Looking for more to see and do near Camano Island?
Try an easy walk at English Boom Park, go camping at Kayak Point, or spend the night in a cabin at Cama Beach.
LOCATION
Barnum Point Preserve is located on the north end of Camano Island, Washington, seven miles southwest of Stanwood at the end of N Sunset Blvd.
LENGTH
Variable; 2.8 miles to cover all the main trails, with several shorter routes possible
DIFFICULTY
Easy — The Barnum Point trails are wide and well-maintained and there is little elevation gain, although some sections are a little hilly. The trail was dry on our visit, but expect mud if it’s been rainy.
WE HIKED IT
May, 2023, a couple of hours including extra time on the beach
CURRENT INFO
Information and trail reports for Barnum Point Preserve are found on the WTA (Washington Trails Association) website. A good trail map is available on the AllTrails website. Find further information on the Whidbey Camano Land Trust website.
GOOD TO KNOW
- Parking is free at Barnum Point Preserve.
- A port-a-potty is available at the trailhead.
- Pets on leash are welcome at Barnum Point Preserve.
- A trail map is posted at the trailhead. Snap a photo if you don’t have a map (such as the one on AllTrails) on your phone. Trail junctions are generally well-signed with trail names, but if you aren’t familiar with the names of the trails, the map will definitely be more helpful.
- Always follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no garbage bins at Barnum Point Preserve, so please pack everything out with you.
HIGHLIGHTS
Barnum Point Preserve is a great little place to escape the daily grind and take in the sights, scents, and sounds of nature. The preserve is a haven for songbirds; keep an ear out for unique calls as you walk the trails. Wild roses proliferate as you approach the south end of the park, their heady scent filling wafting on the breeze in late spring. Don’t miss out on the beach, strewn with colorful rocks and piles of driftwood to explore.
THE KIDS’ TAKE
Barnum Point Preserve’s easy trails are perfect even for the very young, and offer enough variety to engage older kids as well. As usual, the beach was the big draw for my kids. Keep in mind that it’s a rocky beach, not a sandy one, so sturdy, closed-toed shoes are the best option.
WHILE YOU’RE HERE
Camano Island offers a number of fun small parks to explore. North of Barnum Point Preserve, English Boom Park offers more beach access, a short trail, and expansive Salish Sea views. Dog owners take note: it’s also an official off-leash dog park!
To the south, the cute beachfront cabins at Cama Beach State Park are a great place for a weekend getaway. Adjacent to Cama Beach, check out Camano Island State Park for more short hikes and beach time. On this recent trip, we stayed at Kayak Point Campground on the mainland, about a 20-minute drive from Camano Island and Barnum Point. Port Susan, the body of water between Kayak Point and Camano Island, is also a fun place to paddle.
We followed our hike at Barnum Point Preserve with a delicious lunch at Tapped Camano. Another good option, located right next door, is The Baked Cafe.
Our Experience
In search of a short hike near Stanwood, I stumbled across Barnum Point Preserve. I was looking for something easy, dog-friendly, and with a few points of interest to keep the kids engaged. Barnum Point checked off all the requirements.
Our group of eight humans and one dog arrived on a cloudy morning in late May. After consulting the map at the trailhead, we followed the trail through the field and into the woods as we headed toward Fullerton Pond. As we hiked, birdsong filled the air, and we heard a number of unfamiliar trills as we reached the pond. One friend, Tan, pulled out an app to identify their songs. He came up with a few possibilities, although I admit I can’t vouch for their accuracy. Rather than hazard a guess, I’ll let you go and make your own discoveries.
Leaving the pond behind, we followed the trail back into the woods, this time taking the trail fork to our right as we made our way south toward the beach. The forest here was strikingly beautiful, with sword ferns blanketing the forest floor and vine maples creating a delicate canopy overhead.
At most trail junctions, a signpost pointed out different routes. I find that a map comes in handy if you don’t remember the trail names for your preferred route. In our case, we took the Fullerton Pond Trail to the Holly Loop Trail, then joined the Barnum Trail, which we followed to the beach.
Before long, the forest opened up onto another field, this time with a glimpse of the water. A trail mown through the tall grass made the going easy. Just before we reached the beach, another bird caught our eye. Perched atop a madrone tree along the shore, it appeared to be a large bird of prey. We never managed to identify it, but sometimes a little mystery in life does the soul good.
Down on the beach at Barnum Point, a narrow, rocky strip separates the bluffs from the water. Houses lined the sand spit across the inlet, making it clear we were near the Barnum Point Preserve boundary. Fortunately, if you prefer to leave such obvious signs of civilization behind, all you have to do is continue along the beach and turn the corner, where the wide expanse of Port Susan, the waterway along the east side of Camano Island, awaits.
As we walked along the beach, the bluff gradually rose higher and higher. Large, colorful rocks studded the walls of the bluff, a fascinating mix of stones of all shapes and sizes. The beach, too, was littered with all manner of rocks.
On the south end of Barnum Point, Michael and the kids found a path back to the main trail at the low end of the bluff. I decided to continue walking along the beach on the east side of the point, thinking that perhaps another route would connect with the trail above. But as the bluffs continued to rise higher the further I went, I soon realized that here on the beach we were completely cut off from the upper trail. There is another beach access point further north, but that was quite a ways off.
With that realization, we turned and headed back to the same trail that Michael and the kids had used earlier. I can’t complain about the detour, however, as I could easily have spent even more time on the beach. There’s always more to explore!
We walked along the Bluff Trail, passing through a a wide expanse of wild rosebushes before reaching the forest. At a viewing platform along the trail, we met up with the rest of the group. “What took you so long?” my son chided, eager to move on. Ah, the energy of youth!
From here, we continued along the Bluff Trail, then joined the Beach Trail, although instead of following it to the beach we took the path to our left to return to the parking lot. We spied several rhododendrons in bloom along the way, another welcome sign of spring. Our hike at Barnum Point may have been short, but it was definitely sweet, and a place worthy of exploration at any time of year.
