Looking for a Fun, Easy Fall Hike that’s not too Far Away? Check out Guillemot Cove Reserve in nearby Seabeck

Our island and our region – specifically the Kitsap Peninsula – have some wonderful places to hike, walk and explore nature.

As summer slips into fall and the days get shorter and cooler, the weather is perfect for a hike in the woods or on the seashore. One exceptional out-of-the way park we discovered several years back is Guillemot Cove Reserve on the Hood Canal near Seabeck.

This beautiful wedge of land features stands of second-growth Douglas Fir and Cedars mixed in with some old-growth Maples, and an expansive beach with a spectacular view of the nearby Olympic Mountains.

It’s about a 1.5 mile hike from a scraggly parking lot to the beach. But the walk is worth it as a well-worn trail cuts through the forest, complete with varieties of ferns, flowers (you might see a Trillium or two), Fox Glove and assorted plants and undergrowth.

The trail is pretty mellow until it hits a steep patch near the bottom, along with a few switch backs. If you are not too steady on your feet, or you’re getting up there in age like some of us are, poles are recommended.

Once you reach the end of the trail, you’ll see the Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains to your right. In front of you is some marsh land, with Cattails and a boardwalk that leads to the other side of what is basically a hidden estuary.

What we like to do is cross the boardwalk and take a trail on the other side that leads to the beach.

Depending on how warm it is, you can wade in the water and go for a swim, although the current can be a bit swift. On one visit several years back, we ventured out a couple hundred yards during a super low tide and saw oysters aplenty and other sea creatures while nearly getting stuck in the mud. It was quite a bit of fun but watch out for the Sand Dollars.

Guillemot is the name of several species of seabirds that derive their origin from the Auk family. Their more common in Europe, or in places with high cliffs, where the birds typically live and breed. Why this place is called Guillemot is unclear because there doesn’t appear to be any flying around – at least the time’s we’ve been there.

According to the Kitsap County Parks & Recreation website Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve (kitsapgov.com), the cove was originally named Frenchman’s Cove, because a Frenchman named Henri Querrette had previously owned a cabin on its northern shore. On some maps, it had even been called Brown’s Cove, but the Reynolds family, who purchased it in 1939, renamed it for the black and white bird that they often sighted there – the elusive Guillemot.

The family discovered Guillemot Cove while walking along the waterfront. Mr. Reynolds was an avid bird watcher, and he took his family on weekend trips, often to Guillemot Cove. There, the family would explore and sight many varied species of birds. The cove, woods, or the near-by stream, which ran though the aforementioned swamp, was the perfect and undisturbed habitat of hundreds of birds and other woodland creatures. That same year, the family bought 80 acres of Guillemot Cove property, and gradually bought surrounding parcels of land, until it totaled 158 acres.

Today, the reserve – located at 19235 Stavis Bay Road NW in Seabeck, WA. – has approximately 184 acres. There are several trails worth exploring that take you to some hidden gems tucked away in the nearby thickets.

One of our favorites in the Stump House Trail that begins in the meadow, adjacent to the swampland, and wends its ways back to a clump of old Maple and Cedar trees. A huge hollowed out Cedar stump is festooned with a roof that might reminds you of a fairy tale, or perhaps the “Hobbit”, or the “Lord of the Rings”. Very enchanting.

On the other side of the swamp, is another fascinating trail that ends of in a grove of ancient Alders and Big Leaf Maples that are magnificent to look at, especially on a sunny day, with the sun’s rays peeping through their branches. This flat, easy trail, with a small meadow, connects to the River Loop Trail.

For a small reserve, Guillemot has many wonders, and lots of interesting little places to explore and walk through, to either eye nature, or contemplate the world around us.

Here a brief description of the trails:

Main Access Trail: Begins across the road from the parking lot. It is roughly one mile long and sloping downhill. One can follow the access road through an alder and big leaf maple tree forest or continue through to the Sawmill Trail.

Sawmill Trail (0.3 miles): This trail follows an old logging road through a large sword fern, alder, and mixed conifer forest to the Margaret Trail. Margaret Trail (0.4 miles): The narrow trail follows the side of the hill until cutting steeply down to sea level. It passes through a coniferous forest with a few large cedar trees.

Stump House Trail (0.25 miles): The trail starts in the meadow across from the old barn. Part of the meadow is quite wet. The trail ends at the Stump House (a large hollowed out cedar stump with a roof.)

Maple Tree Trail: This beautiful trail begins by the barn and follows an old roadbed. It continues along Boyce Creek in an easterly direction. This flat, easy trail goes through an alder and big leaf maple forest with a small meadow and connects to the River Loop Trail.

River Trail Loop (0.25 miles): This trail travels through a mixed forest with large sword ferns and connects back to the end of the Maple Tree Trail.

Beach House Trail: This trail follows the old roadbed across Boyce Creek through a meadow and forest adjacent to the marsh. At the beach house there is access to the beach on Hood Canal. During low tide, avoid walking on the sand dollar beds in the mud.

Ridge Trail (0.5 miles): Behind the beach house, and to the left, this trail winds up several steep hills and through a forest of conifers, alders, and big leaf maples.

Directions:
From Hwy 3, take Newberry Hill exit; travel to Seabeck Holly Road; turn right. Drive to Miami Beach Road; turn right – drive to the “Y”; veer left onto Stavis Bay Road. Drive 4.5 miles to the entrance and parking lot on the right.

Photos by Kevin Dwyer 

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