Mount Grant Preserve

This location is one of San Juan Island's newest hiking destinations, boasting nearly five miles of trails to explore and accessible from the parking area at West Valley Road.

From here, walk past the gate, and begin your hike in lowland Douglas-fir and Western redcedar forest. You will quickly gain the east side of this ridge as you walk up existing roads. 

As you gain the ridge crest of Mount Grant, you’ll see towering old-growth Douglas firs, rocky balds abounding with uncommon prairie wildflowers, and views, views, views like you won’t get anywhere else in the islands. On a clear day you may get a glimpse of three of Washington’s five volcanoes: Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, and Mount Rainier.

The ridge top has ample areas to wander and delight in the surrounding islands and waterways, but please stick to existing trails…this is fragile habitat up here. You can continue on south along the ridge crest to make this hike a loop (1.9 miles round trip), or return on the road the way you came up.

Note: It's also possible to walk the road to the top, but be aware that if the access gate at the trailhead is open, the road is open to vehicles (this is the case two days a week). 

Background

Local conservation organizations have completed an ambitious project to permanently protect this 250-acre property and turned it into a publicly-accessible nature preserve. The area is still under development; read about the background and future plans for the preserve.