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Review

No trip to the San Juan Islands is complete without a view from the top of Mount Constitution, the highest point in the Islands and arguably the best view in Puget Sound. The most prominent feature of Moran State Park, the mountain is also the point of departure for many of the park’s 30 miles of trails.

The road to the top is narrow and windy as any proper mountain road should be. By the time you’ve negotiated your 80th hairpin switchback you’ll consider yourself ready for the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb. The road is heavily traveled in summers, so be cautious on the one-way bridges and the narrow corners. The drive will take a good 20 minutes to reach the 2,409 ft. Summit so be sure to leave plenty of time before sunset when heading up. A short 100-yard walk from the small parking lot takes visitors to the stone tower at the summit and the amazing view. A stone observation tower allows visitors to climb high enough above the summit for a 360-degree view. On a clear day you can, as they say, see forever: Vancouver to the north, the Cascade Range and Bellingham to the east, the rest of the San Juans and the Gulf Islands, Anacortes and the Olympic Range to the south.

If you’re looking to stretch your legs out on a healthy day hike, you’ll have your pick of trails on Mt. Constitution. Cascade Falls (highly recommended), Little Summit, Mountain Lake and North Trail are a small sampling of trails ranging from easy 1/4-mile strolls to 4.7-mile loops with steep (1,239 ft. elevation gain) scrambles.
Written By: Glen Berry
On: 10/4/2000

Directions

Once you've made it to Moran State Park, continue on Orcas to Olga Road past the campgrounds and Cascade Lake. Immediately on your left, you'll see a road forking off to the left and a gate. Take that left and follow the road to the summit.

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