Hiking to Rosario Head at Deception Pass State Park

Looking for more beautiful hikes at Deception Pass State Park?
Check out my review of Goose Rock on Whidbey Island. If you have more time, the park is also a great place to camp.

CURRENT INFO

Find more information about Rosario Head and Deception Pass State Park on the Washington State Parks website. Trail reviews are available on the WTA (Washington Trails Association) webpage. To see the specific hike we did, view the route on the AllTrails website. For a good overview of the hike plus a fun scavenger hunt for kids, check out 50 Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Washington by Wendy Gorton.

GOOD TO KNOW

• As part of the Washington State Parks system, a Discover Pass is required to park at Deception Pass State Park. If you don’t have a pass, you can pay the $10 day use fee instead.
• Restrooms are available at the parking lots.
• Dogs on leash are welcome.
• With expansive lawns and beautiful CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)-built picnic shelters, this is a wonderful area to picnic, play lawn games, and spend time on the beach. Even though this hike is short, you can easily spend a day here.
• Additional trails leading south to Lighthouse Point also start at Bowman Bay.
• Expect crowds at the picnic areas on summer weekends. Fortunately, there’s plenty of space, so it’s usually possible to find a free table. If you can visit on a weekday, even better — you may have the place mostly to yourself.

One final request before you go: Deception Pass is a special area that gets a lot of use. Please treat it with respect and enjoy your time here responsibly. When on Rosario Head, be careful not to trample the plants that grow on the rocky headland. On the beach, follow all posted guidelines to avoid damaging the tide pools that are slowly being brought back to life.

HIGHLIGHTS

Rosario Head is perfect if you’re looking for a short hike with big scenery, or if you just want a beautiful place to picnic and enjoy the outdoors. It’s not the place to go when seeking a wilderness experience, especially on busy weekends. Despite that, the wildness and sheer beauty of this place shine through no matter when you visit!

THE KIDS’ TAKE

This hike is super kid-friendly, with access to multiple beaches, grassy areas to run around in, trees to climb, and always changing views. It feels more like a day out exploring than a plain old hike! My kids were constantly spotting something new and interesting, from the kelp waving beneath the water to twisted trees barely clinging to the low sandy cliffs.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

There is so much to explore at Deception Pass State Park, why not stay awhile? The park offers three wonderful campgrounds. Despite having hundreds of sites, they often book up well in advance, particularly for spring, summer, and early fall weekends. Reserve well ahead of time to secure a spot.

From Bowman Bay, you can also hike to Lighthouse Point. This short trail feels a little more removed from the crowds than Rosario Head, since you’ll be leaving the picnic areas behind. For a longer hike, Goose Rock on the Whidbey Island side of Deception Pass is hard to beat. Also on Whidbey, Cranberry Lake is a great spot for an easy paddle or a summer swim.

The day before Mother’s Day, we drove the mile and a half from our campsite at Cranberry Lake to Bowman Bay. It was already afternoon, but there was plenty of time for a short hike to Rosario Head. Not just time to hike, either, but time to explore the beaches, savor the views, and enjoy a scenic picnic.

We started off walking along Bowman Bay. Expansive picnic grounds spread out on one side, while the beach curved gently on the other. The kids were disappointed to find seaweed washed up along the water’s edge, creating a soggy green carpet. Closer to shore, the beach was pebbly and seaweed-free, with fallen logs providing a comfortable seat from which to enjoy the view.

At the end of the main beach, the trail climbs up the short, sandy cliffs above the water. It was a little rocky, but the uphill hiking didn’t take long. As we hiked, we marveled at the tenacious trees who dare to grow here. Some leaned precariously over the beach, their branches almost touching the water.

“I wouldn’t climb that tree!” J said upon spotting one stretched nearly horizontal. Good call, J, good call!

It wasn’t long before we saw Rosario Head. The landscape here is rugged and alluring, but unfortunately infested with invasive Scotch broom. J and I detoured to explore a tiny headland above a pocket beach, while T waited anxiously on the main trail. He doesn’t like high edges (not that I blame him), which a godsend considering how independent he is. When there’s a drop-off, he prefers to stay close to mom, and I’m completely fine with that!

Rosario Head is connected to Fidalgo Island by a narrow isthmus. Approaching from the south, we came to Sharpe Cove and its gracefully curving beach. Above the cove is another beautiful picnic area, adjacent to the Rosario Head parking lot and restrooms. We were surprised to see several very large groups picnicking despite the pandemic, with few people wearing masks. Sure, we were outdoors, but it was obvious that not everyone had social distancing on their minds.

Rather than rush to our destination, the boys and I took our time exploring as we went. When we finally reached Rosario Head, Michael and Buddy were waiting patiently at a picnic table above the dock. We pulled out our sandwiches and admired the statue of Ko-kwahl-alwoot, sometimes called the Maid of Deception Pass. Signs around the statue tell the legend of the young Samish woman who fell in love with a mysterious man from the sea. Despite her father’s initial refusal, she eventually left to live with him under the water, gaining immortality and providing her people with plentiful fish and shellfish.

After lunch, we walked down onto the dock. Kelp wafted gently below the surface of the water, and it was easy to see how it resembled the hair of a maiden floating just out of reach. Indeed, Ko-kwahl-alwoot’s hair turned to kelp and her skin to scales as she adapted to her underwater life.

Out on Rosario Head, the views expand across the Salish Sea. Small rock formations dot the nearby coastline, while the San Juan Islands shimmer on the horizon. On the head, miniature wildflowers bloomed in the crevices of the rock and amongst the grass. The trees kept to the inland side of the head, seeking what protection they could from blasts of saltwater and wind that come with stormy weather.

Coming down from Rosario Head, we stopped at Rosario Beach on the opposite side of the isthmus from Sharpe Cove. Once, this beach teemed with lively tidepools, but decades of visitors trampling the rocks destroyed much of the delicate habitat. Today, the tidepools have slowly begun to recover. To help protect them, park staff installed a yellow rope for visitors to follow. The main tidepools were submerged during our visit, but T and I explored what we could. With care and patience, hopefully this place will return to the vibrant tidal community it once was.

There was more to explore as we headed back toward Bowman Bay. Near the Rosario picnic grounds, a quaint stone structure caught my eye. From the back, it looked like a Swiss chalet halfway submerged in the ground. On further inspection, we discovered a locked door. Below the door, a trickle of water flowed quietly over rocks and disappeared into the nearby bushes. Did the house protect a natural spring? We still aren’t sure, but it was a fun mystery to ponder.

The trip back went quickly. I stopped to check out the campground at Bowman Bay (what a lovely place to camp!), and we momentarily lost T (there’s that independent spirit!), but found him waiting by our car. All’s well that ends well, and I’d say our our trip to beautiful Rosario Head went very well indeed.