Rosario Beach Hike - Sunday, March 5, 2023

What a perfect day for a hike…sunny, blue sky, and 12 CAI-PNW hikers. The day kicked off meeting Bart Pestarino’s wife, Danielle…congratulations to you both!

Rosario Beach falls within the Fidalgo Island parcel of Deception Pass State Park. A set of two beaches, one on either side of a peninsula, Rosario Beach is a great sample of all that the park has to offer. Here you'll find tide pools, wide beaches trimmed with driftwood, picnic areas set amongst old-growth trees and wildflower meadows, as well as a story pole carving. The carving is of Kwuh-kwal-uhl-wut, the Maiden of Deception Pass, who was a legend of the Samish, a Coast Salish Native American tribe and the first humans at Rosario beach. The other historic structures at Rosario Beach include a field classroom and rustic kitchen shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Unfortunately, we were not able to tour the CCC as they are only open during the summer months... 

The Rosario Beach hike starts off very easy heading through the woods; soon it pops out at the tip of Rosario Head and has exceptional views of the surrounding bays and islands. Walking around Rosario Head we spotted a bald eagle high up in an evergreen tree.

We continued on to Bowman Bay, approximately 1 mile from Rosario. We meandered along the hillside for a half mile enjoying the views over Bowman Bay and spotted several kayakers as well as power boaters. The Lighthouse Point to the South was our next destination.

The loop hike has outstanding views of Deception Pass Bridge that goes from Fidalgo Island to Canoe Island to Whidbey Island. 

The total hike mileage was 6-7 miles with an elevation gain of approximately 800-900 feet.

On the way home, we stopped at the Conway Tavern and enjoyed some of the freshest oysters you can find!