Though I lived just down the street from Deception Pass State Park in high school, I had never hiked the Cranberry Lake Trail in the park. Kirk had the day off, so we went off to Deception Pass State Park, which sits at the northern tip of Whidbey Island. It’s a drive for us, around 40 miles one way, as we live on the island’s south end. But good conversation and a relaxed day is worth it.
On January 9th, 2024, a pretty good storm hit hard on the island’s north end (it wasn’t bad for us). Partly, it is because the island’s northwest tip looks out straight into the Salish Sea and is the end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Or as we call it, “Tsunami Acres”. Any storms coming up the strait from the Pacific Ocean hit it hard.
I had heard that the parking lot on West Beach was hit hard, and I had meant to get up and take a look. The park has closed the road down to that beach area (and the seasonally closed campground). To get there, you must do it on foot. Not hard at all. A pleasant walk for sure.
Enter the park and bypass the ranger station if you have a Wa State Discover Pass (seriously, people just sit in that lane…..). If you don’t have a pass, sit in it and get one. It’s $10 a day or $30 for the season. After you go through that area, the road winds down a bit, going through an awkward “Y,” and just after that, on your left is a huge parking lot for the East Cranberry Lake Picnic Area/fishing dock. Drive in and park here. There are many picnic tables and a bathroom.
In high school, we’d often come down to the picnic area and have dinner there.
Walk downhill towards Cranberry Lake, going by the huge CCC Great Depression era built picnic shelters (my Grandfather was in the CCC). Much of Deception Pass State Park was built by the CCC, and much of it still exists due to its being well-built. Behind the largest shelter is an obvious trail to the right. This is the start of the Cranberry Lake Trail.
This section of the trail follows the lake, gently going up and down.
The woods are pleasant here.
Cranberry Lake has beavers. Not that I got lucky today in seeing one.
As you wrap around the lake you enter an area where there is beavers doing their work.
But alas! There are no beavers doing beaver stuff for me to gawk at.
The Olympic Mountains start becoming visible across the lake. The beach is on the other side of the lake, beyond a short dune area.
The trail comes out to the (closed for now) road. You can cross the road and take a spur trail to connect with the Cranberry Lake Trail or walk down the road. We opted to walk the first section of the road, which is close to the lake.
When we came to the (seasonally) closed campground, we jumped onto the trail and walked it to the end of the road. On the way out, we walked that section on the road and took the trail section we hadn’t taken before.
You might want to take the road if you have mobility issues or it has been raining a lot. Being void of cars, it is enjoyable to walk on.
The road comes to the North Beach road, pass that, and keep walking.
The damage is evident as you enter the large parking lot. In summer months or any warm-ish weekend, this lot is usually 100% full. Even on New Year’s Day it’s jammed. Being on the corner of the island, the views up into the San Juan Islands is great.
The hash lines in the destroyed parking lot were the handicap slots – the lines being for wheelchair lifts.
Looking south down West Beach, in the far distance is NAS Whidbey’s base. The Olympics rise in the upper right.
Over half the lot is covered in driftwood, broken pavement, and other garbage. But those views of the Olympics, as they run into the water…that never gets old to look at.
On the way back, we enjoyed the road walk, then cut into the forest at the campground.
A tree decaying beautifully.
A very skinny Madrona tree crosses the trail.
It is just a bit over a mile each way.
Open to walking, bikes, and jogger strollers. Dogs on leash.
~Sarah