Lake Samish Park - Hillside Trail

Samish Park is situated on the northwestern corner of Lake Samish and provides the community with boat and swimming access in the lake, picnic areas and rentable shelters, and hiking opportunities in the forested area of the park. While the nearby Chuckanut Mountains offer more extensive trail systems, Samish Park is conveniently located minutes off I-5 and offers free parking and shorter trails, making it ideal for a weekday evening stop or for families. 

The Hillside Trail forms a loop climbing, traversing and then descending the forested slope above Lake Samish. The trail leaves the parking lot and begins by following the service road before the trail begins with an obvious right turn signified by a sign barring motorized vehicles from the trail. 

Follow the trail as it switchbacks up the hillside zig-zagging across the gaps in the trees as you follow the powerlines up for about 0.5 mile. At this point, follow the trail into more continuous tree cover as you begin to hike less steeply than before. After 0.2 mile, there is a junction in the trail to what the map shows as a viewpoint, but the views are heavily blocked by trees and this spur does not offer much more than an extra 0.5 mile out-and-back and another 100 feet of climbing. 

Continue straight at this junction as you hike another 0.3 mile, slowly descending back down the slope and eventually reuniting with the service road you began on. Either follow the road back down to the parking lot, being mindful of possible vehicle traffic, or pick up the trail on the other side of the road and finish your hike walking through the main picnic area, along the shore at Samish Park.