Walking through the forests of Orcas Island in the spring it’s easy to forget that the island is a tourist magnet several months of the year.
While you can stand on the water’s edge and fall in love with the views, as you can on the other ferry-served islands, it’s not until you start exploring the trails that you fully appreciate the island’s diversity.
Monday, walking Cascade Falls Trail in Moran State Park with out-of-state relatives from Maryland’s very flat eastern shore, I was reminded how fortunate we are to be able to reach such places with relatively little effort.
There are a couple of ways to see the 75-foot-high falls, a challenging quarter-mile hike that drops 130 feet in elevation to the spring gusher surrounded by lush vegetation; or on the Cascade Creek Trail from Cascade Lake to the falls, about 1.1 miles and a 150-foot elevation gain.
Keep an eye out for Erythronium oregonum, otherwise known as the white fawn lily, or in some quarters as dog’s-tooth violet (it’s not a violet), trout lily or adder’s tongue.
It blooms in the spring in semi-sun or dappled shade but moist soil. One way to tell it from some of its relatives is the distinctive spotted leaves. Each plant has its leaves at the base, a single stem about 5 inches tall, and a single six-petal white flower.
There are 38 miles of trails in Washington’s fourth-largest state park, making it the most accessible and varied set of trails in the San Juan Islands.
There’s a trail type for all skills, the easiest and quickest that works well for the barely walking set of youngsters is the flat, wooded .3-mile Moran State Park Nature Trail.
The Cascade Lake Loop is a well-graded 2.7-mile walk with a little elevation gain on a trail that mostly hugs the shoreline. Cross a bridge over a lagoon at the west end, created when the lake was dammed to provide hydroelectric power to Rosario Resort.
The Mountain Lake Loop is an easy 3.9-mile hike with slight elevation gains and losses. See the ridge of Mount Constitution from the far side of the lake, largest of the park’s lakes.
The 2,409-foot mountain may be the best-known aspect of the 5,252-acre park, because it’s the highest point in the San Juans and has arguably the best view, at least on a clear day, of the mainland and several islands.
Sure, you can drive to the top, but where’s the challenge in that? I’ve seen bicyclists with tortured looks pumping their way around the switchbacks, but I expect the fun part only comes on the way down.
So try a third route, the difficult 6.7-mile, 1,490-foot elevation gain and loss of the heavily forested Mount Constitution Loop that starts at Mountain Lake. The trail began as a telephone line route back when there were crank telephones.
After catching every magnificent view and climbing the lookout tower at the peak, catch your breath and hike the trail down to Twin Lakes and then finish at the trailhead.
Another but less-known challenge is the 4.7-mile, 1,110-foot elevation gain of the Mount Pickett Trail, which includes a service road section.
Mount Pickett is southeast of Mount Constitution, and is home to the largest contiguous tract of naturally propagated, unlogged old-growth forest remaining in the lower elevations of the Puget Sound area.
Many other options can be found by picking up a trail map at the ranger station, including Sunrise Rock and its spectacular views; Cold Spring Trail, with an interpretive area on the powerful windstorm of 1972; and the Little Summit Trail, which offers views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains.
For those wanting to camp May 15 to Sept. 15, make a reservation now (888-226-7688), because the park is often full.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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