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Bay View State Park
Pull up a camp chair, place it facing north, sit down and stay a while. Bay View State Park on Padilla Bay overlooks the San Juan Islands and offers up magnificent views of the archipelago. On clear or partially clear evenings, the skies light up and cast the islands in silhouette against the bright sunset colors.
This tiny park has a larger, interesting neighbor: Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve makes up 11,000 acres of the bay and draws students, scientists, activists and citizens for research, education, awareness and training. This reserve is one of five such protected areas in the western United States. Its habitat includes open waters, eelgrass beds, intertidal bays, uplands, freshwater sloughs and high salt marsh.
Deception Pass
Deception Pass is Washington's most-visited state park for a reason. Mysterious coves, rugged cliffs, jaw-dropping sunsets, and a stomach-dropping high bridge make this park a go-to for locals and international travelers alike.
Families can fish and swim in Cranberry Lake. Beach explorers look for shells along miles of Puget Sound beachfront. Hikers can trek through forests and out along bluffs. And birdwatchers fill their field guides with notes. You may see a whale or a family of seals as you gaze on the wild waters that once challenged early explorers.
Marblemount Fish Hatchery
Directions
Visitors can tour the facility by picking up a Self-Guided Tour brochure at the information center located on the right side of the main hatchery building. There is a map of the Hatchery posted by the door. Inside the information center there is a video describing “A Day in the Life of the Hatchery.” Tours may be available on request from hatchery staff or onsite from volunteers on Saturdays and Sundays from the last weekend in December through mid-February. Knowledgeable guides take you into the hatchery to explain how eagles relate to the lifecycle of the Pacific Salmon. Visitors gain knowledge of all phases of the salmon life cycle without disturbing salmon in the wild. In addition to fish, visitors can view eagles, hawks, blue herons, ducks, and dippers.
Milepost 100 Rest Area
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is one of the most visited forests in the country. Located on the west side of the Cascades between the Canadian border and Mt. Rainier National Park, you will find glacier-covered peaks, spectacular mountain meadows and old-growth forests rich in history and outdoor opportunities.
Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center
The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center (SRBEIC) is an educational facility located in Howard Miller Steelhead Park, Rockport, WA, which is supported by partners, sponsors, private donations, and the work of volunteers and staff. Oversight for the SRBEIC is provided by the Board of Directors of the Skagit River Bald Eagle Awareness Team (SRBEAT).
The mission of Skagit River Bald Eagle Awareness Team is to increase the education about, appreciation for, and stewardship of the Skagit River Watershed ecosystem. This is accomplished through a variety of program offerings and visitor information.
Skagit Wildlife Area
Each year, from fall to spring, this area is a bird paradise, with snow geese and trumpeter and tundra swans overwintering in huge numbers. There are several access points in the wildlife refuge. The Headquarters area has a 2-mile trail, and Big Ditch, Wylie Slough and Fir Island are also popular walking access areas.
Winter walks planned to see the gorgeous migrating snow geese, trumpeter and tundra swans are a good way for your kids to get outside. The Skagit Wildlife Area has numerous access points that allow you to walk dikes along the shore of Skagit Bay. Do note that from October through January is hunting season, and it is best to avoid visiting during that time.
Washington Park
220 acre Washington Park juts into Rosario Strait on the western edge of Anacortes, offering territorial views.