I began at the south end of the trail that follows along Indian Slough before the route gets to the open water of the bay. It was clear for the first forty-five minutes and Mount Baker, Three Fingers and even Mount Rainier were in view before the clouds dropped down. There were lots of people out taking advantage of the rainless day, a true rarity these days. I saw six eagles, one hawk a few herons and one lone goose.

Starting from the trailhead at the south end, we walked about halfway in.

Road Conditions. Paved road, gravel parking lot, portable toilet.

Trail Conditions. Smooth, wide gravel path with occasional benches.

Highlights. Birds, seals, mountains.

Crowds. The south parking lot was full at 2pm (people were parking along the road), and the trail was busy.

Needed to kill some time before I could check into a hotel, so decided to head out to Padilla Bay for a short walk. 

Arrived at the south trailhead around 3:00 p.m., and there were only about five cars parked there. Hit the trail, but it was right at low tide so not a lot of water in the slough, and because it was so hot (~90) most creatures were also hiding.

Walked along the trail to the small signage area (~1 mile from the trailhead), sat for a bit before heading back. Overall, we clocked in 1.98 miles and 105' vertical (although not really sure where that came from, as it is basically flat). Only saw one hawk along the way and about 10 blooming flower species. The berries were ripe, but to reach them, you had to risk it all, as they appeared accessible but were hiding a drop-off.

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Beautiful day! Headed for a short stroll at Padilla Bay in the afternoon. Got to the trail head at 3pm and there was plenty of parking.

Unfortunately, it was at low tide and very hot, so not much wildlife to be seen (we've seen otters frolicking at dusk here before so were longing for that). We did a short, 1 mile one-way stroll to an area that has benches and tables. We sat for a short bit and took in the sites, before heading back.

There are delicious berries here - we were able to snag 2, but for the most part, they are tantalizing out of reach due to some ditches and available only to the birds.

Beautiful day for a hike on the Padilla Bay Trail in Skagit County off Highway 20 between Burlington and Anacortes. Trail is 4.25 miles long roundtrip and very flat. The trail is all dirt and gravel with no big rocks. Bikers, Hikers and Joggers can be found. There is total sun exposure with little to no shade and no water so bring a hat and plenty of water if hiking later in the day. Lots of birds can be found especially during migration season.

Checkout the video of this hike below or checkout my Vimeo Channel Link below with over 400 other hikes I have done in Washington and beyond.

As always get out and see this beautiful state and enjoy your hiking.

Take Care,

Mike