Kettles Trail System — Monday, Dec. 14, 2020

Our hike was in the newest section of the Kettles Trails, on the Island County side, with 3 trailheads.  There are kiosks at the two trailheads on Libbey Road, and the one on Hwy 20, as yet empty, with no map.  The trails are well defined and well made, though not marked, except for the ADA trail that connects the two trailheads on Libbey Road. The trailhead that is ADA is not gated, and has space for multiple cars.  The second trail is gated, with  parking for about 3 vehicles.There is no fee.

Though there are no maps as yet, no need to fear getting lost.

The Erratic Trail is NOT to be confused with the Kettles Roadside Trail.

There are two main trails in this area, the Erratic Trail, and a trail, a "grass road", that may be part of the Erratic Trail, or not.  There are connecting trails of varying lengths.

The Erratic Trail is not too far from the road most of the time, but the road is not visible except at the Highway 20 trailhead.  It is mostly level going through an area that has wonderful moss-covered trees, stumps, and branches.  There is also an erratic of course, a giant rock left by glaciers. You can start on Libby Road, and have a very pleasant hike to the trailhead at Main Line Trail in the original Kettles trail system.

The gated trailhead provides access to what I call a "grass road."  It is shown on maps as a regular road, probably originally meant to be an access road, to a housing development.  Now it is a very wide trail.

The "grass road" trail has a number of access points to connecting trails of varying lengths to the Erratic Trail.  It also has excellent new benches, one part way to the end by an erratic, and one at the end of the "grass road."   There is also another as yet blank kiosk there.

For a longer, and definitely more hilly hike to the main Kettles trail system, follow the "grass road" trail, then a well built forest trail that begins at the end of the "grass road" trail.  That's what my husband and I did.   It is true that when we followed the trail, we were not sure where it would lead us, because currently there are no maps on the kiosk at the end of the "grass road" trail.

Along the forest trail there are trees and kettles, and mushrooms also.

This forest trail intersects with what turned out to be Hugh's Delight Trail.   We turned right on this trail, and after more uphill work came to the signed intersection of Hugh's Delight and Boundary Trail.   We hiked on Boundary Trail to Mainline, then hiked Main Line to very close to the trailhead. We turned left on the unmarked Erratic Trail.  We took the first connecting trail to the left, and were soon on the "grass road" trail back to where we were parked.

In addition to hiking what may be new territory for you, there is the bonus of  5 geo-caches on the trails.

Whether you are out simply for exercise, or exercise and geo-caching, we are sure you will enjoy these trails.  We did.