Hike of the Week: Sugarloaf

Enjoy sweet views of the San Juan Islands from Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf

Enjoy sweet views from this little peak on Fidalgo Island




by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin

December 8, 2006

Quick Facts
Location: Fidalgo Island, Skagit County
Land Agency: Anacortes Parks and Recreation Department
Roundtrip: 2.5 miles
Elevation gain: 600 feet
Access: From Burlington (exit 230 on I-5) head west on State Route 20 for about 12 miles to the junction with SR 20 Spur. Turn left on SR 20 and continue for 1.8 miles turning right onto Campbell Lake Road. Follow this road for 1.5 miles. Bear right onto Heart Lake Road continuing for 1.4 miles. Turn right to parking area and trailhead
Green Trails Map: Deception Pass/Anacortes Community Forest Lands No. 41S
Notes: Dogs must be leashed; some trails are multi-use.

From this little summit in the heart of Fidalgo Island, enjoy an eagle’s eye view of the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Mountains, Whidbey Island, and Vancouver Island. Enjoy too, big trees, mossy ledges, and sunny slopes. Sweet little Sugarloaf sits in the center of the 2,800-acre Anacortes Community Forest Lands; a quiet refuge just minutes from the city’s downtown.
There are over 20 miles of trails traversing these lands. They’re all well marked, but without a map you’ll have a heck of a time figuring them out. Be sure to get yourself a trail map (sold at various area merchants). Note too, that many of the forests are multi-use; meaning you’ll be sharing space with horses, mountain bikers, and yes, even a few motorbikes.
Begin on Trail no. 215 through a wet draw graced with big cedars. In a .25 mile, come to a junction with Trail no. 320. Bear right continuing on Trail no. 215. The path now shifts gears; the climb steepens. Doug-firs replace cedars. Ferns and moss line the way. At .5 mile another junction is encountered. Stay right on Trail no. 215.
Under a canopy of mature Douglas-firs, the trail now wastes no time reaching the summit block. At 1.0 mile another trail junction is encountered. Turn left for Trail no. 226. One final short push and you’re on top of the 1,044-foot loaf. But, where are those sweet views? Head right down Trail no. 238 (it loops from trail no. 226) and in five minutes you’ll be staring out over Whidbey, Vancouver, and the San Juan Islands. Enjoy views too, out to the Cascades, from this shelf of sun-kissed grassy ledges. The big blob in front of you is Mount Erie, highest point on the island. The views from that 1,273-foot peak are indeed fine, but its summit road may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Savor instead the sweet scenic serenity of Sugarloaf.