Hiking & Swimming at Whistle Lake on Fidalgo Island

CURRENT INFO

The route we took follows the one posted on the Hiking Project’s website. You can find variations of the hike with the WTA (Washington Trail Association) and AllTrails as well. Whistle Lake is also featured in the book Swimming Holes of Washington by Shane Robinson and Anna Katz.

GOOD TO KNOW

• There is no fee to park at Whistle Lake.
• On sunny days, especially weekends, Whistle Lake is a popular spot for families and young adults to swim, float, and play in the water. It can get quite crowded, so go early to miss the crowds, or stick to the back trails if you’re not interested in swimming.
• There is no toilet at the trailhead, but there is a reasonably nice vault toilet just prior to the lake. This is great if you plan to hang out on the water, although it’s still pretty far from the cliff-jumping spot on the south end.

HIGHLIGHTS

Whistle Lake is easy to get to, and definitely a great option for summer swimming. The main beach area is somewhat steep, but you can find a variety of small entry points into the water along the lake, most on the east or west sides. Many visitors brought inflatable tubes, paddleboards, or other fun water toys.

Those looking for more adventure can swim to the island at the south end of the lake (you’ll get there fastest if you take the righthand trail when you reach Whistle Lake), where a sheer cliff provides a popular spot for jumping and diving (see photo below).

THE KIDS’ TAKE

The kids did not expect this hike to be so long! Not that it was actually that long, but when we set out, we didn’t necessarily plan to hike all the way around the lake, making it longer than anticipated. While on this trip only my youngest son got in the water, on a sunny afternoon, that would have definitely hit the spot. I can see coming back here just to play in the water on a warm day next summer.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Whistle Lake lies within the city limits of Anacortes, so it’s easy to head into town for a meal or snack. I recommend Mad Hatter’s for ice cream. You’ll find many other hiking options around Fidalgo Island, including Sares Head and Washington Park. The north portion of Deception Pass State Park is also on Fidalgo Island. This section of Deception Pass gets fewer visitors than the Whidbey Island side, and is well worth a visit. Try hiking to Lighthouse Point or Rosario Head. If you’re camping at Deception Pass, Whistle Lake is easy to reach. Another good camping choice is to stay at Bay View Campground, which is 30 minutes west of Whistle Lake on the mainland.

After “camping” overnight at my brother-in-law’s place in Mount Vernon, we decided to try a local hike. I was interested in checking out nearby Whistle Lake, which I’d read about in the book Swimming Holes of Washington. With the possibility of a pleasant swim, this hike sounded just right.

We met up with another friend at the trailhead and walked along the broad road to the lake. Don’t let the fact that this is a road deter you; it was more like a wide, soft dirt path, with trees creating a towering canopy overhead. I’d told my brother-in-law that this would really be, “more of a walk in the woods than a hike,” and that was certainly an apt description at this point. We also had the place mostly to ourselves. Despite the fact that quite a few cars were already parked at the trailhead, it was quiet as we made our way to the lake (well, quiet except for the shouts of my two boys, that is).

Just before the lake, an outhouse came into view. Good to know – that could be useful if you’re spending the day swimming at the lake. The trail forks at this point, and we took the route to the left, which soon came to a beautiful open area along the lake. Was this the swimming beach I’d read about? No one was there, and I decided we should head further down the lake to see what we could find.

We spotted a few more open spaces along the lakshore, but soon the trail veered away from the lake and back into the woods. It also became noticeably rockier, with some short, but steep, stretches, as we gradually gained elevation.

“I thought you said this wasn’t really a hike!” my brother-in-law chided, half jokingly.

“Well, I was talking about the path to the lake,” I explained. Truthfully, I hadn’t known much about what to expect beyond that point. Swimming Holes of Washington doesn’t describe the full loop around the lake, just a few different options for getting to the prime swimming spots, and I hadn’t read any of the online trail reports in detail. Not that I was worried; the loop around the lake couldn’t be that long. Still, I got out my phone to check our location and navigate the network of trails that crisscross the south end of Whistle Lake. Note to other would-be hikers: download a map ahead of time if you are trying to follow a particular route. The Anacortes Community Forest Lands provide some signage, but not always.

Soon, the kids were getting a little testy. They thought we would be having lunch on the lake by now. Why was this taking so long? “No worries,” I told them. “We’ll be there soon.” I tried to ignore the grumbling.

Fortunately, we came within sight of the lake again before too long. Up ahead, a number of people were gathered on the bank above the lake, looking out toward a rock wall jutting straight up from the water. Some young adults stood atop the cliff, while other swam below or waited on the shore to see who would take the plunge. This was apparently where all the action was, we noted as one young woman finally dove straight into the lake’s blue-green depths.

Not far past this point, we found a rocky shelf just off the trail at the water’s edge. T was eager to swim, but frankly, the rest of us were more interested in lunch. We were understandably hungry, and while the lake water was pleasant on my bare feet, the temperature in the shade was still comfortably cool. We adults decided to enjoy the water peacefully from the shore.

Now well fed, the boys were feeling better as we made our way back along the trail. Before long, we reached the northern tip of the lake and the main road back to the trailhead. This time, we were far from alone. Families had gathered along the lakeshore, and people were paddling and swimming as the sun shone directly overhead. More and more people were making their way to the lake, swimming gear in hand. In fact, we even met another family we knew on their way in. Since this was during the Coronavirus pandemic, I put on my mask and made sure the kids did the same. Fortunately, the wide road made it easier to maintain a little distance.

Soon, we were back in the car, heading for Mount Vernon. It had been an enjoyable hike, even if T was the only one who took the opportunity to swim. Besides, my brother-in-law has a pool, and while the experience of a backyard pool isn’t quite the same as a lake, that afternoon when the sun was at its peak, we were all happy to jump in.