Get on the Water
It doesn’t take a lot of convincing to get people over to Whidbey Island during the summer. With the water, woods, bucolic countryside, and culture, it’s accessible island living at its finest. But a strong case can be made for driving or ferrying on over post-Labor Day. All of the aforementioned attributes aren’t going anywhere, if anything they are augmented by the cozy season.
Ponder it for a moment. Do you like less crowds? My guess is yes. How about moody mornings and a smattering of fall colors? Affirmative. Are you a fan of finding solitude on a trail, spotting migratory birds at the beach, or wildlife on the water? Of course you are. Well now’s your time to shine! With those things in mind, here are some personal favorite ways to enjoy sweater weather on Whidbey.
A tour of Penn Cove with Whidbey Island Kayaking is a wonderful way to supplement your exercise with helpful information about the aquaculture of the area. Watch for whales, eagles, and herons, and likely make solid eye contact with those ridiculously cute harbor seals. In fall, sharp eyes can spy migratory birds like grebes, scoters, loons, and a host of others.
If the elements are cooperative, views of Mt Baker and the North Cascades can be had in the distance. While crystal clear waters and madrone-lined bluffs tempt you to trace the shoreline.
Grab Your Binoculars
A National Audubon-registered Important Bird Area (IBA), Deer Lagoon Preserve is home to no fewer than 211 different documented bird species. It consists of marsh, tidelands/mud flats, open water, and surrounding woodlands. Washington State Fish and Wildlife has concluded that Deer Lagoon is the single most important site on Whidbey Island for use by waterfowl, year-round. How important? It’s been deemed a critical resting and feeding site for migrating shorebirds in the spring and fall. That is important.
The two access points to the lagoon are located within residential neighborhoods. So please be respectful when visiting – don’t block driveways, carpool, if possible, etc.
Lace-up Your Boots
Trails abound on Whidbey so it’s easy to space out. But if you go in the fall, on a weekday, and to some of the non-headlining natural areas, there’s a good chance that you can have a walk in the woods all to yourself.
The Saratoga Woods Preserve is well over 100 acres of protected, forested goodness near Langley. A series of trails explore every corner of the preserve which is home to large trees, lush and healthy understory, and a massive glacial erratic among other highlights. In fall, this is a hotbed for mushroom foraging.
Further north in Coupeville, the Pacific Rim Institute doubles is home to a small network of paths that lead through open meadows and into dense forests. As such, it doubles as a place to get in a good leg stretch as well as watch and listen for an array of resident and migratory bird species.
And those activities barely scratch the surface of everything this island of off-season wonders has to offer. Just do a little digging once you get here. But don’t forget to pack a sweater.
Bio:
Adam Sawyer is an outdoor and travel writer, photographer, published author, guide, and public speaker based in Tillamook. In addition to authoring numerous guidebooks, his work has appeared in several local and national outlets. His weekly Substack newsletter, Collecting Sunsets, covers a broad set of topics including grief, addiction and recovery, travel, and the healing powers of nature.
