Turtleback Mountain Preserve - Ship Peak Loop
Open views and varied forest habitats
1 this month · 11 reports
Puget Sound and Islands
Washington Park's trails are currently clear of snow and bugs. The main access road is suitable for all vehicles, and parking is generally available, though some reports mention higher vehicle traffic near popular viewpoints. While the forested sections are well-maintained, the southern, more open, and rockier trails closer to the water require careful footing, as noted on August 3. Poles are recommended for these sections if you have knee issues, according to a report from October 17. Many trail junctions are signed, but having a park map is helpful for navigation, especially on the less-defined southern trails.
Generated from 13 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 3 weeks ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 3 weeks, so everything below is at least that old.
The forested sections of the trail are well-maintained. However, the southern, more open, and rockier trails closer to the water require careful footing and are described as traversing steep slopes on August 3. Poles are recommended for these areas if you have knee issues, as of October 17.
Yes, the road to Washington Park has been reported as suitable for all vehicles on August 16 and October 17.
Parking is available and generally free. However, one report from August 16 noted significant vehicle traffic which detracted from the experience, though another from October 17 indicated fewer people on the southern side.
While the park is small, some trails are not well-signed. Having a park map or GPS app is recommended to navigate effectively, especially on the southern trails, as of August 3.
Open views and varied forest habitats
1 this month · 11 reports
Dry trail, no bugs, ferry access
12 reports
Cactus spotted west of historical marker
11 reports
Seals basking on rocks
11 reports
Trail is dry and free of bugs
Seattle-Tacoma Area · 5 this month · 78 reports
Fall color and hundreds of cacklers
Seattle-Tacoma Area · 4 this month · 36 reports
Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Nice local forest with easy forest trails and an outer trail with good views of Burrows Channel. There were several dog walkers on the paved portion of the trail on the north end, but we didn't see h...
Nice easy road walk loop with free parking and good viewpoints intermittently. Lots of vehicle traffic took away from the experience. Deer are habituated to people here, do not feed.
We got smoked out of the Cascades, so turned around and headed to Washington Park in Anacortes to enjoy the scenery and geology. The views were great out over the Salish Sea and the geology is intrig...
Trails could be marked better. Lots of trails had no markings.
My 13‑year‑old daughter, Sarah, and I spent the day exploring Washington Park on San Juan Island, and it ended up being one of the most memorable outings we’ve had in a long time. The park is stunning...
Bottom Line:How great is the PNW when you can snowshoe one day, and enjoy flower-carpeted bluffs the next, all while searching for elusive orcas in the Mediterranean seascapes of Anacortes? A cloudy d...
We drove through the loop because we have kids under 5 and were not sure they'd walk the whole way. Luckily we found parking spots at every view point. Lots of people casually walked the trail and got...
What an amazing day it was today. Blue skies to nth degree, lovely temperatures, my goodness just amazing. Washington Park was our last of three stops today.This lovely, city park is just stunning wit...
Just moved to Anacortes the start of March. This is 2.6 mile loop, that is welcome to foot traffic and cars as well. If you enter the normal way, you’ll have cars driving behind you. It was recommende...
Walking the perimeter of this park is always a delight. Today we watched porpoises and eagles. One immature eagle was sitting in a tree about 20 feet from the trail about 20 feet above us. It defin...