The boys and I are working on visiting more public beach access points on Whidbey Island, and a number of them are Island County Parks. That is a good thing as the parks are free to visit, no parking permits needed.
However, they are often quite small and with neighbors who don’t necessarily like the public being there. Keep that in mind. Which, if they get angry, not my problem. They don’t own the park. Just remember at these beach access areas to stay within the park area. If you go farther on the beaches, stay well below the high tide line to avoid angering homeowners. (Which I’ll add this….read this article on it) Tread lightly and quietly, and don’t have unleashed dogs…and most people are chill.
Since we were in the area, we popped over to Mariner’s Cove County Park on the north end of Whidbey Island. It’s so far out that you wouldn’t just drive there unless you were doing multiple things in a day. The tiny park sits at the bottom of the Mariner’s Cove housing area. It’s worth popping in to enjoy the quiet views of the North Cascades and the top of Camano Island.
It’s also one of the easiest to access, as it has a circular driveway for ease in pulling in and out of. It’s a nice touch as many are in and out driveways. Easy for the boat access I am sure.
Being on the eastern side of the island it’s a rock and mudflat combo. The western beaches, that face the Salish Sea are the sandy ones. With the tide out far you could see this beach is for rock lovers. The views were pretty on a hot day.
Not necessarily a beach for walking (rocks really work the ankles). But the views of the Central Cascades are worth spending a few minutes here. Mt. Baker is just out of view (to the left) but the views of Camano Island are quite relaxing.
~Sarah