessie (Dowen). 

Land, Lumber, Legacy

In 1900, Pete Rasar purchased farmland in the Samish flats. Over a period of many years the property was cleared, and Peter set up a small sawmill on it — conveniently located at a stop on the Interurban railroad (better known today as Chuckanut Road). Pete knew a thing or two about the lumber business. His father, Daniel, was in partnership with a number grist and sawmills back in Tennessee. 

With an increasing number of farming neighbors helping one another to clear the land and prepare it for farming, plenty of timber showed up at Rasar’s sawmill to be turned into the lumber used to build homes and communities. Just as every pioneer and farmer is inherently an entrepreneur, Pete further augmented his family’s assets by raising crops and investing in a small herd of dairy cattle — eventually becoming an active member of the Darigold association.

Despite the loss of his son William, the rest of Pete Rasar’s children grew to adulthood, married, and raised families in Skagit County. The last survivor of this generation passed away in 1999, but many of Rasar’s descendants still call Skagit County home. It was one of Pete’s progeny in particular who figures into Rasar State Park’s origins. Pete’s son Daniel, from his marriage to Docia, also had a son whom he named Dan. Like the rest of his family, Dan Rasar grew up in the Bow-Edison area, graduating from Burlington Edison High School and Western Washington University. And like his grandfather, he had an entrepreneurial streak that led him to own a series of Shakey’s Pizza franchises from Auburn to Fairbanks, Alaska. 

Decades ago, Dan Rasar purchased a gorgeous parcel of land along the Skagit River with the original intention of parceling the property, selling a portion of it, and building a home where he could retire (he resided at that time in Redmond, but also had a home on Samish Island). At some point, however, Dan had a change of heart and decided that the beauty of his Skagit River property should be enjoyed by everyone as a public park. In 1984 he donated the 128 acre parcel to the Washington State Parks Department. “We want to share it with the public, this is the right thing to do,” he explained. Thanks to a state policy allowing people who donate property to be given first priority in naming it, the proposed state park was christened Rasar. Giving credit where credit is due, Dan wryly observed that, “Everybody that chomped on a Shakey’s Pizza from the late 60s until 1985 helped build the park.” 

The Park’s Creation

At the time of its donation, the development of Rasar State Park was given a high funding priority. As we all know, however, “government” and “expediency” can be oxymoronic concepts, and it took almost 10 years before the needed funds were available. Nevertheless, the money was approved by the State Parks and Recreation Commission in 1991, and construction was scheduled to follow two years latter…although it didn’t actually take place until 1995.

The park was developed on multiple levels. An upper level houses restrooms, picnic shelters, playgrounds, roads and campsites, while the lower portion was been left largely undisturbed to provide pristine hiking opportunities. Boulders and colored rocks removed from the riverbed and within the property, along with lumber taken from many of the trees felled during clearing and milled on-site, were used in the creation of the park’s buildings. All trails within the park were developed by the Job Conservation Corps, while much of the physical labor in getting the park ready for campers was done by teens from the Indian Ridge Youth Camp in Arlington.

Rasar State Park was dedicated on July 12, 1997, with hundreds of people gathering to enjoy Bluegrass music and speeches by local dignitaries, including Dan Rasar himself. Another speaker was Vi Hilbert of the Upper Skagit Tribe, an international language historian and lecturer who told stories of her grandfather’s longhouse along the river in that area. Speaking in her native tongue, she thanked the Rasar family for their generosity in returning the area to the people. The ceremonies concluded with the releasing of a rehabilitated bald eagle by Help Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. 

Hitting the Trail

For those making a day trip of the park, its trail system is the draw. From the day-use area on the park’s upper plateau, a well-kept trail wanders through a rain forest-like setting of ferns and moss, cottonwoods, cedars, alders and Douglas firs. The paved path ends at the riverbank with a trail heading in both directions along the river, eventually looping back through the forest to the parking lot.

You can reach the park’s lower plateau via a wheel chair accessible paved trail that descends (with the aid of hand rails) to a hayfield and a display describing how loggers and farmers settled the Skagit River Valley. Neighboring farmers are allowed to use the property to make hay, not only while the sun shines but with a guarantee that they will keep the hayfield/pasture mowed during the park’s high use periods — a great example of a public/private partnership.

Across the highway from the park are two short trails you can hike, as well as nicely spaced camping sites with tables and restrooms available. The Sauk Springs Trail is a short loop that passes an impressive cedar tree, and the Skagit View Trail (another short loop) is wheelchair accessible as well.       

Rasar State Park is open year-round for camping and day use and offers playground equipment for kids. There are second-growth trees and ample opportunities for nature study, and as of this writing the park has the distinction of being one of the few in the Washington State Parks and Recreation system that is not on the reservation list. It is estimated that the park will have 200,000-400,000 visits per year. To learn more about the park’s amenities, visit the Washington State Parks Website (https://parks.state.wa.us/571/Rasar) — and remember: if you live in the Magic Skagit, the allure and mystery of the rainforest is closer than you think…and it comes with added accessories and a storied past.

Note: Most of the historical info in this story comes courtesy of the local history site, The Stump Ranch.