WillhiteWeb.com - Hiking, Climbing & Travel.

Bowen Island is by far the most popular of the Howe Sound Islands. The destination is such a great excursion for the residents of Vancouver. With easy public transportation from the city, walking onto the ferry is a snap. By mid morning, you can be on a island retreat. Located around the ferry terminal are all kinds of activities, cafes and parks. This page focuses on hiking to the highest point on Bowen Island, Mount Gardner. For a hiker, it can easily be done from the ferry dock. The views from the summit of Gardner are absolutely amazing.

The Soos Creek Trail is a paved 6 mile trail meandering through woods, meadows and wetlands. Most of the route is a gentle grade good for leisurely strolls and bicycle rides with families. Only one hill at the south end is really tough for young children. The multi-use trail extends northwards from Lake Meridian Park in Covington, to nearly reaching Renton. Soos Creek fans boast of the natural scenery, as it follows the creek valley with wetlands on both sides........

Green Mountain is one of the least climbed mountains on the western Middle Fork ridgeline. It is located between Mount Tenerife and Moolock Mountain, which are not labeled on maps. Maps will show Green as the only named peak between Mt. Si and Bessemer Mountain. Most of the route is forested but views from the top make the trek worth the trip.

Not all lookouts are on the summits of mountains. Heybrook Lookout is a low elevation lookout just above highway 2, a bit east of Index. The trail only climbs 850 feet in 1.3 miles so the trail is very popular with just about everyone. The payoff is a nice view of Mt. Index, one of the most impressive mountains in the Cascades. Thanks to the low elevation, the trail is clear while most nearby trails are under snow. You can ascend the sturdy lookout up seven flights of stairs to an observation area......

Storm King Mountain is identified on nearly all maps as a regional marker. Storm King is the highest mountain in the immediate area east of highway 7 between Elbe and Morton. The summit has a prominence of 2,230 making it the 106 most prominent mountain in Washington State. The view from the summit is unobstructed and offers a great perspective of the three volcanoes and their surrounding minor mountain ranges. The mountain is riddled with logging roads and the local logging companies are fairly good about non-motorized use.

These two mountains look over I-90 on the south side, between the popular Mt. Washington and McClellan Butte trails. Change Peak is often climbed because the long way up Mt. Washington passes just underneath it but Greenway Mountain seems to go un-noticed in most cases. Greenway Mountain is interesting because the route is inside of the Cedar River Watershed yet the public is allowed to walk the road that goes nearly to the summit. Signs are posted every 50 feet....

Located on Carr Inlet, Kopachuck State Park has a scenic location on the water looking over to the Olympic Mountains. There is good camping with 41 tent spaces, something to consider to take advantage of the nice sunsets visible from the beach. Cutts Island is also an attractive feature off shore that looks pristine and unspoiled. The island is part of the park but you will need a boat to get the half mile out to it. Getting down to the beach requires a short 1/8-mile walk down a hill.

This Kayak Tour for me had two purposes, one was to get a better experience viewing Howe Sound, the other was to climb some islands. Howe Sound is the most southern fjord in North America. It is surrounded by towering mountains rising straight out of the sea. The Sea to Sky Highway cuts the eastern side of the fjord, it is the route from Vancouver to Squamish and Whistler. This paddle route utilized the other side of Howe Sound, accessing three of the biggest islands and three trails to take you to highpoints on these islands. Our tour began at Porteau Cove Provincial Park.....

Anvil Island is located in Howe Sound, very noticeable from the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Squamish. The name was given by Captain George Vancouver who said in his journal, "The sun shining at this time for a few minutes afforded an island which, from the shape of the mountain that composes it, obtained the name of Anvil Island." Only a few homes inhabit the island including.....

Sunrise Beach County Park is mostly undeveloped except for a parking area and walking route to the beach. The remainder is wooded with a few trails meandering around. Signs direct you to a parking area that appears at first to be someone’s private property. From there, follow signs down a nice grassy hill, past some picnic tables to the rocky beach. Views are nice of Vashon Island, Commencement Bay and Mount Rainier. Because of the Tacoma Narrows, the current is quite strong on Colvos Passage.

Bridle Trails State Park located in Kirkland has survived development for over 100 years. The land was granted to Washington during statehood in 1889. The DNR managed the land, logged it once around 1920, and began leasing it to the State Parks shortly after. In the 1960’s, the State Park system purchased the property. Today, Bridle Trails is an urban park, one of the largest in the area. Although there are 28 miles of trails, you wouldn’t want to hike them all...

Manchester State Park feels remote yet the park is only minutes from the ferry from West Seattle. It is also very close to Bremerton and Port Orchard so you think it would be crowded. It is not, and Manchester offers about two hours of roaming or a quick local overnight camping spot. There are 35 tent spaces and 15 utility spaces. The parks shoreline is on Rich Passage, the main route from Seattle to Bremerton. Most of the park is wooded with walking trails going everywhere.

Salmon Creek Ravine Park is undeveloped and unknown. Only the locals will know about this hidden wooded Ravine, in a very urban and developed area. Several trails pass through the park but there are no signs and with no map, you will be hiking blind. You won’t find any large trees but the maples and alders can be very nice. The big trees were logged long ago with evidence showing in the large springboard notches of old stumps. Some of the trails are the original route of skid roads that slid the logs down to Puget Sound.

The Fox Island Sand Spit is located on the northern tip of Fox Island. The spit is just large enough to offer some quiet serenity for those looking to enjoy the weather and scenic view over the water. At the edge of the spit you could have a picnic in the grassy areas. You can walk the beach, toss rocks or just take a nap.