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The glorious scenery of Western Washington is shrouded in a blanket of temperate marine clouds for several months per year. Many of us riders keep our wheels turning throughout the year, despite it feeling like you’re riding through the vegetable section at the grocery store — the constant mist keeps us fresh.

When the sun begins to burn through our winter blanket, riders are very eager to hit the road. The lingering snow in the Cascade mountains and foothills pushes adventures to the lower elevations. For this reason, one of my favorite spring-time rides is out on the island, Whidbey Island.

Whidbey Island sits just off the mainland in the waters of the Puget Sound. It basically runs longitudinally, with the main roads going North-South. The Seattle-metro area sprawls to the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry that serves Whidbey Island. For our most recent Whidbey Island road trip, we decided to start to the north and ride south.

Rainbow Bridge in La Conner crosses the Swinomish Channel.

Our ride actually starts near the Snohomish and Skagit county line. There are a handful of non-freeway routes that will get you up to the starting point in Conway and on to Fir Island Road. Fir Island Road slices through lush Skagit Valley farmland dividing it up into sections of land held above water by a vast system of dikes. The fertile land produces many cash crops, such as tulips, iris, potatoes and more. The flowers are particularly popular with tourists during the Skagit Valley Tulip festival held in April every year.

Fir Island turns into Best Road as it climbs up a small hill. As it drops down again, turn onto Chilberg Road toward the historic town of La Conner. The town has many food and retail options. We take the very first left turn onto Maple Avenue  to circumvent the busy business core. Rainbow Bridge soon arches gracefully over the Swinomish Channel that once carried steamboats north from Seattle and on to Bellingham. On the other side of the bridge we ride through the Swinomish Reservation and almost immediately turn left onto Snee Oosh Road. Now firmly on Fidalgo Island, the road provides beautiful views over the waters of Simlik Bay before connecting with Reservation Road to continue north where we follow Washington State Route 20.

We aren’t ready to turn toward Whidbey Island just yet so we ride past the intersection for SR20 and Deception Pass Road. Instead, we head to the round-a-bout in Anacortes and follow it all the way around to Commercial Avenue.

Mount Erie is the highest point on Fidalgo Island. It offers great views to the east, west and south.

We wind through the neighborhood to H Avenue and Heart Lake Road. This road takes us through the incredible park known as the Anacortes Community Forest Lands.

According to a Wikipedia article, the area was once a city revenue source from logging, the local community banned together in the 1990’s to stop logging operations and create multi-purpose trails for hiking, horse and motorized use. Within the 1,500-acre ACFL park is Mt Erie. At 1,273-feet, Mt. Erie is the highest point on Fidalgo Island. Riding up the paved and twisting road to the top opens an incredible view of the San Juan Islands, Cascade Mountains, Mount Baker and even the Olympic Mountains on particularly clear days. After taking in the views, which includes Whidbey Island to the South, we fire up the Suzuki V-Strom 650 and stroll back down the hill to Heart Lake Road and continue South. At the “Y” intersection, keep the left and Campbell Lake Road will connect with SR20, Deception Pass Road.

Motorcycling past Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island, WA.

Originally, explorers thought that Whidbey Island was a peninsula. Explorers make mistakes and the small passage of Deception Pass is aptly named for it’s trickery of the famous Vancouver Expedition. Lucky us motorcyclists, the Deception Pass Bridge carries road-goers 180 feet above the turbulent tidal waters below. We ride slowly along the nearly quarter-mile long bridge expanse to soak in the views as we cross. At the intersection past the bridge is the entrance to Deception Pass State Park. A Washington State Discover Pass is required to enter. The gate keepers insisted that we hang our pass on the bike or risk a $99 ticket. It wasn’t the best welcome to a paying customer. We feel unwelcome at Deception Pass State Park and leave.

Now officially on the island, there is one main route north to south comprised of two roads, SR20 and SR525. These roads are busy. There are many side roads that provide a more scenic experience. We trodded off along the northwest portion of the island before arriving to Oak Harbor. The map below shows the actual route, but I highly suggest putting the map away. You’re on an island. You’re not going to get lost, but attempting to is the beauty of being on Whidbey Island.

We find ourselves on Dike Road by accident. To the west, the buzzing traffic of SR20 was visible. It looked hectic, but was well camouflaged by the views of the water trapped by the dike and surrounding grassy field. My head turns to the east jus as my wife chimes in in over the wireless intercom, “Look there’s a Bald Eagle perched right over there.” Just 100 yards into the tidelands was the large bird feasting on young minnow-sized fish. Nature and wildlife is abundant on the island. All you have to do is let the beaten path sink into the camouflage, slow down and enjoy it.

Bald Eagle as seen from a dike on Whidbey Island. Wildlife is abudant on the island.

My #1 pillion and I take turns calling the preferred direction of travel at each intersection. We run into several dead ends. Some were well forested, while others developed communities. Most dished up scenic views of what makes the island life so enticing.

Eventually our somewhat random calling of directions brings us to downtown Oak Harbor. We walk the main strip, grabbing ice cream at Popsies (http://www.popsies.com) and coffee at Whidbey Island Coffee as we meander in and out of seas of antiques, gifts and Paint Your World — a great little store where you paint your own pottery.

After the caffeine and sugar sink in, we mount the V-Strom and continue south. Without giving away too many mapped constrictions, I suggest you zig to the numerous state parks while you zag to the little towns that dot the island. Just be aware of the state park gate keepers as they aren’t friendly to motorcyclists. The views are worth dealing with their poor service.

Ala Spit offers great views of the Skagit River mud flats and spectacular bird watching from northeast Whidbey Island.

If at any point you need to get home, then SR20 or SR525 will get you on the way. Our next trip to Whidbey Island will likely include a tent. The island can easily be zoomed through and looped with I-5 for road trips out of Seattle. A tent or bed and breakfast would enhance the experience.

A few interesting stops on Whidbey Island include:

• Useless Bay Coffee in Langley
• Meerkerk Gardens just south of Greenbank
• Greenbank Farm, which is a former farm and Chateau Ste. Michelle-owned winery that is now art galleries, café, trails and more.

The town of Clinton is the final stop on Whidbey Island. From here, the ferry crosses over to Mukilteo. As traffic builds the hustle and bustle is hard to escape. The Tin Fish is where I often go for incredible fish tacos while I sit on the patio and let the mainland sink in. It is my personal hyperbaric chamber that helps me safely handle the mainland pressures.

Looking northeast from Mount Vernon, Washington you can see the very tip of volcanic Mount baker. From a few spots in this medium-size town on the Skagit River, the foothills give way to a valley that affords a good view of the mountain. For the most part, Lyman Hill and Mt Josephine at 4,257 feet and 3,956 feet, respectively, block the view of beautiful Mt Baker.

Viewpoints of beautiful Mount Baker are worth seeking out.

On a sunny and warm day very late in the season, I set out to find a route that would get me quickly over the foothills for a better view. Francis Road provides a quick escape from town. The road drops down 150 feet to the Skagit River Valley. Farm fields and the smell of freshly bailed hay greet you at the city limits. The Mount Vernon area has many modern conveniences, but also is seconds away from rural relaxation.

Francis Road twists along with the Skagit River to State Highway 9. Just a couple miles more and Hwy 20 takes me east to Hamilton. A right turn (north) onto Hamilton Cemetery Road takes me past homes and makes a 90-degree turn west. Just past this bend is Medford Road. If you cross the bridge over the creek, then you’ve gone past Medford Road.

From here, unnamed logging roads take you up into the hills of Mt. Josephine. The road climbs and the view of the Skagit River Valley opens up.

Unnamed logging road just south of Mt Baker

I tried several offshoots heading north in an attempt to find a good view of Mt Baker. All of them were fun roads to ride with grass down the middle from lack of use. This is just how I like them. They typically dead ended with evidence of leave plenty of trace camping. Makeshift fire pits and beer bottles were framed with shotgun shells strewn in all directions. Some people shoot guns for the noise of it. This seems to be the case in these wooded areas.

My secondary goal of this route was to find dirt roads that skirt the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) and connect with Baker Lake Road. This much was accomplished. The unnamed logging roads eventually spit me out on Baker Lake Road near milepost two, Just southwest of Grandy Lake. With exploring of offshoots the dirt route took approximately 75 minutes. Without exploring, time could be cut by 25 minutes or so.

The nicely paved and frequent curves of Baker Lake Road make it a joy. It is far too easy to outpace the speed limit. Be aware that it is a road designed for 60 mph or faster with frequent 35 mph zones patrolled by many policing agencies.

The bridge over Boulder Creek offers a great place to photograph Mount Baker.

Head northeast on Bake Lake Road until the road curves to the right, passing over Boulder Creek. Mt Baker rises up above the valley making for an incredible photo opportunity. With the camera stowed in my tank bag, I round the corner from this viewpoint and turn onto Fire Service Road (FR) 1130.

FR1130 is a fun dirt road that climbs Boulder Ridge. Keep to the right of the “Y” junction just a mile or so down the road. The left option would take you up FR1131. During early summer, Rainbow Falls crashes down near the road causing a refreshing spray. The light deflects off this spray, spreading the spectrum and giving the falls a just name. This being September, the reduced volume of water clings tightly to the rocks. Still a pretty falls, it just lacks the refreshing qualities of the early summer rush.

The climb from 2,000 feet offer many views of Baker Lake and Mt Shuksan. Finally, near 3,500 feet the road looks like it will run smack into Mt Baker. The mountain fills the area cut through the trees for the narrow road. About a mile further and the road ends. Mt Baker, aka Kulshan, at 10,781 feet is in full glory at this point. The view is truly worth the trip up here.

According to Wikipedia, Mount Baker is thought to be the youngest volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It is the third-highest mountain in Washington State and is only topped by Mount Saint Helens for volcanic activity in the Cascade Range. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world. The Mt Baker Ski Area recorded 95 feet of snowfall in a single season in 1999, a world record. In short, this is another incredibly beautiful place to have in my backyard. Encrusted below the surface is the true power of Mother Nature that is realized every few millennia, but deems respect for all time.

View of Mt Baker from end of FS 1130

Be cautious on the roads in this area on your motorcycle. They are built from the Andesite rocks from the hills that they cover. These rocks can easily puncture well-worn tires. Rocks cut a triangle-type hole in rubber as pressure is applied. Ask me how I know! Throwing every plug I had at it wouldn’t seal the tire back up. Luckily, the Michelin Anakee 2 tire held up to 60 miles of complete deflation on the road to get me home.

Next time I may try to connect the unnamed logging roads passing back over Lyman Pass for a loop route that should afford good views of Mt. Baker. I only hope that the roads aren’t gated as so many others are in this area.

Ride this route at your own risk. This is a rough guide to the route. Please use a legitimate map to reduce your own personal risk.