Watmough Bay Preserve is a slightly off the beaten path destination on Lopez Island, "The Jewel of the San Juan Islands", in Washington State.
...and if you like a good hike, you'll be missing out if you don't make the trek!
This is Watmough Bay, and the main entrance has you enter from a trail on the far end of the beach, as seen from the perspective of this photo.
It won't show up on a casual search for the island's best treasures since it's not a state or federal park, but rather, "a land preserve", under the general purview of the San Juan County Land Bank. Fortunately our wonderful hosts were kind enough to let us know we should make the visit!
From the San Juan County Land Bank Website :
Dramatic cliffs and towering old growth Douglas firs frame the stunning Watmough Bay Preserve at the south end of Lopez Island. In 1993, a seventy-foot section of beach was generously donated to the Land Bank in order to ensure public access to this local treasure. A conservation easement added onto the adjacent 8-acre fresh water wetland helps to further protect the area’s fragile ecosystem and prevents development of the adjacent uplands. The Bureau of Land Management purchased the surrounding 390 acres and has designated the property as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. In 2007, the Land Bank partnered with the San Juan Preservation Trust to protect an additional 7.29 acres with approximately 680 feet of high bank waterfront along the south side of the bay. A neighboring property owner generously gifted two parcels in an effort to conserve the character of the bay, protect significant ecological features, and maintain the public access that we enjoy.
At first it seems like you've just stumbled upon a picturesque inlet, but if you begin exploring a bit and set your sights towards the unremarkable sounding Chadwick Hill I think you will be completely enchanted by the terrain, @wolfcat and I sure were!
Through the douglas fir and into...
Peace, and @lovejoy
Peace and more peace is what you breathe in those photographs
Wow, thanks for such a lovely comment... I'm glad you feel that from these photos. :)
Again !! Seems like lots of scenery here !!
The island look so calm and at peace. If the pictures are this relaxing. I can see how relaxing this in actual would be . :D
We were there during the offseason, which I highly recommend if you don't mind the brisk temperatures, it's really worth it for the peace and quiet!
Someday for sure :D
That looks like a great place to explore. Was there a lot of wildlife, too? If it's far enough away from cities, and if you can camp there, it would be great for astrophotography :)
Very nice photography!
In the San Juan's, wildlife we saw was mainly cormorant, ducks, eagle, river otter, and sea lion. As far as the Watmough bay preserve, the wildlife was pretty quiet the day we were there. The sky is amazingly clear and stars so bright at night! So yes, it would be great for astrophotography!
Looks awesome! I definitely need to get out and explore that northwestern coast someday
I hope you do! It's soooooo worth the trip! The whole Pacific Northwest is just brimming with gems waiting to be explored.
Those were some breathtaking photos @lovejoy. I remember when was adventurous back in the day when I was doing parkour with my friends. I'm not really sure why I was reminded of that, haha. Good times.
Your parkour days don't have to be over @raizel. Have you heard of Fight or Flight Academy? ;). It's a really cool space, I used to go there!
Yeah, I had a friend that went there during my time at high school. It's kind of far away though.
┐(´～｀)┌
How did you practice parkour? How good it is to know what Parkour is doing <3 brothers who know about traveling from other places <3
Wow! This Island looks beautiful. But trust me, I wouldn't dare what @wildcat is doing! Lol! Looks scary!
It is more beautiful than it even looks in photos! Hehehe, It's @wolfcat, not wildcat... ;)
Lol! auto correct did that! I will love to travel around the world when I have enough money to do that.
That is a brilliant photography what a Beautiful place that is.
Thank you... Yes it's quite the island! Very beautiful.
its a beautiful place..
hope you enjoy the place😍😍
It was amazing.. thanks! :)
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Nice place
uffff I love that place <3 nature, its beautiful landscapes, everything in reality <3 I love venturing into this kind of places full of many trees and vegetation, with each photo and line that I read as I progressed I immersed myself more in this beautiful place admiring each of its parts <3 that I enjoyed a lot in the exploration and in a fantastic place to rest and be full of peace, extraordinary photos for my brother @lovejoy, I loved thank you for sharing landscapes like these. Undoubtedly I would be jumping and climbing some rocks hahaha some displacement and Parkour does not fall badly in a place as wonderful as that
Another excellent adventure! You were fortunate to be able to photograph @wolfcat in her natural habitat. Sightings are rare! Sunset is a fitting ending photograph. Looks peaceful :)