Walk The Trails
Trails are often just outside your back door. The only thing you need to do is put on your shoes. So go exploring with family and friends, take a solitary walk to relax and reflect, or step up the pace for some aerobic exercise. Here's all you need to know.
Trail Markers
Trail markers throughout the forests will help keep you on the correct paths. Please stay on the trail to maintain the health of the forest and respect the privacy of neighbors.
Conifer Pine Trees are one of the most ancient plant genera on the planet, having existed nearly three times longer than all flowering plant species. The pinecone is the evolutionary precursor to the flower. Its bracts spiral in each direction in a perfect Fibonacci sequence. The pinecone is a symbol of immortality, incorruptibility, fecundity, and life. In many Native American cultures , pine trees represent wisdom and harmony with nature.
COMMUNITY
Trails offer an alternative to jumping in the car. Walk to school. Walk to lunch in town, and take a free bus back home. The Island Transit bus schedule is HERE. You'll reduce your carbon footprint, burn a few calories, and meet your neighbors along the way.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Respect the land and all that’s on it. Do not remove or damage plants, animals, rocks, downed timber, artifacts or relics. Do not litter or dispose of refuse.
Respect the rights of land owners, who have provided access to their property without charge. Stay on the trail. Close and latch all gates. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. Bicycles and horses are prohibited, unless signs at the trailhead indicate they are allowed. Hunting, firearms, fireworks, and fires are prohibited.
Respect other hikers. Keep dogs on leash. Clean up pet waste.
TIDES
If your trail leads to the shore, make sure to check the tides. Links to tide charts for numerous locations around Whidbey Island can be found at the bottom of the page at https://www.tideschart.com/United-States/Washington/Island-County/.
The Trails
Forest trails and low-traffic roads linking trails are displayed on Google My Maps, and can be viewed on your desktop or mobile device by clicking HERE.
Open the Trail Map in Google Maps on your mobile device, and it will show your location as you hike the trails. You can also view the Trail Map in the My Maps app or in the browser on your mobile device. See how HERE.
Below is an example of the Trail Map.
Forest trails are shown in green. Low-traffic road segments that connect trails are shown in yellow. Park lands are highlighted green. Click on the map image above to download a map for use on your own device.
Currently, the Trail Map shows only a fraction of existing trails on Whidbey Island. Check back for updates. Better yet, send us GPS tracks of trails to include in the Trail Map by following the instructions under Build a Trail.
Contact Us
Please use the form below to reach out with any question, suggestions or to obtain information about establishing trails in your neighborhood.