I Love Skagit County

Sharpe Park/Mongomery Duban Headlands

Rosario Rd. 110 acre environmental reserve in Anacortes. Views of San Juan Islands.

Skagit County Fairgrounds

Cleveland Ave and Vera St., Mount Vernon.

Skagit Playfields

Northeast corner of Skagit Valley College. 25 acre park with ballfields and fitness trail.

Squires Lake Park

Skagit/Whatcom County line on Old Hwy 99. 1/3 mile hike to lake and additional trail system.

Swinomish Boat Launch

Directly below the eastern rise of the Berentson-SR 20 Bridge over the Swinomish Channel.

Young’s Park

Northeast shore of Guemes Island. San Juan Island and Mt. Baker views.

Department of Natural Resources Recreation Sites

Blanchard Forest

4,800-acre state trust lands.

Cypress Island

5,500 acre island.

Les Hilde Trail & Trailheads

Located in Hamilton, off SR 20. 50 miles of groomed trails at low altitude in Harry Osborne State Forest

Walker Valley ORV Riding Area

Seven miles SE of Mount Vernon. Lowland riding. 28 miles of sanctioned trail and 25 miles of secondary/user-built trail.

Marine State Parks

Hope Island

200-acre marine park in Skagit Bay. Beaches and a trail across the island.

Saddlebag Island

North of Anacortes and east of Guemes. Made up of a pair of wooded headlands connected by a narrow low pass.

Skagit Island

24 acre marine camping park in Skagit Bay. Attractive beaches and a land trail.

National Areas

Bayview Group Campground

Located along Baker Lake Road (Forest Service Road #11) 14.8 miles from SR 20. Along the western shore of Baker Lake.

Boulder Creek

Located along the Baker Lake Road (Forest Service Road #11) 17.8 miles from SR 20. Situated along Boulder Creek.

Colonial Creek Campground

Located off SR 20 at mile post 130. 25 miles (40 km) east of Marblemount. Old growth forest at the base of the Colonial Peak on the shore of Diablo Lake.

Goodell Creek Campground

Located south of SR 20 at mile post 119. 13 miles (21 km) east of Marblemount. Situated in old growth forest on the banks of the Skagit River.

Gorge Lake Campground

Located just outside the town of Diablo, north of SR 20 at mile post 126. 20 miles (32 km) east of Marblemount. On the bank of Gorge Lake, next to the cascading Stetattle Creek.

Horseshoe Cove

Located along the Baker Lake Road (Forest Service Road #11 / 1118) 17.1 miles from SR 20. Situated on the western shore of Baker Lake.

Hozomeen Campground

Located 40 miles (64 km) south of Hope, B.C. on Silver/Skagit Rd (rough road). Hozomeen Campground is not accessible by road from the U.S. This primitive camp sits at the north end of Ross Lake.

Marble Creek

Located along the Cascade River Road (Forest Service Road #15) east of the town of Marblemount about 8 miles from SR 20. Situated adjacent to Marble Creek and the Cascade River.

Mineral Park

Located along the Cascade River Road (Forest Service Road #15) east of the town of Marblemount approximately 15 miles from SR 20. Situated near the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Cascade River.

Newhalem Creek Campground

Located south of SR 20 at mile post 120. 14 miles east of Marblemount. On the banks of the Skagit River, near many natural and historic destinations.

Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

An esturay at the saltwater edge of the delta of the Skagit River in the Salish Sea.

Panorama Point

Located along the Baker Lake Road (Forest Service Road #11) approximately 19.2 miles from SR 20. Situated along the western shore of Baker Lake.

Park Creek

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Located along the Baker Lake Road (Forest Service Road #11) 20.1 miles from SR 20. Situated along Park Creek.

Shannon Creek

Located along the Baker Lake Road (Forest Service Road #11) 23.3 miles from SR 20. Along the western shore of Baker Lake. One wheelchair accessible site.

Other

Baker Lake Resort

Puget Sound Energy

24 miles north of SR 20. Privately owned under special use permit with USFS.

Kulshan Campground

Puget Sound Energy

14 miles north on Baker Lake Rd. from SR 20.

Lake Erie Boat Launch

Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department. Approximately four miles south of Anacortes.

State Parks

Bay View State Park

Seven miles west of Burlington. 25-acre camping park with shoreline on Padilla Bay. Breazeale Padilla Bay Interpretive Center is a half mile north of the park.

Deception Pass State Park

South of Anacortes on Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands. 4,134 acre marine and camping park. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass.

Kukutali Preserve

Individuals or small groups can tour this pristine island. Day use only. Limited parking.

Larrabee State Park

On Samish Bay on Chuckanut Dr. 2,683acre camping park. Two freshwater lakes, coves and tidelands.

Rasar State Park

SR 20 near Birdsview. 169-acre camping park. Wildlife observation opportunities, especially for eagle watching.

Rockport State Park

Seven miles east of Concrete on SR 20. 670-acre park in an ancient forest. The park stands at the foot of Sauk Mountain, which has a steep but climbable trail.

Outdoor Activities

Because of the easy access to Puget Sound, Cascade Mountains and all of the area in between, it is easy to see why Skagit County is called home to so many outdoor enthusiasts.

Auto Racing – Skagit Speedway

Opened in 1954, Skagit Speedway has been delighting crowds of 8,000+ for many years. The 3/10 mile oval track is located in Alger, just north of Burlington. Races are held every Saturday night between April and September. For more info and to purchase tickets, please visit www.skagitspeedway.com.

Boating

With over 200 miles of marine shoreline in Skagit County and easy access to the San Juan Islands, boating is a favorite pastime of many who live here. Ports are available in Anacortes and La Conner. For more information visit www.visitskagitvalley.com/boating.cfm.

Kayaking

Anacortes offers some of the best kayaking in the U.S. Local outfitters offer equipment for rent to experienced kayakers or ½ day and full day scheduled trips for those in need of a guide.

River Rafting

The Skagit River is 160 miles long and is the third largest river on the West Coast. For those without their own gear, you will need to contact one of the local guides offering trips or visit www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/skagit-wsr.

Hunting

Skagit County abounds in wildlife with access to big game, bird and upland game hunting. Information concerning licenses, regulations, seasons and hunting areas can be found at www.wdfw.wa.gov.

Skiing

Hundreds of miles of trails await cross-country skiers in the North Cascades National Park. For more information and maps, visit www.visitskagitvalley.com/skiing.cfm. The nearest downhill skiing available is at Mount Baker in Whatcom County, just 2 hours northeast of Mount Vernon.

Fishing

Whether you are looking for a primitive lake to catch a wild rainbow trout, a 20lb salmon in the Skagit River, or a game fish in Puget Sound, Skagit County offers tremendous opportunities for any angler. For information on licenses, regulations and great places to catch the next “big one”, visit www.wdfw.wa.gov.

Tree or Rock Climbing

Recreational tree climbing, also known as Canopy Climbing, is an unforgettable experience. Sign up for a canopy tree climbing class to learn how to climb giant old-growth trees here in Skagit county at Deception Pass State Park. Open to ages 7+, this adventure gives a sense of freedom, power and connectivity to nature like nothing else. Canopy Tree Climbing in Skagit County is the only one in Washington State and unique to the pacific northwest.

Never gone rock climbing before? Learn the basics in a class at Mt. Erie and you will be able to pass any indoor climbing gym’s belayer test and feel more confident in taking the next step towards your own climbing adventures and an amazing new hobby.

AdventureTerra www.adventureterra.com

Wildlife Viewing

Every season in Skagit County offers opportunities to get up close and personal with wildlife. Birding and whale watching are two of the most prominent. Bald Eagles are here year round, but show up in droves in the winter to feed on salmon along the Skagit River. Thousands of Trumpeter and Tundra Swans and Snow Geese make stopovers in Skagit County on their way along the Pacific Flyway to the northern reaches of Canada. The San Juan archipelago offers a protected environment and tremendous viewing opportunities for Orca, Gray, Minke and occasionally Humpback whales. For more information, please visit www.visitskagitvalley.com/wildlife.cfm.

Skagit County Golf

One thing is for certain, not a single golf hole in Skagit County is alike. Avalon Golf Course is available north of Burlington. The layout includes 27 links-style holes and is perfect for walking. Overlook Golf Course, just east of Mount Vernon, is the most economical option with its 9-hole layout overlooking Big Lake. Swinomish Golf Links is located in Anacortes adjacent to Highway 20. A private course in Burlington, Skagit Golf & Country Club, is open to members only and those interested in joining should contact the Club Manager for a tour of the facility.

Avalon Golf Links www.avalonlinks.com

Overlook Golf Course

(360) 422-6444

Swinomish Golf Links

(360)293-3444

Skagit Golf & Country Club www.skagitgolfclub.com

Lake Activities

There are over a dozen major lakes in Skagit County. Each one is special in its own way, offering excellent fishing, swimming or boating. Depending on the season, you will experience superb fishing at Baker Lake, Lake Campbell, Lake Cavanaugh, Clear Lake, Lake Erie, Heart Lake, Lake McMurray, Pass Lake and Lake Shannon. Most have various species of native trout and bass and a number of them are stocked with rainbow trout each spring.

For swimming, the best place to go is Clear Lake, between Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley. It includes covered picnic shelters, grass areas, a sandy beach, and a dock. If water sports are your passion, Big Lake, Lake Cavanaugh and Clear Lake are your three choices. Big Lake and Lake Cavanaugh are east of Mount Vernon, both with public boat launches on the south side of the lakes. Clear Lake is the smallest of the three lakes with a public boat launch on the north side of the lake.

Fishing www.skagitcounty.net

Lake Cavanaugh www.lakecavanaugh.info