First I want to congratulate all of our graduates! These are weird times to be in school and especially for those graduating. Thanks to our teachers and school staff and to our students for doing their best in these trying times. We're all proud of your achievements and wish you all the best for a promising future. My niece just graduated from her college course last week. There was no graduation ceremony so I took her on an outing to celebrate. She'd been riding her bike everywhere she went for the last 3 months, so she rode circles around me on Fidalgo and Guemes Islands. Then we put the bikes away and took a hike on Whidbey. The Trustland Trails beckoned as the sun emerged from a cloudy sky. I counted 8 cars in the parking lot but we didn't see anyone for the first half hour of walking. This network of trails on 200 acres offers plenty of room to spread out. We took the route on the periphery with other trails crossing through the middle. These trails weave through a shady forest with lush ferns and shrubs. I'd last hiked here in winter so the green landscape was surprising and nurturing. We frequently heard the drumming of woodpeckers on snags creating towering critter condos. Slugs raced across the trail tripping us up. Birds hid in the salmonberry and salal as we were led on by their songs. Most of the trails are wide enough to walk side by side, or to pass people with a dog on a leash, or to step aside while kids rode by on bikes racing wildly through the woods. We climbed the hill in the middle on a new trail that was added last winter and came to a steep drop-off where yellow tape and not one, but two signs warned us to stay back. (I was glad the young cyclists were not on this trail.) Most of the trails were gently sloping or almost flat. This drop off provided a sense of topography. One of the great features of the Trustland Trails is a beautiful ADA loop about a half mile long. In the middle of a hectic day, I've stopped here to take 10 or 15 minutes to walk this loop as a way to get centered, stretch my legs and breathe. This wide, gravel path is well groomed for folks in wheelchairs, or kids on bikes, or people who are perfectly ambulatory who just want a quick, easy break. A friend told me when her father was in his last months of life, he enjoyed coming here. She pushed his wheelchair around this loop and both of them benefited from the peace and quiet. These trail heads are just off the highway so easy to access by car or the Southbound Route 1 bus. There are neighborhoods nearby that access these trails from the opposite direction. Some come here daily to walk their dogs, ride their horse or just take a stroll with a friend. Trail maps are posted at the start and at turns within the park. There's a picnic shelter (but no restrooms) at the entrance. As we returned to the parking lot and paused, others emerged from the different trails, a young family, a couple with bikes and some old friends with their new dog. These trails have a feeling of community, a favorite family-friendly haunt and a local secret. Maribeth For a trail map click this link: swparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Trustland-Trails-Map-2019.pdf Directions by Bus: Bring a face mask to wear on the bus. Take the Island Transit Route 1 Southbound just south of Bayview on Whidbey and ask the driver to stop at Craw Road. Walk just 200 feet to the park entrance on the right. When catching the bus from here after your hike, you can only catch it on the Southbound lane. Flag the bus with a flashlight or bright colored hat or scarf. You can ride south to the ferry and go north from there.
Directions by car: Take Highway 525 on Whidbey 1.3 miles south of the Goose Grocers in Bayview and turn right on Craw Road. Or drive north from Clinton. About a mile north of the light at Maxwelton Road turn left on to Craw Road and take the next right into the park.
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Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
March 2024
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