Mount Finlayson  | San Juan County |  | Friday Harbor |  |
Guides |
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Address Cattle Point Road Friday Harbor, WA 98250 |
Hours Every day Dawn - Dusk |
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From Friday Harbor head south out of town on Argyle Road, which eventually becomes Cattle Point Road. Continue past the American Camp entrance for about 2 miles to the Jackle's Lagoon parking lot on your left. Park here.
Description:
You won't get altitude sickness from climbing 295-foot-high Mount Finlayson, but you will get some amazing views. In fact, you'll be rewarded with one of the best and most unique vistas anywhere on San Juan Island.
Expansive is the operative word here, for from the top of this meadowed hill your personal IMAX vision includes Mount Baker and her Cascade siblings to the east, regal Rainier and the Olympics to the south with Victoria and Vancouver Island occupying the west. In the foreground of all of this, are the glistening, island-dotted waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.
To include a foray down to Griffin Bay with its unique views of Friday Harbor, start at the Jackle's Lagoon parking lot at the east end of American Camp. Following the signed trail, pass through a cool forest of firs and cedars on your way down to the lagoon. Listen and watch for woodpeckers working up a good healthy headache pounding away at a snag or two. After a gentle descent, you'll soon hear the slap of water lapping at the shore.
Head left when a trail presents itself and reach the beach in moments. Friday Harbor's southern outskirts are across the bay to the left and if it's clear the Cascades rise high above Lopez Island to the right. Stroll east on the sand and driftwood beach to Jackle's Lagoon. Walk as far as the tide safely allows and when you've had enough of beachcombing and heron spying, head back into the woods via one of the many trails.
To reach Mount Finlayson, begin climb gently, then a little more steeply, heading left and south and up when given the choice. The network of trails here is vast so there're many ways to the top. Eventually, you'll pop out of the forest, high above Cattle Point Road, and be standing face-to-face with those views. Soak them in and enjoy. On a clear day it seems you really can see forever.
Return to the parking lot the same way or head west via meadowed trails that roughly parallel Cattle Point Road.
Written By: Mike McQuaide
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