Pictures by Land and Sea Around Matia Island in the San Juan's

      A few years back, I  hiked the trail from Pelican Beach to the top of Eagle Bluff on Cypress Island, taking pictures every few minutes along the way.  The resulting pictorial is a pretty good synopsis for those that can't make the journey themselves. See the Eagle Bluff Pictorial hike here.  I decided to do the same thing on Matia, but with a little change up. First I hiked the trail snapping away with wild abandon, then I jumped in the dinghy and hugged the shore continuing taking pictures while I circled the island. Then I deleted most of what I had. The results are  below, you decide if it was worthwhile.

The blue marker on the far left marks Rolfe cove, and where we  begin our visit to Matia

First off, exit the dock!
The little four boat float, may be full, but there are two buoys and room for a few boats to anchor.  In a pinch you can anchor in the much larger cove at the other end of the island and do this hike/dinghy tour in reverse.

Boater park fees are  a great deal for what we get in return.

The trail starts at the top of ramp beyond the small picnic campground area.  Matia is unique in that fires are not allowed anywhere, and pets are restricted from trail system.

click where it says read more for the rest of the picture tour!

Swinomish Channel Nightmare in the Daytime

      We came across this boat during our 4th of July hike to Fort Whitman on Goat Island. They were barely stuck when we first saw them, but within a few minutes it was clear they weren't  getting off until the tide came back up.  I can't imagine the port prop and shaft survived,

If this is you, our hearts go out to you, it must have been a rotten day. (make a comment, tell us what happened below, if you want to)

One of four gun emplacements at  Fort Whitman on Goat Island.

Here is the link to the  Fort Whitman posting  > Fort Whitman - Goat Island