Chadwick Hill by Lopez Hill sits across from Watmough Head on Lopez Island. Anacortes ferry reaches the island directly via the north. Meanwhile, Deception Pass State Park lies seven miles east of Rosario Straight.
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Chadwick Hill and Watmough Head at a Glance
Access: Watmough Bay Trailhead (maps)
Round Trip: 3.4 miles
Elevation Range: 0′-470′
Gear: none
Route Info: Greg Slayden, James Barlow
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Lopez Island via Anacortes, Washington
We took our hike back to Lopez Island on this rainy weekend. As always, we caught the first boat before dawn, hoping to return at a decent hour. A 30-minute joy ride soon brought us to the island’s ferry landing in the north.
A half-hour drive through the heart of the island took us to the southern tip. Then we started walking at dawn through the beautiful Watmough Bay. The hidden trail behind the beach sat directly below the top of Chadwick Hill.
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Chadwick Hill via Watmough
The flat trail went west of the preserve and up through the open forest. Then we briefly stepped inside the private land, which permitted foot traffic. Soon, we finished the last half a mile to the high point inside the protected area.
En route were spotty views from the windy ridgetop and a swing set. Then we went to the opening on the east to view Boulder Island plus Fidalgo Island. I even spotted towers atop Mount Erie when zooming in with the camera.
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Watmough Head via Watmough Bay
After a long break under the sun’s bliss, we returned to the beach. Following the main trail for under half a mile, we soon crossed the Chadwick Road into the forested summit. I only caught the south view through a tiny opening.
I wanted to check out more of Lopez Village since we only stopped for pasties the time before. But I ended up only getting a few things and quickly left. Before long, we took the scenic, half-hour ride back to the mainland.
See more trip photos here.