Our Beaches: Perfect Frames for our Picturesque Life

From wide sandy expanses to driftwood and bluffs, Whidbey and Camano Island's beaches such as this one at Fort Ebey State Park are both retreat and playground. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

If Whidbey and Camano Islands are perfect pictures of life in Puget Sound, then the beaches surrounding the islands are certainly their elaborately carved, ornate frames.

The ways in which our beaches embellish our islands take many forms. Some of our beaches are wide and sandy. Others are seemingly paved with cobblestones or covered in loose gravel. And almost all our beaches are fringed with grey, weathered driftwood, ranging from twigs and branches to giant logs.

Some of the giant logs found on our beaches collapsed from eroded river banks and floated into Puget Sound. These have large, spidery root systems that are curious to look at, or simply fun to climb upon for the curious kid.

Other driftwood logs broke free from log rafts pulled through Puget Sound over a century ago. The observant beachcomber will recognize these logs by the clean cut ends fashioned by a lumberman's saw.

Beaches in Island County vary, from easily accessible, urban settings such as Oak Harbor's City Beach, to beaches accessible only by boat. Oak Harbor Visitors Center

Access to our beaches is as varied as the type of beaches that grace our shoreline. Some beaches, such as Oak Harbor's City Beach, are in urban areas and are an easy walk from a parking lot. Other beaches are accessible only by boat. Many beaches are privately owned, down to the tidelands, and care must be taken to not trespass.

Family Friendly Parks and Beaches - 387.6KB Whidbey & Camano Islands Family Friendly Parks and Beaches.

In many aspects of island life, for both visitor and resident, beaches define our experiences of Whidbey and Camano Islands. No matter the season, island memories are etched for a lifetime through visits to our shores.

For fishermen or fisherwomen patiently casting fluorescent pink Buzz Bombs into the surf in pursuit of salmon, the memories may be of watching the rays of the rising sun light up the Olympic Mountains.

For kids and teens, it may be memories of skimboarding in the shallows, building driftwood forts or playing games of catch along the shore.

Geoducks, the largest burrowing bivalve in the world, make their home in Puget Sound waters, and digging for them is a much anticipated activity during summer low tides. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

For an entire family, it may be memories of a season on the beach spent clam digging. For the casual clammer, this may mean collecting easy-to-gather butter clams, burrowed only inches below the surface. For the intrepid clamming clan, this may mean going after the precious geoduck, an endeavor that requires an assortment of digging tools and a commitment to getting down and dirty.

For dog lovers, memories made on our shores may be of endless hours of tossing a tennis ball into the water for an energetic, water-loving pooch to pursue.

Or, for the off-season explorer, it may be experiencing the wrath of one of our trademark windy winter storms, up close and personal.

And for those who like to be on the water, the memories built from our beaches over the years may be of kayaks launched at dawn, the rush of kite-boarding in the winter wind, or launching a boat from one of the many boat launches that dot the beachfront communities of the islands.

A couple takes a rest on a driftwood log at Cama Beach State Park, on Camano Island. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

Of course, if being active isn't what a beachgoer is looking for, there's the timeless joy of just sitting and staring across the water, neither thinking or saying a thing.

For almost each of the human experiences that we can count along our beaches, there are just as many wildlife moments.

In Spring, Gray Whales make an annual migration between Whidbey and Camano Island, in Saratoga Passage. Greeting them each year is Langley's Welcome the Whales celebration. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

While human interactions with our beaches are largely perpendicular - we come to the beach, we leave the beach - life for many wildlife species moves in parallel to the beaches.

Each spring, Gray Whales migrating from Baja back to Alaska make an annual pilgrimage to feed in the sand shrimp-rich mud flats just off several beaches along Saratoga Passage. The whales spend about two months here, cruising up and down the shoreline, sifting shrimp from mouthfuls of mud through their baleen. Seawall Park, in Langley, is one of the most dependable shore venues for watching these visitors.

In the late summer and early fall, runs of Coho and Pink Salmon feed upon herring, surf smelt and sand lance up and down the beaches as they make their way to rivers on the mainland to spawn.

And braided throughout these parallel movements of wildlife along the shores are the near constant movements of shorebirds, wading birds, seals and eagles.

While much of the wildlife lives in parallel to our shores, the scenic views in which this activity takes place are simply unparalleled.

On Whidbey and Camano Islands, it's possible to watch the sun rise over the water in the morning, and set over the water in the evening. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

If our beaches are the elaborate frames to the picture of life on Whidbey and Camano Islands, then the Cascade Mountains to the east, and the Olympic Mountains to the west, are most certainly our statuesque bookends! Few places in the world offers the opportunity to watch, from a beach, the sun rise over snow-capped mountains, and in the evening watch the sun set over snow-capped mountains.

And if you bring your dog(s) enjoy the off-leash beach at Double Bluff in Freeland:

Double Bluff Beach (South Whidbey)

Running along the base of steep Double Bluff, the Double Bluff Beach Off-Leash Area is a two-mile-long stretch of salt water beach on Useless Bay. At the base of the bluffs, enormous tangles of driftwood make great doggy jungle gyms. When the tide is out, the beach is hundreds of feet wide but even at high tide, the beach is wide enough for dogs to run themselves to a state of blissful exhaustion. Double Bluff Beach Google map link.

For humans, Double Bluff offers stunning views of Mt Rainier, the Seattle skyline, the Olympic Peninsula and the shipping lanes. Soaring Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons wading at the edge of the surf can be seen frequently. Grey whales put in an occasional appearance, too, especially in the Spring.

Double Bluff Beach offers a grassy picnic area, viewing benches, rest rooms, doggie poop bags and a rinse station - which ensures that most of the sand stays at the beach and doesn't end up in your car. A dog-height drinking fountain is also available.

Please note: Immediately adjacent to the parking lot is an area designated for public use where people can enjoy the beach without encountering off-leash dogs. The off-leash area begins about 500 feet from the parking lot - the boundary is marked by a windsock on a flagpole. Dogs MUST be leashed on the walk from the parking lot to the beginning of the off-leash area. The county leash-law is in effect until you reach the off-leash area, and violators are subject to a $500 fine.

Double Bluff Beach opened in June, 1999 and continues to be a great success. In this multi-use area, please respect the off-leash boundaries and please pick up after your dogs!

How to get there:
From SR 525 head south on Double Bluff Road until the road dead ends at the beach.

Click here for an online downloadable map of boat launches and marinas:

Island County Boat Launches & Marinas - 7.1MB Large map of Whidbey & Camano Islands boat launches, marinas & trails.

Seeking tidal charts? Simply select a location listed under Possession Sound. Saratoga Strait, or Rosario Strait and the month you are interested in visiting. Learn more.

The Port of South Whidbey has taken over the marina located in the City of Langley on South Whidbey Island. The Saratoga Passage location make a great stop for boats seeking protected passage between Central and South Puget Sound and North Puget Sound (Oak Harbor, La Conner, Anacortes, Bellingham and the San Juan Islands). The City of Langley offers galleries, antiques, boutiques, restraints, gourmet chocolate and a specialty florist shop. During the evening the local movie house offers current movies at only $6 for Adults!

For moorage information contact the Harbormaster (VHF 66A) Office contact Tel: (360) 221-1120 or email: Harbormaster - Marina offers transient moorage, electric, water, showers, lauch ramp and pump out.

• Langley's municipal marina Book your mooring reservation NOW for the Island County Fair – August 19-22th. Join us for the 86th Island County Fair in 2010! Just a short walk from the marina, fun for the whole family.
  Come enjoy the community celebration of Whidbey Island's rich arts heritage for the Choochokam Arts Festival, July 10-11, 2010. The picturesque streets of downtown Langley are lined with artists. The air is filled with the sounds from three separate stages, each with its own flavor.
  
• To make reservations for the Langley Marina:
  Email: Harbormaster@portofsouthwhidbey.com or call 360-221-1120 or 425-387-4950 with date of arrival, length of stay, Boat name, LOA, Beam and Draft. Include contact your information. or Contact the Harbormaster at 360 221-1120 always has plenty of moorage for visitors.
• In Coupeville, you can access the town from the dock all day, and anchoring in Penn Cove overnight will offer a truly serene sleep. For more information regarding moorage at Coupeville wharf call (360) 678-5020.
• Oak Harbor's marina has visitor moorage, gas and charters. At Cornet Bay, located on the north end of Whidbey Island, you'll enjoy breathtaking views and gas and goods are available. http://www.whidbey.com/ohmarina/ or call (360) 679-BOAT or (360) 679-2628.
• Camano Island State Park has a floating dock for landing.Camano Island State Park
  2269 S. Lowell Point Rd.
  Camano Island, WA 98282 - (360) 387-3031
  Latitude 48D 7' 39.37" N (48.1276)
  Longitude 122D 29' 57.12" W (-122.4992)
  Body of Water Puget Sound
  Hours Summer: 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  Winter: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  The park is open year-round for camping and day-use.
  
• Camano Island Yacht Club
  Clubhouse Telephone: (360) 387-3737
  Email: camanoislandyachtclub.com
  Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1041, Stanwood, WA 98282
  Club Location: 129 North Sunset Drive, Camano Island, WA 98282

• Adventures in Boating Washington: This handbook is published by Boat Ed, the provider of Washington's boating safety course. Although this handbook is a convenient reference tool, students wanting to receive official Washington boating safety certification would benefit from studying Boat Ed's comprehensive boat safety course. All boating safety course material has been developed in conjunction with Washington Parks & Recreation, and is the same material used in their classroom courses. Take the Washington boating safety course.

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Whidbey and Camano Islands are only 25 miles north of Seattle, and 2 hours south of Vancouver. See Directions and Maps to learn more about how to get here.