A fog horn sounds in the distance while the slate gray water of Guemes Channel laps against the rocks. Damp fall leaves are strewn along the trail, a light crisp breeze sweeps your cheeks and the morning sun streams through the leaves on the trees, creating an orangish light.
With a hot cup of coffee in one hand and my 2-year-old toddling next to me, it’s a perfect fall walk in the Pacific Northwest.
The newly expanded Guemes Channel Trail near the ferry terminal in Anacortes is an undiscovered gem. Built on an old railroad bed, the mile-long, 10-foot-wide paved trail runs east from the end of Fidalgo Island toward the city center of Anacortes.
The expansion was recently completed in conjunction with the city of Anacortes, the Anacortes Parks Foundation and a local developer, and added approximately two-thirds of a mile to the existing portion of the trail that was finished in 2009.
“This trail has been a dream of various citizens in Anacortes for years and years and years,” said Jim Clarke, who, as president of BrandMark, has worked closely with Gilbane Development and the city of Anacortes on the planning and development of the trail. “We’ve heard zero negative response.”
The trail begins at the end of a cul-de-sac at the bottom of the newly developed San Juan Passage neighborhood near the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. There are actually two trails that begin from there, with the Guemes Channel Trail running east along the waterline and the Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, a wetlands preserve with wooden walkways and beach access, running west toward the ferry terminal.
On a recent morning, friends Margrit Ebner, Karen Rasmussen and Diane Davidson strolled the Guemes Channel Trail. The three, who live in the Skyline neighborhood on the hill above the trail, walk the length of the trail and back every Thursday.
“We absolutely love it,” Ebner said. “On a clear day you can see Mount Baker.”
My son Teddy and I thoroughly enjoyed the trail. He threw small rocks in the water, sat on a few of the benches that dot the trail and waved leaves around like flags. The day we went fog obscured our view of Mount Baker and Guemes Island, but the walk was calming and easy, and everyone we met on the trail was nice and waved hello.
We also hiked the full distance of the Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve (SHIP). The SHIP is made up of 1,800 feet of gravel path and a little more than 1,000 feet of boardwalk trail, and includes historical markers, artwork and a number of viewpoints.
The expanded portion of the Guemes Channel Trail ends near Lovric’s Sea-Craft, but that isn’t the end of the dream. The final goal is for the trail to run from Washington Park on the tip of Fidalgo Island to downtown Anacortes, where it would connect to the already completed Tommy Thompson Trail. From there, walkers and bikers can travel along Fidalgo Bay and over the trestle to March Point. In all, it would be approximately 10 miles of paved trail.
Clarke said that if the funding and land acquisitions were to be finalized, construction on the third phase of the Guemes Channel Trail wouldn’t take much longer than four to six months, depending on design and engineering issues. The third phase would take the trail from where it currently ends near Lovric’s to the portion of the trail near the Kiwanis Riverfront Park and Guemes Island ferry dock along Sixth Street, which was completed in 2010.
The other ambitious portion planned involves taking the trail through the Shannon Point neighborhood and into Washington Park. One large obstacle is getting past the ferry terminal to connect the trail running west from Washington Park with the Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, which already connects to the western edge of the ferry terminal.
For now, though, enjoy the calm walk along the Guemes Channel Trail or the Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, especially if it’s fall … or if you’re stuck in a four-hour ferry line.
Aaron Swaney: 425-339-3430; aswaney@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @swaney_aaron79.
If you go
The Guemes Channel Trail is a mile-long paved trail that runs west along the waterline from the San Juan Passage neighborhood toward downtown Anacortes. The Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve is nearly 3,000 feet of gravel and boardwalk paths through a wetlands preserve near the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. Both trailheads are at the end of a cul-de-sac at the bottom of Edwards Way.
Getting there: Take I-5 north from Everett. Take exit 230 in Burlington and turn west on Hwy. 20. Continue on Hwy. 20 to Anacortes, turning right on Commercial Ave. and then heading west again on 12th St., which turns back into Hwy. 20. Drive approximately 3 miles, turn right on Glasgow Way and then left on Edwards Way. Take Edwards Way to the bottom of the cul-de-sac. There are no marked parking spots, but plenty of space to park.
More information online: Guemes Channel Trail at www.guemeschanneltrail.com; Ship Harbor Interpretive Trail at anacortesparksfoundation.org; San Juan Passage neighborhood at www.sanjuanpassage.com.
Tommy Thompson Trail: The 21/2-mile paved trail runs from downtown Anacortes across a trestle to March Point. Easy access is at the Fidalgo Bay RV Park, which is accessible off of Fidalgo Bay Road. For a map of the trail, visit www.cityofanacortes.org.
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