The summit view is obscured with tall trees so it can be difficult to get a good view unless you…read morewant to do a little more hiking beyond the summit parking lot. On clear days you can see Mount Baker. There's a neat statue on top called, Mountain Guardian, with a small information placard explaining the significance of the work. It really meshes into the surrounding forest. Nice hiking overall, pretty peaceful. The road to the top is well maintained, although it's a little twisty at times so definitely do not speed or else you might wipe out, or wipe out the oncoming traffic!

Some great views with good hiking trails…read more Can get windy so you might want to bring a coat

I stopped at Bowman Bay one day on my way to Oak Harbor to visit my grandma. I had packed a lunch…read moresince I was traveling in the morning to midday and traffic was starting to pick up. My sister had recently come here to go kayaking and recommended it as a spot to visit. So, I decided to give it a try as a lunch spot. Discovery passes were required for parking, fortunately I had thought ahead and it was in the glove compartment of my car. I arrived towards the morning side of noon on 1 September 2021 and parking was abundant. The weather was sunny with a slight wind. So I decided to park, grab my lunch and eat on a piece of driftwood on the beach. A group of kayakers were just heading out as I ate and a few dog walkers made their way up and down the shore. Just up from the beach there were picnic tables and a large grassy expanse. A trail led off into a wooded area. The restroom building not far from the parking lot was kept cleanly.

This is one of those perfect little bays where time passes you by. Clean bathrooms. Easy parking,…read moremore spots down the road where they rent kayaks if it's full. An absolute lovely hike to Rosario Beach and Rosario Head, about a mile and hugs the coastline.

My four-year-old daughter and I LOVED Fort Ebey State Park. We went on a sunny August day and had…read morethe best afternoon. Coming from out of state, we easily purchased a $10 Discovery Pass day ticket and parked in the lot. Using our flashlight on our phone, we explored the actual fort, built during World War II as a coastal defense. The fort is preserved well and you can go inside all the rooms and tunnels. There are also trails along cliffs lined with meadows and forests, offering beautiful views of the water. There are public restrooms near the parking lot.

Ebey's Landing is a great place to start exploring Whidbey Island because this is where Colonel…read moreIsaac N.Ebey started his exploration of the island and also died here during a revenge killing. He died at the hand of Hatain native men. He was the first non native resident of the island. Today it is a great place to enjoy a picnic, stroll the beach, skip rocks, explore whatever is brought out by the tides, and just have a great time.

An absolute favorite for good ole woods on the lake camping! Campgrounds have so much variety in…read moreshade, waterfront options, RV hookups, walk-in, and group sites. Their bathrooms and showers are well maintained, and the public use areas are always kept up as well. They staff a little snack shack where you can find limited swim gear and accessories, plus impressive snacks, coffee, ice cream, candy, etc. The lake is a non-motorized boat lake, but they rent out water toys or bring your own float islands and paddleboards. Mt. Constitution is also found within the park and is a must visit! Views into Canada and over the WA coast are to die for on a clear day. Whether you're visiting just for the day or longer, Moran State Park is an oasis worth experiencing!

This is probably the biggest highlight on Orcas Island if you're outdoorsy!…read more Lakes, scenic views, trails a plenty even leading to an ice cream finish, water activities, and on and on and on. I had only wished we had one more day. My group did the Cascade Lake Loop, Cascade Fall's, plus give or take hopping on to another trail to widen the "loop." Day passes are $10 bucks and go off an honor system with completing a short form with vehicle and govt issue ID details and dropping them into a collection box. Plenty of places to park near multiple different trail entrances. The trails are well maintained & the trees are massive. Sugar shack offered up some delicious ice cream during our widening of said loop. There were clean bathrooms and a large playground located near this pit stop. Plenty of entrances/parking to different trailheads can be found along the outskirts. Definitely recommend for anyone taking a vacation on Orcas Island. And as always practice leave no trace!

Discovery pass needed. Easy trek down to the beach. There's public restroom and water available…read morenear the beach entrance. We tried crabbing here twice. Definitely bring a spare lure; our first attempt, we had to cut the line as it got snagged on some rocks. Saw a lot of people on the beach, enjoying a picnic or even kayaking out to crab boxes in the evening. Beautiful park overall. Make sure you're sure-footed if you're going to climb the rocks.

The beach park section of Larrabee park is gorgeous. There's ample parking, then a decent that's…read moreabout a 45 second walk to a grassy lawn and a beautiful stage built in the early 1900s. There were people performing music on the stage and park goers enjoying on the grass. Just to the left of the stage there's a path to the beach. Another 2-3 minute descent brings you to a trail going left and right. The path to the left is a short trail to a rock you can sit on and climb down to get to the water. Further that way there's another beach. The path to the right leads to a nice beach with a great view and a shade tree. There were some bugs in the washed up kelp, but nothing too bothersome imho. We had a stand up paddleboard so we used the path on the right after the stage area. I would recommend anyone bringing gear down (scuba, kayaks, paddleboards) to use this beach. Larger crafts can use the boat ramp just north of this beach, and you can drive right up to that ramp (north of the stage and parking area). It was a beautiful park and a great place to picnic, enjoy the water, and view the sunset!

We were exploring Deception Pass State Park and stumbled onto this county park and hopped out to…read morecheck it out. We didn't hike too far, but enjoyed a nice walk down the path and back. I left me phone charging in the car after too many pictures earlier- so no pictures from this run- just memories of brisk, forest air & lush, dense fauna. The meadow at the entrance of the park would be fun for a picnic!

A hidden gem in Anacortes! This hike is right near Deception Pass State Park, but still part of the…read moreSkagit county park system. The parking lot is not huge but good sized and has a pit toilet. Day use only and dogs are permitted on a leash. This trail has a lot of different trails on it. You can get a map at the kiosk but I recommend downloading the Avenza Maps app and getting the map for this trail. It has markers on the trails but I still would have got lost without the app. It works offline and shows exactly where you are on the map. If you just want to see some spectacular views, then take the easy route down the Sares head trail to the Sares head overlook. The views are just breathtaking. I did some other trails in the park but some were really tough and climbing over rocks and branches and going up some hills. And at one point it was a very sketchy spot that dropped off right by the water. Next time I will make sure I look up the difficulty of the trail before attempting all of it. But it is definitely worth it just for that main viewpoint. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area.

Moran state park was top of our list to visit while on Orcas Island. It's a beautiful park to…read morevisit, with unbelievable views and you can drive to the top making the views accessible to everyone. You need a Discovery Pass to park at the park. They have lovely lakes, and amazing trails to explore them. We completed a couple lake trails and absolutely enjoyed them. So calming and peaceful. A must visit while on Orcas Island.

My family and I had a beautiful visit to this park. It's small. It's on the island and there's a…read morelot of historic buildings around and it was worth the side trip. Located in a beautiful area next to the water plenty of places to walk around and the tallest mountain in the San Juan Island Chain, is something to cherish. Plan a little bit of extra time for the walking. It's not hard and it's absolutely gorgeous there. I meant the Ranger both of them and they were absolutely great history. They know how to treat a you. Thank you people for showing us incredible hospitality, and immaculate Property. It was very clean very well. Every corner is a picture waiting to be taken.

Take the long switchback road to the top of Mt Constitution. This alone is a beautiful sight. at…read morethe top, there's a parking lot and a nice restroom and visitor center. you can buy a year long discovery pass inside, or a daily ten dollar parking pass. You can also pay in the honesty box. the short hike to the top is steep.But very short and easy. the views are incredible and even more so if you do all the stairs up to the top of the tower. worth it!

Mount Constitution was a fun place to visit. It is the Highest point in the San Juan Islands and…read morethe views were stunning! It was closed on the day we went so we just piddled around and enjoyed the beautiful view. Gift shop was closed so no souvenirs!