Taking Possession

“Possession Point is the southern most point of Whidbey Island and, therefore closest to Seattle.”

It shook me up a bit to read that on the Whidbey Camano Islands Tourism website. I was thinking it may be close by water, but a world away by nature.

For me, driving there in a car, the way seemed long and convoluted. But I began to consider what it must be like to travel there by boat. The high bluff of Possession Point would stick up prominently. In fact, the place was dubbed Possession Point by Captain George Vancouver because when he and his crew explored the region in the summer of 1792, Peter Puget and Joseph Whidbey came ashore and claimed the land for the British Empire.

The idea of taking possession of a place you visit for a short time seemed odd, uncomfortable and, in the broad scheme of things, temporary.  The concept rolled around in my head all day.

I went to explore the park with a friend. We arrived by car. Like those who arrived by boat, we needed to stretch our legs. We took the forest loop climbing up from the parking lot into the woods. We climbed and dipped and climbed some more through a forest of ferns and maples. At one point while we paused to catch our breath, we spotted an eagle’s nest at eye level through the trees. With binoculars we saw the parent bird drop off some food for the chicks. One chick covered the food with its wings, so the other couldn’t get any. That chick took possession of the food. We kept climbing and heard the great birds calling through the trees.

Huffing and puffing we reached the overlook at the top of the bluff and stopped to drink water and share an apple. Before us was an expansive view of Puget Sound. We could see Seattle skyscrapers, ferries crossing from Edmonds to Kingston, sail boats and fishing boats making their way in all directions. Down in the water one rock rose above the tide and a half dozen seals took possession of it.

We started down and took the trail to the beach emerging by the barn. A vacation house stood nearby where a family had taken possession for the weekend. They’d fully occupied the backyard and deck. Chairs circled a fire pit. An umbrella shaded a table. Roses climbed the trellis by the gate. Some of the family was on the beach exploring what the outgoing tide had revealed.

Farther on, shellfish stalkers carried their shovels. A woman rowed by with a crab pot. Kayakers paddled south. A yacht parted the waters cruising north. Swallows swooped from bluff to beach, in and out of nesting cavities. A heron strutted along a gravel bar. We walked the cobblestone beach as so many had before us. Peter Puget, Joseph Whidbey, my friend and I, enjoying the day, the water, the sun, the summer warmth and took possession of Possession Point, if only for an hour.

Maribeth

Possession Point State Park provides a camp site for human powered boats on the Washington Water Trails. See the map here.

Directions: From Highway 525 at Ken's Korner shopping center near Clinton, take Cultus Bay Road south for almost 5 miles. Cultus Bay Road will turn right but keep going straight on Possession Road for another 1.5 miles. Turn right on Franklin Road, a narrow, dirt road with many private beach homes. The State Park sign is at the end. You will need a Discover Pass to park inside the gate.

Bus and Bike: There is no bus service here. Bikes may travel down Cultus Bay Road on the shoulder, however Possession Road has no shoulder, and is hilly and curvy with poor visibility. 

Mobility: The walk to the beach is on a dirt road and a gentle grade. The hike up to the bluff through the woods is steep and can be muddy after a rain. The beach is sandy closer to the bluff and more rocky toward the point.