Lopez Hill sits north of Chadwick Hill on Lopez Island, the third largest of the San Juan Islands. Like many hills, it boasts a woodsy top with limited views. People often refer to it as “The Heart of Lopez.”
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Lopez Hill at a Glance
Access: Lopez Hill Trailhead (maps)
Round Trip: 6 miles
Elevation Range: 250′-535′
Gear: none
Route Info: Fred Beavon
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface on Lopez Hill
Friends of Lopez Hill have built and maintained the trails on the 400-acre land. The land ownership is under the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. But the goal is to convert the lease to a perpetual right by 2059.
Lopez Hill is the highest point on the island and ranks #13 on the Washington State Island High Points list. Together, the seven small trails provide many route options. But it’s possible to cover all the paths in a short day.
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An Early Start from Anacortes Ferry
But man, waking up at 3 AM this time of the year is always hard. Since we needed to return home early, the 5:35 AM ferry was our best option. On top of that, we also needed to factor in the two-hour drive to the boat dock.
From the Lopez ferry landing, it was only a 15-minute drive south. Then that put us at the starting point smack in the middle of the island. After organizing and warming up in the car, we started hiking at 7 AM.
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Lopez Hill Trails
I planned to hike all the hill paths during our visit. But we couldn’t walk through each one without repeating parts of some of them. Together, the seven trails added up to a little over four miles.
At the first trail crossing, I decided to go up to the summit first. So we continued west, aiming for the top of the hill. All the forks had a wooden marker with a unique icon and color to guide the way.
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Hiking the Lopez Trails
Soon, we reached the top in two miles. But just as I had suspected, it was another woodsy summit. So we didn’t stay very long before moving again. Then we finished the rest of the Hilltop Trail before tackling the rest.
All the trails joined up nicely. But to connect Muerte and Rainbow Trails, we needed to walk a short section of the road. Earlier, we met a hiker with their baby below the summit and saw them again by the rundown shed.
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Outro
It was only mid-morning when we finished the hike. So glad that it never rained! I thought about going to Chadwick Hill to extend our trip. But I wasn’t sure if we’d have time as the ferry would arrive in a few hours.
Instead, we visited Lopez Village by Fisherman Bay before dillydallying back to the dock. I only had time to stand in line at Isabel’s Espresso to check out the hype. But we’ll be back to see the rest of the island!
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