6 Things to do on a Whidbey Island Day Trip from Seattle
For stressed-out Seattleites, Whidbey Island is an idyllic emerald escape. The spindly vertical isle in Washington’s Puget Sound features evergreen forests, cozy waterside towns, sweeping beaches, and soaring mountain views. It is the type of place where artists set up shop, where waves lap gently against lonely windswept beaches, and where the humdrum of city life seems worlds away.
At about 57 miles long and 10 miles wide, Whidbey is the largest island in Western Washington’s Puget Sound. Its wealth of tourist attractions and proximity to Seattle make it a popular day trip destination.
THINGS TO DO ON WHIDBEY ISLAND
Life on Whidbey Island is certainly quieter and more pastoral than in the bustling metropolis across the bay. As with San Juan Island and Orcas Island, life is about the simple pleasures—a clear view of the Olympic Mountains, the sound of wind rustling through leaves, lightly trafficked trails that meander through evergreen forest.
Still, there are plenty of things to do on Whidbey Island for those interested in sightseeing. The island is full of free attractions, making it an affordable Pacific Northwest weekend trip destination. From the state parks of Ebey’s Landing and Deception Pass, to the coastal communities of Langley and Coupeville, the island is a destination that is as scenic as it is serene.
With one day on Whidbey Island, Dan and I chose to focus our itinerary on the area’s highlights. We arrived at the southernmost tip of the island, on the ferry from Mukilteo. Over the course of most of the day, we made our way up the gangly island to its northern tip—relishing Whidbey Island’s top attractions along the way.
1. VISIT LANGLEY TOWN CENTER
After getting off the ferry from Mukilteo, the first stop on our Whidbey Island day trip was the charming artist’s haven of Langley.
Little Langley is one of Washington’s cutest towns. It lies at the southern end of Whidbey Island. Though it is located only one hour north of Seattle as the crow flies, the small town may as well be a million miles away. Whidbey Island’s tiny waterfront village has a picturesque townscape that feels straight out of a tourist brochure.
Langley sits on the water, with direct access to views of the sound. Its downtown is replete with galleries, cafes, and quaint restaurants featuring outdoor seating.
2. STOP AT THE GREENBANK FARM
The Greenbank Farm wasn’t originally part of our Whidbey Island day trip itinerary. But, when we saw the cute red building from the side of the road, we chose to stop by for a quick afternoon visit.
Visiting Greenbank Farm is one of the top things to do on Whidbey Island. The historic red farmhouse boasts two fine art galleries, a cafe, and several shops selling local delicacies.
The farm’s grounds contain a demonstration garden, a bird-viewing area, and several walking trails.
The Whidbey Audobon Society recently built a bird-viewing platform that overlooks a marsh behind the farm. Dan and I walked down to the viewing area and kept our eyes and ears pealed.
In the few minutes we spent at the Greenbank Farm’s viewing area, we saw a host of colorful birds including warblers and red-winged blackbirds.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we weren’t able to visit the farm’s galleries and artisan shops.
Still, it wasn’t difficult to imagine Greenbank’s quaint charm under normal circumstances.
3. EXPLORE EBEY’S LANDING STATE PARK
From the Greenbank Farm, we drove to Ebey’s Landing State Park. Ebey’s sits along a spectacular area of coastline, where a patchwork of verdant fields converges with a precipitous coastal bluff. The park is home to forest, fields, lakes, a beach, and historical buildings. Ebey’s Landing is one of six state parks on the island. It is a lovely place to enjoy a hike or picnic on the shore.
Ebey’s Landing was established in 1978, as the nation’s first National Historical Reserve. It was designed in order to provide a historical record of the Puget Sound’s 19th century exploration and settlement history.
With limited time in Ebey’s Landing, Dan and I restricted our visit to the park’s beach and bluff. Hiking the state park’s bluff is one of the top things to do on Whidbey Island. The scenic trail ascends from the parking lot and climbs along a ridge—affording breathtaking views of the beach below.
On clear days, it is possible to see the Olympic Mountains soaring above the waters of the Puget Sound.
4. STOP IN COUPEVILLE
Like Langley, the small village of Coupeville offers visitors the opportunity to explore one of Whidbey Island’s adorable population centers. Many of Coupeville’s buildings are listed in the National Historic Register, alongside Ebey’s Landing State Park.
Coupeville sits along the shores of Penn Cove and boasts a picturesque red wharf that juts out into the sound.
As Washington State’s second-oldest community, much of downtown Coupeville’s architecture reflects the era in which it was founded.
Today, its storefronts house galleries, wine tasting rooms, and bookstores.
5. VISIT FORT CASEY
Fort Casey is a historic district within the Ebey’s Landing Historical Reserve. One of the top things to see on Whidbey Island, it boasts lovely views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Constructed in the late 1800s, historic Fort Casey was equipped for defense and used as a training facility up to the mid-1940s. The fort was once part of the nation’s maritime defense effort. Together with two other nearby forts, it formed the “Triangle of Death”— as no invading vessel would be able to avoid the guns from all three forts.
Aside from remnants of the fort, the state park boasts hiking trails, sprawling grassy fields, and the whitewashed Admiralty Head Lighthouse.
Since it is a state park, accessing Fort Casey requires a $10 fee unless you have a Washington Discover Pass.
6. ADMIRE THE VIEWS AT DECEPTION PASS STATE PARK
Deception Pass, is, without a doubt, the top thing to see on Whidbey Island and a highlight of traveling to the Puget Sound. The pass lies at the northern edge of the island, about 30 minutes from Ebey’s Landing.
When Captain George Vancouver first came across the area, he mistook the island for a peninsula. The inlet has since been named Deception Pass to commemorate his error.
Deception Pass separates Whidbey from neighboring Fidalgo Island. It also connects two bodies of water—the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca—in a tumultuous swirl of blues and greens. At Deception Pass, rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters below. The area draws visitors with its breathtaking views, its old-growth forests, and its abundant wildlife.
Deception Pass State Park showcases spectacular views of mountains, islands and shoreline. With plenty of beachfront and over 38 miles of hiking trails, it is the most visited state park in Washington (something that immediately became apparent when we got stuck in a traffic jam while crossing the park’s iconic bridge).
The bridge that connects Whidbey and Fidalgo islands is a tourist attraction in its own right. Depending on the tide, the bridge sits about 18 stories above the water and creates a stunning vantage point from which to view the churning saltwater canyon below.
Deception Pass State Park spans both sides of the bridge, with facilities on either side of the water. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the bridge in the 1930s. In its day, it was considered an impressive engineering feat.
During our short visit to Deception Pass, we admired the views from the bridge, hiked to the summit of Goose Rock, and headed down to the North Shore Beach.
With additional time in the area, we would have loved to explore more of the park’s hidden beaches, lookouts, and coves.
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When I grow tired of the traffic and congestion in Seattle—something that seems to happen on a near-weekly basis these days—I begin scheming of day trips and weekend escapes around the Pacific Northwest.
These escapes often come in the form of jaunts to Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, and the Olympic National Park. I’ve even dragged Dan east of the mountains, to the Wenatchee Valley and Palouse Scenic Byway, for a little dose of Vitamin D.
But we rarely head westward, to the emerald islands that litter Washington’s Puget Sound.
Which is a shame, because the islands truly offer a little slice of heaven for burnt-out city dwellers.
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