Take a walk on Lopez

As our ferry pulls up to unload at Lopez Island, packs of cyclists eagerly stream off, pedaling in a procession of colorful jerseys against a backdrop of emerald forest.

Lopez, with its gentle hills and scenic farmland, has made a name for itself as a cyclist’s paradise, not just for local residents, but for visitors too.

Many strong cyclists make the loop around Lopez in a few hours, stopping for a snack in Lopez Village, the Island’s only commercial area, before it’s back on the ferry and off to the next stop.

While I’m a cyclist, I like to explore and satisfy my curiosity, and there’s plenty of reason to spend a day or two on this peaceful Island. Not only does Lopez Island have a handful of working farms and historic sites to visit, you’ll find some hidden hikes and walks here too, far removed from the crowds of Orcas Island’s Moran State Park.

Walks and hikes on Lopez Island are mainly short trips to scenic points along the Island’s beautiful coast. They’re all easily accessible in a day of touring, whether it’s on a bike or by car. Best of all, they’re some of the best kept secrets in the San Juans.

Little Bird Trail, Big Tree Loop

Less than a mile from the ferry landing, Odlin County Park, with a scenic waterfront setting, has two short trails that can be walked in a few hours. Both begin along the gravel road that serves the park’s campsites and are a good opportunity to stretch your legs and watch the ferries glide on Upright Channel, which separates Lopez and Shaw islands.

The aptly named Big Tree Trail, found next to campsite No. 12, makes a short loop through forest, passing some impressive Douglas fir and cedar trees. Several side trails can be confusing – pick up a map at the trailhead, or check with the park office.

Little Bird Trail, farther west along the campsite access road, winds through forest and along the island’s west-facing bluffs. As you walk, views unfold through the trees over Upright Channel toward Shaw Island. The trail ends at a publicly accessible road, where you can retrace your steps, or turn left, walk to Ferry Road, and re-enter the park through the main entrance.

While not an official “trail,” a third and perhaps the most interesting option during low or mean tide is to walk the beach, all publicly owned tidelands, from Odlin County Park south to Upright Channel State Park. By arranging a car shuttle, you’ll avoid the need to retrace your steps; otherwise, it’s a 2-mile walk back on the road, or back along the beach.

Shark Reef Recreation Area

On the south end of Lopez Island, walk through one of the region’s last remaining old-growth forests to Shark Reef Recreation Area, a scenic spot overlooking San Juan Channel’s narrow channel separating Lopez and San Juan Islands. It’s just a short 20 minutes to the shore.

Sit and watch harbor seals swim and tumble in the lively current and haul out to rest on rocks near the shore, or boats churning their way through the often turbulent pass. On a clear day, the snowy summits of the Olympics hover above the horizon to the southwest.

To witness the swirling currents of the channel, time your visit with an ebb (receding) tide, when the current flows most swiftly along Shark Reef’s cliffs. The best time to see the seals, however, is typically during slack time between tides.

Watmough Bay to Point Colville

The far southeast corner of Lopez Island feels like a world away from the rest of the San Juans. Spared from clearing for farming like much of the rest of the island, you’ll find secluded beach and a wild, rocky shoreline here.

Reflecting Lopez Island’s strong conservation ethic, Watmough Bay is protected by a unique partnership between the federal Bureau of Land Management and the San Juan County Land Bank. The beach at Watmough Bay, along with its adjacent wetland, was generously donated to the Land Bank in 1993 by the island’s Oles family.

A short walk leads to a lonely 70-foot stretch of pebble-and-sand beach cupped between rocky and forested hillsides. It’s a perfect place to pull up a piece of driftwood and contemplate life. Please help protect this fragile place. Trails are open to foot traffic only, no fires or camping are permitted, and dogs must also be leashed to protect wildlife.

Just down the road from Watmough Bay is spectacular Point Colville. During the 19th century, the U.S. Coast Guard set aside the tips of several of the larger San Juan Islands for lighthouses and other navigation aids. But in 1976, the Coast Guard determined that Point Colville was no longer needed, turning it over to the federal government to be managed as a natural area.

You can reach Point Colville with a short walk through forest. Botanists will enjoy the several plant communities found here in the area’s meadows, bogs, bluffs and intertidal areas. Some trees here and at adjacent Iceberg Point are well over 200 years old and are among the last remaining unharvested trees on Lopez.

Just offshore is the rocky jumble of Castle Island National Wildlife Refuge, along with Colville Island and tiny Davidson Rock. Colville Island supports a nesting population of tufted puffins, one of the few places on Washington’s inland waters these birds are found nesting.

Iceberg Point

Iceberg Point, also owned and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, is among the most spectacular landscapes anywhere in the San Juans, encompassing windswept, rugged bluffs and rocky coast scoured by waves. The trick, however, is getting there.

Currently, the only entirely legal way to get to Iceberg Point is by boat, either by launching from Mackaye Harbor or from Agate Beach. The Bureau hopes to acquire a walking easement to the area from the road’s end just south of Agate Beach, but as of now, land access is only possible by permission from the landowner. Please respect the private property rights here.

Kayakers will enjoy the short but scenic paddle to Iceberg Point from Mackaye Harbor or from Agate Beach. Look for a small pebble beach on the north side of a small cove just north of Iceberg Point and its channel marker. From here, a primitive trail scrambles steeply up the embankment to a trail through open forest and out to the open bluffs. At the area’s high point, a concrete monument serves as a reference point for the U.S.-Canada border farther to the north.

Wander the windswept meadows along the bluffs overlooking waters teeming with marine life – seals play on the rocks offshore, and, in season, you can spot orca whales as they feed on salmon migrating through Rosario Strait. More than 100 species of birds also inhabit the area, including grebes, cormorants, gulls, waterfowl, guillemots, scoters, terns, auklets, murres and oystercatchers. The trail eventually ends in about one mile, with a view over Flint Beach.

Paddlers should check the latest weather conditions, as Lopez Island’s south shore is exposed, and winds can quickly create rough conditions.

Spencer Spit State Park

More known for its camping than hiking trails, Spencer Spit State Park’s two miles of trail lead from the camping and picnic area on the park’s bluffs to a mile-long sandy beach strewn with driftwood and shallows teeming with life.

The spit itself, a narrow neck of land nearly connecting Lopez and tiny privately owned Frost Island, encloses a shallow seawater lagoon formed by winds and tides. Clamming and crabbing are popular pastimes here too.

The Spencer family is well known around Lopez Island, having farmed 160 acres near the present day park since 1886. You’ll find the stone cellar of the old Spencer home near the spit, and a replica of the family’s original log cabin nearby, at the head of the spit.

If you go

All directions begin from Lopez Island’s ferry landing. The island is served daily by the Washington State Ferries.