After a wonderful day of wine tasting on Whidbey Island we spent the night in Oak Harbor and then headed to Deception Pass State Park the following morning.

It was chilly, wet and windy but we decided to brave the elements and make the most of our morning hike. With the proper gear and attitude, anything is possible!

We headed to West Beach to park and walk along the water. There were tons of smooth stones but no sea glass so we climbed up to a few small trails and made our way around West Point.

There were a few other people parked and walking around, but I think the weather had deterred many people. Aside from a few guys taking pictures, we had the paths to ourselves.

There was some low-set fog hovering over the water, but we could make out Deception Island and Lighthouse Point, and we could also make out Deception Pass Bridge to the east.

There was a cold drizzle so we didn’t have the cameras out as much as usual, but we took a few snapshots along the water.

After catching sight of the bridge we decided to drive closer so we could hike along North Beach. Several of the trails and roads were closed for the season so we had somewhat limited access to the park. It would be fun to come back in the summer when everything is open and available.

After relocating we found ourselves at a new trail head and decided to hike east. This path took us under the bridge and along the water through the woods. There weren’t many viewpoints to look back at the bridge so we eventually hiked back and followed the trail west for a little ways.

The western trail had a few viewpoints that looked out over the Sound and down onto North Beach. There were a few more people on that beach exploring the shoreline. After taking in the view, we decided to warm up and make our way over the bridge so we could explore the north shore.

There were quite a few people on the north shore but we managed to park so we could walk around.

We started with the overlooks but quickly went off the beaten path trying to discover better views of the bridge and water. The water was really moving– I don’t know if it’s because of all the rain lately or if it always rushes through the pass– but it is deceptive because you don’t notice how quickly it’s moving until you’re on top of it.

The cold and wet was beginning to sink in so we decided to wrap up and head for home. Our morning in the park was only a taste of all there is to do in the area so we will definitely be back in the summer time to really hike and explore all Deception Pass has to offer!