Chickens. horses and cows? Fence lines, hedgerows and barns? Not your typical walk in the woods, or stroll on the beach. The Walking Ebey Trail is not the Ebey’s Bluff trail, nor is it at Fort Ebey State Park. This trail is a critical link connecting Keystone Spit, Fort Casey, Camp Casey, and the Admiralty Inlet Preserve to the Rhododendron County Park, Rhododendron and Kettles bike paths, the Spur Trail, Pratt Loop and Ebey’s Bluff trail, all within a few miles of Coupeville.
- For a map and more about the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, click here.
The Walking Ebey trailhead shares a parking area with the Admiralty Inlet Preserve just up the hill from Camp Casey. The trailhead kiosk has a map of the trail and suggests it’s like a European walking experience. I spent a month last year walking on footpaths across England and I’d have to agree. It took years and the willingness of neighbors to negotiate conservation easements with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. Only a small woodland at the trailhead is owned by the Land Trust. Most of the trail is on conservation easements that allow us to walk these fence lines and hedgerows, for miles through the heart of Whidbey.
It was a cold, bright Sunday morning when I caught the bus to Coupeville. I’d called Island Transit the day before to arrange for an On-Demand ride from Coupeville to the trailhead. It’s a good way to start this one way trek. I’d only walked it a few times before and always with other people. On this beautiful day, I went solo and gave myself plenty of time to explore.
The frost was thick in the shady spots but the fields were sunny and warm. The trail is well marked with the land trust logo and arrows pointing the way. Occasionally, the land owners added a No Trespassing sign to mark the wrong way. The first of these added a friendly note saying, “The easement trail is behind you. Enjoy!”
I came upon a footbridge. Shade had preserved the frost on one side along with coyote tracks. Red winged blackbirds called across the frozen marsh. A Northern Harrier perched on a fence post. Just across the footbridge a sign with a map pointed the way to the Prairie Wayside. It would add another mile to my walk but I had time.
Coming over the rise, the trail ran between solar panels and the old Sherman squash barn. The Olympics were crystalline blue and white on the horizon. I crossed Engle Road at Hill Road without a car in sight, and made my way to the Prairie Wayside. It's a wildlife oasis between fields and pastures. I entered through a thicket of Ocean Spray and was engulfed in song. There were tiny kinglets and chickadees, beefy robins and varied thrush, and high in the treetops, red crossbills. I walked on to the picnic table and stepped up on the bench to see, in the distance, the sheep barn tucked under Ebey’s Bluff, the granary and sheep herders hut, all historic structures spread out across the prairie.
A Douglas squirrel scolded me, noisy even with its mouth full. A light tapping caught my attention. Looking up, I found a nuthatch chiseling a cavity in a snag. Bush tits followed me back through the shrubbery. As I returned across the road, sparrows and pine siskins greeted me at the edge of the field.
I followed the trail along fence lines and ducked beneath willows with plump buds. Ducks flew in formation overhead. Cows bellowed and horses grazed in the pastures. Swallows and Hazelnuts was painted on the side of a large cement block where the trail passed between fences. There were bird houses along one side and young hazelnut trees protected by electric wires on the other. I came upon a view of the water over the historic Ruble Farm.
Crossing Fort Casey Road I stepped down to walk along the edge of a field and then turned right onto a farm road. At the corner, the trail turned into the woods where Pacific wrens sang from the brush. I climbed by tall trees and fallen branches to a Fat Man’s Squeeze, built to keep four legged friends out. I slipped through and emerged at a farm. Walking behind the barn and along a fence line, I entered Rhododendron County Park. Checking my watch, I thought if I walked briskly through the park, and along the bike path, I could catch the next bus at Jacobs Road and soon be on my way home.
Directions
Directions: From Highway 20 in Coupeville, take Main Street south toward the ferry for 3 miles. Just around the bend at the top of the hill there’s a small gravel parking area on the left. This parking lot serves the Walking Ebey Trail and the Admiralty Inlet Preserve. OR park at Rhododendron County Park 2 miles south of Coupeville on Highway 20.
By Bike and Bus: There are wide shoulders from Coupeville on South Main Street which turns into Engle Road. Take this road 3 miles from Coupeville to the trailhead parking area at the top of the hill on the left. Traffic tends to come in waves with each ferry landing. No bikes are allowed on the trail. Please wear something bright while riding or walking next to the road.
Fare free Island Transit Route 1 can stop at Jacobs Road, a short walk on a bike path from Rhododendron County Park on Highway 20. To take the bus toward Coupeville, use extreme caution to cross the road. Or, as I described in the story, on weekends, call ahead for an On-Demand ride from Coupeville to the trailhead on Engle Road. Or, on weekdays, catch the Route 6 bus to Camp Casey Inn (which is as close as the Route 6 bus comes to the trailhead) which is a short walk to the trailhead across from the Admiralty Inlet Preserve. For the fare free bus schedule and to arrange On-Demand service, call 360-678-7771 or visit www.islandtransit.org/
Mobility: This trail is mostly level but can be rough with grass, roots, and some muddy spots. Road crossings may require the ability to move quickly. There are stairs on the east side of Fort Casey Road. The main trail is 3.5 miles. Or from the trailhead to the Prairie Wayside is 1.5 one way.
Republished with permission. Read the original article.