Daycations - Best Day Hikes on Whidbey Island, Washington State

Grab hiking boots, backpack, water, binoculars and head to the best day hike in Puget Sound on pristine Whidbey Island just 35 miles north of Seattle, a 20 minute ferry ride from Mukilteo. You could take several days to explore trails below, located near Langley, Washington on southend of Whidbey Island. A network of trails one melting seamlessly into the other, but three separate systems covering over 718-acres.

The three trail reserves are:

1 - The Putney Woods Trails, formerly known as the Goss Lake Woods Trails and currently maintained by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

2) Metcalf Trails

3) Saratoga Woods Trail

Putney and Saratoga are connected via a trail called The Connection Trail. All trails were made for walking, jogging, mountain biking and horseback riding. Motor vehicles are not allowed.

Putney Woods Trails and Metcalf Woods Trails offer 600-acres of varied topography. Trails are well-marked and well-groomed going from one-lane adventures to widened two-tracks. A great hike on a hot day as the forest canopy keeps the trails cool with only sunlight drifting in through the deep woods treetops.

In the rain, trails can be muddy so take precautions going up and down hills as ferns and moss can be slippery. There will be something for all levels of hikers, but generally these trails are intermediate level with no substantial increases in elevation.

There are several off-the-road trailhead entry points. My favorite and easiest is through the parking lot to the Putney Woods Trail system located off Lone Lake Road, Langley.

Heading into or out of Langley you can access it by taking Lone Lake Road off Saratoga Road OR heading west out of or into Langley on Bayview Road with a turn at Andreason Road. Drive until it ends on Lone Lake Road and then go right. You will pass Goss Lake Road/Keller Road and on your right will be the Putney Woods Trail system parking lot. It will be on your left if you have accessed Lone Lake Road off Saratoga Road, which parallels Saratoga Passage in Puget Sound. There are also trails across the street from the parking lot.

Kiosks have posted maps showing where you are in the system.

The Metcalf trails from there would be accessed heading east and connected to Putney by the trail named Strix Varia. There are benches along the way and two picnic tables, so pack snacks, lunch and enough food for your day-long excursion.

Two other trailhead entry points are Edgewood Trailhead and Goldsmith Road, Langley.

Edgewood Trailhead is off Keller Road. It is between Metcalf and Putney Woods. Park on Keller Road. Keller is off Lone Lake Road just south of Putney Woods parking lot OR heading north on Lone Lake from Andreason Rd.. Take a right onto Keller Road. Edgewood Trailhead will be on your left. If you are heading south from Saratoga Road, you'd take a left onto Keller Road.

Goldsmith Road trailhead and parking lot is my favorite trailhead entry. Located just outside of Langley, it is little known even by locals making for a relaxing, uncrowded walk.

It is a private one-lane road leading to a small parking area and trailhead entry is accessed by going out the west end of Langley or entering via Bayview Road. The road sign will be just outside of town coming up after Katya Road heading out of town, or just past Crawford Road heading into town. The sign is hidden by overgrown trees so watch for it.

You'll head down a one-lane, dirt road that soon comes up on the parking area to your right. Please bring good etiquette with you and understand this is a private road. If too many cars are there, find another trailhead opening out of respect for residents.

Head down the trail and watch for the trailhead entry on your left going into the forest underbrush. This will head you into Putney Woods south and you can access the Metcalf Trails easily from the trail named the South Leg Saratoga Loop. If you take a left you'll end up in Putney Woods or a right into the Metcalf Trail system.

Right away you'll experience the absolute beauty of the forest with something new around each bend, such as open fields, wider trails with two tracks, shortcuts through Salal loop, and adventure trails overlooking deep valleys. . There will be some seating and a couple of picnic tables along the way. The number of trails and ways you can explore them are numerous.

If you take this route, a map is encouraged. On the map your entry point is located in the southeast bottom of the map bordering private lands.

Mature forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, western white pine and rare plant communities recognized to be of state importance, such as salal, rhododendrons and huckleberry line the trails. From the moment you enter the forest canopy you'll be shrouded in its mystery. Watch for black-tailed deer, chipmunks, flying squirrels and even coyote along the way.

There are lots of native Northwest birds as well, such as eagles, barred and great horned owls, finches and pileated woodpeckers hammering away in the trees above, but the trail itself will keep you busy for hours reaching out like a spider web connecting seamlessly to the next segment. Each segment takes you in a loop. You could walk each loop separately for 30 to 45 minutes and some for an hour. Take a compass with you just in case you get lost.

The Putney Woods trails were formerly known as the Goss Lake Woods Trails and are maintained by the DNR. They are named after Gary Putney (1939 to 2006). Gary's passions were backcountry horseback riding and trailwork. You'd usually find him riding his white mule "Lulu". In 1980, he helped develop the Putney Woods trails and maintain them until his death in 2006. His dream was a woodland, wonderland trail system and it is still alive today, but not without some minor setbacks in 2003 when the Whidbey Island Land Trust (ILT) learned the State of Washington was considering placing a 30-year only timber reservation on the land. This meant after the 30 years time limit, the threat of logging, subdivision and development could continue. Luckily, concerned citizen emails flooded Olympia, Washington's State Capital and the forest was transferred in whole to Island County and saved for generations to come.

Connected to Putney going north is the Saratoga Woods Preserve. Saratoga Woods is Whidbey Island's newest trail system.Think of Putney Woods as in the middle with Metcalf Trail system to the east and Saratoga Woods to the north, all between Lone Lake and Saratoga Roads. A growing network of trails connected one to the other, these pristine, calm forest pathways offer 118 additional acres of hiking.

Saratoga Woods trails meander lazily about 2 ½ miles outside Langley. There is a parking lot off Saratoga Road. Exit or enter Langley via Saratoga Road and watch for the preserve's well-marked parking lot on your left going out of town, or on your right coming into town. There is a gravel lot, with outbuildings to include a porta-potty and picnic area with overhang. Trails head out through the meadow to your right or straight ahead and right from the parking lot up the hill parallel to the road.

Saratoga Woods is known for an old airplane landing strip and a mammoth glacial eradic boulder, called Waterman Rock. Cross the meadow and enter the forest. Take the uphill trail to the right when you come to a 3-way fork or you could take the trail straight ahead. This trail was made more difficult during a windstorm two summers ago and is a steep upward climb to the airstrip beyond. Either way you'll come out at the airstrip and be able to access Waterman Rock.

The trail to the rock is on the left side of the landing strip. Walk north until you see a sign indicating Waterman Rock. You can't miss the rock itself because it is as big as a house.

You'll wind through salal, a Pacific Northwest ground cover, an evergreen perennial having dark blue berries preceded by hanging white flower bells. You'll also see native ferns and and towering Douglas fir.

If you were to go left at the 3-way fork, you would be on the Connector Trail to the Putney Woods/DNR system heading to the trail marked as Blazing Saddles. Go right to Whispering Pines or left to Roller Coaster, which lives up to its name.

There is a very newly created trail upon entering the forest immediately to your left which would take you back down to the meadow for a short, winding walk. Recently, new easy-to-read signage has gone up throughout the system making hiking easy.

MAP - Putney Woods/Metcalf/Saratoga Woods Trail System

Hunting Season - Trails are open to hunters during season, which is usually October 13 through the 31^st and again November 15^th through the 18^th. Early morning and later evening is the best time for deer hunters. Walk later, stop early and stay on trails during day time hours, keep dogs close and make noise. Wearing bright clothing is recommeded and bright orange vests or collars on your dogs is advisable.

Getting to Whidbey Island: Coming from the north and Highway I-5, take exit 23 to Whidbey Island by way of Deception Pass. Follow the signs and just past Coupeville you'll be on the island Highway 525.

Head to Mukilteo ferry, if you want direct access to South Whidbey Island. The trails are minutes from the ferry. From Clinton drive approximately three miles to the Langley turn-off (at the first stoplight) and turn right onto Langley Road. Best time of year to hike is March to September. Further directions to trailheads given within hiking information.

For Further Information:

Goss Lake Woods at http://www.gosslakewoods.org.

Back Country Horsemen of Washington State www.bchw.org.