This is an incredible hike. Meadows, cliffs, bald eagles, F-16's roaring by, beaches, boats, bushwhacking, it has it all. This is not a family friendly hike as you can fall off some cliffs and die. If you haven't done this hike yet, put it at the very top of your list. I also did Goose Rock Perimeter Trail on the other side of the bridge. The entire hike took me 6 hours but I was stopping a lot to admire the beauty. Also right next to all this is Mount Erie which you can actually drive up to the top and see amazing views. You can spend all day in this Deception pass area. It really is stunning. Don't forget your Discovery Pass!

We met Anya (Girl and Dog) and Russ at the Sharpe Park TH. They are the Good Samaritans who helped us change a flat tire on our truck in the parking lot for the Maple Pass Loop in October of 2014. Meeting them added to our list of hiking friends! We did the short hike to Sares Head. The day was cloudy and very windy, but we had no rain. From here we drove to Bowman Bay to do the hike to Lighthouse Point. When we first arrived, there were white caps on the water, but the winds gradually died down and by late afternoon the waters were calm. The sun came out and we had beautiful blue skies as we hiked to Lighthouse Point. Indian plum is beginning to bloom.

Even though we got a late start and didn't make it to the trailhead until just past 10 AM, the forecast of rain seemed to keep crowds away from Deception Pass this past Sunday. When we arrived, there were only three other vehicles parked in the lot. For a good part of the day, we had the trail to ourselves. While it was overcast, and at times quite windy, it never rained, and the grey skies complimented the rugged coastal views perfectly. From the numerous viewpoints along the trail we spotted several seals bobbing in the water, and watched ships weaving toward the San Juans or out to sea in the distance. The red flowering currant was just beginning to bloom, and there were what looked to be lillies poking up out of the ground everywhere. Soon, spring will be in full bloom.

Deception Pass is one of (if not the most) popular state park in Washington, and it's not hard to tell why. It's one of my favorite parks, with a nice mix of lush green vegetation and coastal views. We decided to just walk out to Rosario Head, as the weather wasn't too great and we were on our way south to Whidbey. The trail is well maintained coming from the parking lot all the way around the loop, and there's plenty of sights to take in (on a nice day). There were neat strands of bull kelp floating in the water off the Head, and I always love visiting the rocks on the north side with their interesting patterns. It's a quick jaunt out to Rosario Head, so I recommend coupling it with Lighthouse Point if you want to stretch your legs more, or even better, camp at the campground at Bowman Bay when it's open so you can spend more time in the area. It's a great park.