We had camped at this park about 28 years ago. I guess you can't camp here anymore. Anyway, we walked the Forest Discovery Trail (north & south loops) covering about a mile. The trail is gentle and easy with a set of wood steps in one spot. The forest in beautiful. Peekaboo views to Admiralty Inlet and the Olympics beyond.

We wanted to stretch our legs before the drive home and stopped at South Whidbey State Park. We started at the main entrance parking lot and went Ridge loop trail counter clockwise to fern gully and then crossed the road and through the old campground and back to the car. About 2.5 miles. The best part of the trail is fern gully. There are no obstacles, but lots of downed trees to view.  Some of the root balls were incredibly large. The ancient cedar was a nice little stop with a bench. Trail was wet and lots of beetles on the trail. Many types of mushrooms to spot and the birds were very chatty. Only saw a handful of people on the trail but lots of cars. Not our favorite hike on Whidbey Island and not sure if we’d come again. 

Very enjoyable weekend getaway, exploring central/south Whidbey, based out of Fort Ebey campground

Fort Ebey State Park:

• Really nice campground, small compared to it's much larger brother north at Deception Pass
• Nice private sites, and great for families
• Bluff provides great sunsets
• Beach is quick drive, or 15-25min walk, down at Partridge Point 
  • No partridges spotted sadly
• Beach walking is great northward, little more bouldery southward
• Barely scratched the surface of the Fort Ebey / Kettles complex of trails ( walking and mtn biking )

Ebey's Landing:

• Bluff trail is stunning for it's sea views, and views down to Perego's Lake
• Return via beach
• Will do again
• Kudos to the Nature Conservancy, State Parks, et. al., for preserving this gem

Fort Casey:

• Giant playground for kids and adults alike on the old batteries
• Nicely done interpretive signs throughout highlight the history
• Great views directly down to the Port Townsend ferry, and the Keystone Spit ( fun scuba diving btw )
• Beach Access at SW corner, and W central

South Whidbey State Park:

• Nice forest walking through this small park
• Campground appears abandoned ( at least this year )
• Beach access currently closed due to stair damage

Pro Tips:

• Good ice-cream, at Kapaw's Iskreme, in historic Coupeville
• If closed, Caio Food & Wine has Gelato, up the hill on Main St.
• If you want to see Orcas, keep an eye open when you notice the Whale Watching boats stopped :)

Lots more parks we simply didn't have time to explore.

Love these network of trails just a few miles from my house when I need a quick hike. Huge cedar trees and ferns wind through the forest. Today I got in 5 miles as I began in the Wilbert Trail, connected to Fetn Gully and then the Ridge Loop. Did the Ridge Loop again snd then crossed the road to take the Discovery trail. From there, came back to the Ridge Trail and exited Wilbert Trail.

Big thanks to the trail crews working to build out some platforms to keep us out of the mud this winter. There is a perpetual ominous sport each winter and I’m super excited that spot will be remedied. Appreciate the trail crews!

I wandered around with my dog exploring the old campground, the Hobbit Trail, and found the Ancient Cedar before hiking down to the beach. Some might find the very last part of the beach trail a little challenging. The stairs are unusable so you have to go around and under them using the provided rope to steady yourself.