Always Hiking: Deception Pass State Park 2020 Video


Deception Pass State Park is quite possibly WA State's most accessible and beautiful state park. Many people visit the park which is straddled via a historic, photogenic and walkable bridge attached to both Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands on the Skagit/Island county border. I recommend early morning and off season weekday hikes. Occasionally, the peace and beauty of this park has Boeing EA-18 Growler jet flights from Whidbey Island NAS interjected into the landscape. Those birds are loud but beautiful in their own way. For a near urban park, there are exceptional birding and wildlife viewing opportunities here. There are also sturdy, older forests, beaches, archipelago landscapes and both kayaking and boating opportunities.

Obviously, I love this place and so do many others including The Deception Pass Park Foundation https://deceptionpassfoundation.org/. There are essentially two entrances to the Fidalgo Island part of the park: Highway 20 then Rosario Rd. to either Bowman Bay or Rosario Beach. Rosario Beach has somewhat limited (newer) parking, new restrooms, a sometimes manned information building, the Rosario Beach Maiden, and a boating dock. Make sure to catch the views from Rosario Head. Do not let small children get near the plunging cliffs though and be careful yourself. Bowman Bay has similar but older facilities including campgrounds and boat launch and more (gravel) parking than Rosario.

From both locations you can hike in forests, traverse steep climbs to beaches, and (on a clear day) marvel at views of Canada, Olympic Mt Ranges and (of course) Deception Pass itself. There is also a Deception Pass Underwater Park (marine protected area) which holds attraction for scuba divers. My final advice: This is classic WA state hike. Hike this with sensible shoes, staff and rain wear if necessary. I always carry a backpack with water and lunch or snacks but there is good food to be found in both Skagit and Island County towns not far away. For more information, please see https://parks.state.wa.us/497/ .

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