The road up to Samish Lookout was completely snow covered at 8:30 and a bit dicey - glad we have snow tires and all wheel drive. Did some nice loops around Lilly and Lizard lakes, 8 miles worth.  The trails were snow covered everywhere but yak-trax or other traction devices made it an easy, worry free hike. It was a beautiful day to hike! We left at 2:30 and the road it was much better and snow was melted in some parts. 

The road was sketchy — very icy in places & we had one scary little slip n slide on the drive up & I drive an AWD SUV with all-terrain tires. On the drive back down a young couple in front of us rolled their car into a ditch (separate from the other car stuck on the side of the road pictured in the last posters photo). If you’re not comfortable/experienced driving on ice, or don’t have chains, best to park down on Chuckanut Dr & hike that route up instead. Not worth the risk! We regretted going up — it felt way too risky getting back down the hill. The trail was all packed snow and solid ice in places — we wore micro-spikes the whole time & it was fine! The viewpoint rock face was clear of snow and ice, so easy to sit and have a snack! A lot of the road & trail is shaded so might take a minute for the ice to melt. 

Visited Oyster Dome via the Chuckanut Drive trail access point. Having done the dome trail from Samish Overlook a few times, I wanted to see the rest of the trail. As described in the hike details, there is limited parking but I found a spot a short way south along the highway. This trail starts out climbing right away but the switchbacks made it tolerable for my old knees. Put on spikes about a mile in once the trail was consistently snow and ice covered. Stayed icy and snowy all the way to the viewpoint. 

Only saw a dozen people in the three hours it took to cover 8 miles and 2000 feet elevation gain RT. Most hikers had spikes and poles but some runners were using trail shoes and a couple had big winter boots like Sorrels.

This extra mileage and gain paid back the additional effort in solitude, views and more time in nature. Plus, Chuckanut Drive is always a treat. Will definitely visit this trail section again! 

The weather was perfect on this sunny January day, and many other hikers must have thought the same.  The trail is out and back with aggressive elevation gain up to Oyster Dome but the vistas are well worth it!  Take a snack and some water and relax at the top as you enjoy the beautiful vistas of the San Juan islands to the west.  The trail is in good shape with a couple minor water crossings.  The road to the trailhead has some potholes so navigate with care.  

Road to get there to Samish Overlook has some potholes but nothing nasty. Trail is gorgeous, mostly through woods with views at the top of the Olympics, the San Juans, and we could even see Rainier today. Not muddy, no snow, just a little bit of ice that froze the ground in small beautiful patterns. Not too crowded; we were there on a Wednesday afternoon.