Miles: 7 miles RT (from Chuckanut Drive), 4.4 miles RT from Samish Overlook
Elevation Gain/Highest: 1830ft/2034ft
Map: Chuckanut Recreation Area Square One
Favorite Eats After Hike: Skagit Valley Co-op, Shambala Bistro and Bakery, Boundary Bay, Fiamma Burger, La Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza,or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike Details:
Oyster Dome is another one of my repeat hikes and a great low level hike to do year round. The trail is steep enough to feel like you got a hearty workout in but short enough to do before another event later in the day (like a football game).
To get to Oyster Dome, you take a combination of other trails ending with the official Oyster Dome Trail. This normally includes the Chuckanut Trail to the Samish Bay Trail but you may also need the short Samish Connector Trail (see map below).
The trails are mainly in the forest of alder, cedar and Douglas fir of Blanchard Mountain and travel on wide switchbacks. Look for old growth stumps turned nurse logs and you may even spot a random Madrone brought in by a winged carrier at some point over the years.
There are two main viewing points, the first one at 1.25 miles from Chuckanut Drive and the other is 3.5 miles up and where most people stop. In between take note of large erratics dropped by glacial activity from the ice age as you walk along towards your destination.
The last .25 miles to reach the large rock slab of Oyster Dome is steeper than the rest of the trail and includes a manageable creek crossing. There is plenty of space for the number of hikers who come here to enjoy the views and it makes a great lunch spot to watch eagles and other birds of prey circle above.
You can look out onto the islands of the Salish Sea and across to the Olympic Peninsula. Be careful to not get too close to the ledges, it is a sharp dropoff.
Oyster Dome has different access points, whether you start at a minimally marked trailhead on Chucknut Drive, park at the Samish Overlook Parking Lot, or arrive via another trail on the mountain like Lily and Lizard Lake.
Parking is more ample on the east side of the mountain and normally the forest roads are in good shape to get you there. If you choose to park on the narrow, windy Chuckanut Drive, make sure all of your car is in the shoulder or you can expect to be ticketed or towed.
While on the trail, look out for the signage of the Pacific Northwest Trail. This is a long-distance trail that runs from Glacier National Park to Cape Alava on the Washington Coast and you may just spot a few rugged hikers making their way to one of these two points.
Directions: There are a few places to park along the road on Chuckanut Drive but there are no facilities. The Samish Overlook offers more parking, picnic tables, a shorter hike and bathrooms. For Chuckanut Drive, from exit 236 on I-5 and drive west on Bow Hill Road and then turn right onto Chuckanut Drive. After you pass over the bridge over Harrison Creek, follow the windy two lane road along the water. The trailhead will be on your right just after Chuckanut Manor (3056 Chuckanut Drive) on the left and before a school bus sign on the right. If you get to the Oyster Bar (2578 Chuckanut Drive), you missed it.
For the Samish Overlook parking lot, take exit 240 (Alger) off I-5 and head west on Lake Samish Road. Take the first left onto Barrel Springs Road and travel 0.6 mile, to where there is a sign reading “Blanchard Forest Block”. Turn right on the dirt road and travel another 1.7 miles to a sign for “Samish Overlook”. Turn left and pass through the yellow gate (open one hour before sunrise to one hour past sunset) and continue 2.2 miles to the Samish Overlook Day Use Area. If you go straight here, you will come to the parking lot for the Lily and Lizard Lakes I mention above.
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Need some eating out suggestions when friends want to stop after a hike? I have a Pacific Northwest Eating Guide here.
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