As part of United General Hospital's summer hiking program 'Trek for Treasure' we did an easy waterfront amble at Rosario Head. This hike is great for beach access, salty breezes, island viewing and families. There are a couple of high bluffs over the water where you can see the kelp beds moving in the currents. Deception Pass Bridge is visible from the end of the trail and you can sit and watch the boats passing through the churning water from the sunny, exposed bluffs. 

The tide was out when we were there so the beach at Bowman Bay was wide and sandy. The good sand, not rocky like the typical PNW beach. We watched otters playing in the shallow bay and dug our toes in the warm, black sand.

The only challenge with this hike is finding a parking spot!

We were a bit disappointed to find the promised views across the Sound to the Olympics entirely shrouded by 60-degree fog (despite 80-degree temperatures in the Seattle area) until after our 3pm departure ... not to mention the bridge views impeded by construction tarps and the fishing pier closed due to storm damage. We took our time exploring the bays, Lottie and Lighthouse Point, and Rosario Head, so the 4.86mi, 801 ft gain (more than listed!), ~3-hour hike/meander certainly wasn't a total loss. We enjoyed looking at barnacles and taking in the forests of hemlock, fir and Pacific Madrone, but beware of impaired visibility and chillier temperatures here than you might otherwise expect in July!

We arrived a couple hours into the minus 1.9 foot low tide but we were still able to skirt around the headland and walk on the beach at Bowman Bay to and from Reservation Head. Being a Saturday and sunny weather there were a lot of people out on the beaches and headlands. There were also a lot of people taking advantage of the kayak and paddle board rentals at Bowman Bay.

07June2021 ~07:30, overcast ~50s_F, and spotty light drizzle ended .. i was the only one at the Rosario Beach parking. A few minutes later, another vehicle arrived. And i noticed that the 2 people went down to the Rosario beach. ~10:30 when i left, there were ~12 vehicles in the parking lot. Also, during my ~2+ hours in Park, i noticed (only) a total of ~15 people and 2 dogs; everyone's out and about, happily doing their own "thing"; a photographer, shells/rocks picking, sight-seeing .. including the 2 pairs of visitors whom i encountered and had a short chat - there were all were very friendly and courteous. 😊

~08:30 while i was walking down from the Trail to the Bowman Bay beach, i suddenly heard loud growling coming ~10 ft away from me. At the same time, i heard someone from up on the hillside (~30 ft behind me) yelling and warning me to "watch out".

In front of me "stood" a big ~4 ft tall (my first thought was a) "sea-lion". i immediately stopped walking .. quickly back-stepped ~10 ft towards the hillside. Then seeing the "sea-lion" didn't advance towards me, but that it went back behind the log, i (friendly) shouted "thank-you for the warning" to the 2 people who were still up on the hillside. They told me that they had earlier saw the "sea-lion" sleeping behind the large driftwood-log. And when it heard my footsteps, it got up and growled - to tell me to go-away.

i went a safe distance (probably, another 20 ft) around the "sea-lion"/log location and continued out to Lighthouse Point, and Lottie Point.

On my way back to the parking, ~09:45 i arrived at the Discovery Bay hillside-shoreline path, near the location where i had first encountered the "sea-lion". And i could view (from ~50 ft away) the "sea-lion" having a siesta beside the large driftwood-log. 😊

After ~10 minutes, i met the (probably, Park) "Volunteer Host". And she told me that the "sea-lion" is one of the Park's "regular visitor"; named "Elsie-May", and that its a young female Elephant Seal. The Volunteer Host also told me that the Park may put up "fencing" to keep Elsie-May safe (from people).

What a beautiful experience today for me - my first time ever Wildlife sighting in the open. And very thankfully, no one - including Elsie-May or me - was hurt. 😊

My walk/hike (Out & Back): TH > Rosario Head > Bowman Bay > Lighthouse Point > Lottie Point { Stats: ~5 mi / Moving Time: 2:20 / Total Time: 2:40 }

Happy Trails Everyone! 😊

We hiked from Bowman Bay to Rosario Head and back. It was beautiful, with non-stop views, but it was a Saturday and the Rosario picnic area was very crowded. The trail was fairly busy as a result, and unfortunately most people we encountered weren't wearing masks. Fortunately, we could still maintain a reasonable distance from others except when passing on the trail, so it was doable, if not ideal. I've hiked to Lighthouse Point from Bowman Bay in the past, and that's a better option if you prefer fewer people and want the feel of a somewhat more remote hike.

The trip form Bowman Bay to Rosario Head is 1.5 miles round trip. It's an easy trail, although there is a brief uphill stretch from Bowman Bay that can be a little rocky. There are also some drop-offs as you hike atop the low sand cliffs between Bowman Bay and Sharpe Cove. There are no guardrails at Rosario Head, but the trail doesn't stray too close to the edge. Many small wildflowers were blooming. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of invasive Scotch broom in full bloom along the trail to Bowman Bay. At Rosario Beach, they're working to restore the tidepool habitat, so tread carefully and read the beautiful signs providing information about this ongoing project.

All in all, Rosario Head is a great short family hike, perfect for stopping and exploring beaches and picnic areas, learning the legend of Ko-kwahl-alwoot (the Maid of Deception Pass), and discovering fantastically shaped trees. The views are incredible, even on a cloudy day, and our 5- and 9-year-olds (all of us, really) had a lot of fun.

For a full review with many more photos, please visit the link listed below.