A family emergency has deposited me back on Whidbey Island. I desperately needed to go for a run, and this park is near the house. I hadn't been in this park in a few decades, and I'd forgotten what a gem it is! 

I've run it several times in the last few weeks. The Beach Trail is currently closed due to a washout. This closure is marked at the south end; at the north end, it's not marked as a closure, but there's a tree down over the trail. Just heed it & stay off the trail. 

The Hobbit Trail is short & has some lovely trees on it. Beware that the decking on the bridge very near the turn-around point is missing. 

There's a spot on the trail on the northern end of the loop -- I think it's part of the Fern Gully trail, but I'm not really sure -- where a runner should exercise caution. There's a boardwalk that ends at an up-turned root ball. The wire netting on the boardwalk is raised up & bunched up in a way that'd trip an inattentive runner. (Hikers are unlikely to trip over it, I imagine.) 

We hiked the Wilbert Trail to Fern Gully Trail.  At one point there is a fork in the trail that is unmarked. We went right and it ended up being a shorter route on the Ridge Loop Trail.  Our toddler walked the whole thing, a few falls on roots but he did just fine. A couple places with mud but prior hikers or the park ranger put boards out so you don't sink in too deep. Would do again. 

I hiked the Wilbert trail and the south forest discovery trail loop yesterday~I visited the 500-year-old cedar. The trail was a bit muddy in some places, but otherwise an easy and beautiful hike. The beach trail is closed until further notice. The park contains western red cedar, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock, some of the largest on Whidbey Island. 

See here for a map to print before you go--https://www.islandcountywa.gov/PublicWorks/Parks/Documents/SWSP.pdf

South Forest Discovery Trail Loop is off of the parking area, as you enter the park. It's not always obvious it's a trailhead, so look for the bathroom on the right in the big meadow by the parking area, then look straight ahead to the woods and you will see the sign for the trail. Go straight ahead to do the Southern Loop. The maps are a bit confusing, and the "northern loop" isn't marked. You will pass a sign by a trail that hooks to the right not long after that says "Picnic Area". That is the northern loop. Take it on the way back for a bonus hike

Given the snow conditions in the mountains, I opted for a lowland hike and chose Whidbey Island as I can usually find some mixed, forest-beach hikes.  Started off there at South Whidbey State Park only to find that the beach portion of the park  is closed due to the trail being impassible.  Made me wonder, given some of the trails that I have hiked, if perhaps the state parks have a higher standard.  Luckily, I discovered that there was a trail system across the road - still in the park though.  It's about two miles of trail that seem to follow old logging roads.  There was hardly anyone there and the trails are in nice shape.  Part of it goes through a logged area (almost 40 years ago) and other parts are almost rainforest-like.  Nice hikes if you happen to be staying in the campground or perhaps the tide is high.