I Love Skagit County

Padilla Bay

Padilla Bay is located directly between the Skagit Valley, and the Samish, Guemes and Fidalgo Islands. Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is an 8 mile by 3 mile estuary that is so important to the local ecosystem that in 1980 the area was named a national reserve by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The entire bay is so shallow that when the tide goes out, much of the area turns into mud flats, allowing vegetation to grow. There are nearly 8,000 acres of eelgrass in Padilla Bay, offering wonderful habitat for salmon, crab, clams, shrimp and other invertebrates. The area is a known feeding ground for great blue herons, bald eagles, otters and many other species. The Padilla Bay Shore Trail, one of the most accessible and best walking, jogging and biking trails in

Skagit County, is located adjacent to the bay. The 2.25 mile path along the dike allows for tremendous wildlife viewing and an up close look at one of the most healthy, least disturbed and most biologically productive estuaries on Puget Sound.

Chuckanut Drive

Along Skagit County’s northern-most waterfront, you will find Chuckanut Drive. This 21 mile corridor leads from the flat farmland through the Chuckanut Mountains to Bellingham, the largest city between Seattle and Canada. Twisting and turning, the road climbs quickly into the forest canopy overlooking Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands. There are several dining choices along the way, offering succulent northwest seafood in a beautiful setting. If you would like to witness a shellfish farm in action, visit Taylor Shellfish Farm, located just after the hairpin corner going north on Chuckanut Drive.