Hiking With Dogs on Camano Island

Only 16 miles long, Puget Sound̵7;s Camano Island has 52 miles of shoreline. Its parks offer hiking areas, wildlife preserves and bird-watching spots. You can drive north of Everett, Washington, to Stanwood to access the bridge connecting the island to the mainland. Leash your dog at all times on Camano Island's trails and beaches. Bring water for you and your dog on your hikes. Carry poop bags so you can pick up after your dogs, dispose of the bags in trash receptacles and leave trails clean for other hikers.

  1. Camano Island State Park Loop

    • With 134 acres and more than a mile of shoreline, you and your dog can embark on a 3-mile loop of level hiking trails except for two elevation gains. Scenery along the way includes views of Elger Bay, Saratoga Passage, Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains. The way takes you through a fern grotto and a ravine. This hiking area and its beaches are well suited for a family-type outing with the dog, Explorerdog.com notes. Bring a map if you are unfamiliar with this park to avoid getting lost in the maze of trails and roads.

    Cross Island Trail System and Cranberry Lake

    • Hundreds of forested acres connect to the Cross Island Trail System. The bluff trail and waterfront trail offer paths that even short-legged dogs and beginning hikers can enjoy. Others trails are a bit more strenuous. The trail to Ivy Lane is about a mile and a quarter through woodlands, and it requires climbing a few hundred feet. Nearby is a trail that passes through snowberry bushes and alders and arrives at Cranberry Lake, a small, shallow wetland frequented by birds because of the cattails, huckleberry bushes and spirea.

    Cama Beach State Park to Camano Island State Park

    • Camano Island State Park began with 100 acres that became a park in 1949 when 900 volunteers came together to build it in a single day. Dogs and their humans have been enjoying it since then. The downhill hike from the trailhead at Cama Beach State Park to Camano Island State Park's Southern Beach provides forest and water views in all directions. The hike is 3.3 miles one way, which might end up being a long distance for a small dog, a senior dog or an out-of-shape dog. Hiking is good for most dogs, but over-exertion is not.

    Camano Ridge Forest Preserve

    • Not all hikes on Camano Island are long or challenging. The Al Emerson Nature Trail, located near the main park road, is a short half-mile loop hike with interpretive stations. Other gentle trails include the Beach Trail, an easy 1-mile walk, and the Forest Loop trail, which is 2 miles long and located among the ferns of the Camano Ridge Forest Preserve, a 402-acre preserve with hiking trails through the forest. Start with easy trails if you're just beginning to hike with your dog. See if your dog is comfortable balancing on bridges and boulders, or crossing streams. Elevation gain and lengthy trails might be challenging at first.

    Park Perimeter Loop Trail

    • Some parks and beaches welcome dogs as long as they are leashed.

      Unless you see a ̶0;No Dogs Allowed̶1; sign, the miles of trails and 6,700 feet of shoreline allow leashed dogs. If you and your canine companion seek a challenge, follow the Park Perimeter Loop Trail that begins along a 1-mile stretch of beach. If you continue on the trail, it leads you up some steep climbs to a place where you and your dog can stop for a drink of water and to enjoy the views of the Puget Sound.