Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Written by The Office of the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve

Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve (established in 1978) is a first-ever, one-of-a-kind partnership model to protect a unique piece of the nation’s heritage. Spanning nearly 20 square miles, Ebey’s Reserve envelops the middle section of Whidbey Island and offers stunning views of a cultural landscape where one can spot Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains on a clear day.

Administered by a Trust Board composed of representatives from the National Park Service, Washington State Parks and Recreation, Island County, and the Town of Coupeville, Ebey’s Reserve provides myriad recreation opportunities, historical interpretation, and land management tools to ensure future generations will benefit. Privately funded and federally funded protective easements create a patchwork of farmland that remains operated by multi-generational family farmers. Some of the most prominent and popular crops of recent generations include award-winning wheat, the Rockwell Bean, and Sugar Hubbard Squash.

Old photo of five men standing in the bed of a truck along with several large squash. — Showing off the Hubbard Squash harvest.

Ebey’s Reserve interprets a 12,000-year history dating back to the glacial meltings that left prime soils for cultivation. Before white European exploration and Anglo-American settlement resulted in the displacement of local tribes, the fertile prairies were home to nettles, bracken ferns, and culturally significant camas. Some operations still harvest camas bulbs for Coast Salish tribal rituals and celebrations. Areas of Ebey’s Reserve are the homeland of the Lower Skagit, a tribe who was forced off of Whidbey Island as a result of the 1855 Point Elliott Treaty.

Today’s visitors come to enjoy the interconnected trail system or learn about the region’s military history, Coast Salish history, agricultural history, and maritime history. Sweeping views of natural landscapes and the Puget Sound draw photographers and filmmakers. For local residents, Ebey’s Reserve ensures that a living landscape will be protected in perpetuity.

Wooden buildings line either side of a muddy street. A wood sidewalk lines one side of the street. — Front Street in Coupeville 1890

Start your journey at the Pratt Cottage Visitor Center at 162 Cemetery Road, Coupeville. From there, a quick, level hike, takes you to the Jacob and Sarah Ebey House.