8 Kid-Friendly Hikes Just 90 Minutes (or Less) From Seattle
Photo:
Enjoying a hike at Guemes Mountain. Photo: courtesy of Skagit Land Trust
Guemes Mountain, Guemes Island
So this one does not quite make our 90-minutes-from-Seattle cutoff. It’s more like two hours including the short ferry ride. But a trip that includes a ferry ride and a jaunt to the highest point on an island sounds like the perfect enticement for kids.
Guemes Mountain, located in a conservation area and protected by a unique partnership, is the highest point on Guemes Island, an island in the San Juan chain that you can access by ferry from Anacortes. The view from the top of Guemes Mountain includes the Skagit flats, Mount Baker, the Cascade mountains, Samish Island and several other San Juan Islands.
Length of trail/difficulty: This easy 2.4-mile trail (round trip) is perfect for almost any level of hiker.
Getting there: Find directions on the Skagit Land Trust site. You will need to take the Guemes Island Ferry from Anacortes, which has frequent service and crosses the channel in about five minutes. Note: There is very limited parking at the trailhead of Guemes Mountain (plus a bike rack), so consider bringing bikes onto the ferry instead of a car, and biking to the trailhead, 3 miles away. Find recent hike trip reports of Guemes Mountain at the WTA website.
Other things to do on Guemes Island: Check out our pocket guide to Guemes Island.
