Cross Island Trail

The Cross Island Trail is a hiking and biking path that winds through the densely forested eastern portion of Cama Beach State Park, then continues south to meet the entrance of Camano Island State Park.  Nature’s many shades animate the peaceful walk, with Douglas fir, western hemlock, and deciduous bigleaf maple and red alder building the canopy high above, while sword fern, salal, Oregon grape, salmonberry, red elderberry, red huckleberry and Indian plum merge with native wetland plants to form the understory.

The Ivy Way Trailhead puts you in the best position to cover the whole trail without retracing any steps beyond your return travel.  Head into the shaded woods and trek a short distance to enter the state park boundary. The trail remains quite level, but there are resting benches for tired legs if need be. At 1.5 miles, a trail junction points out a short connector path leading to the Cama Beach State Park Loop Trails and entrance station.  Shortly after, you’ll hit a grassy service road at the Cranberry Lake Trailhead. Keep right and follow the road to the crossing of West Camano Drive, where you can pick up the trail again near the signs on the opposite side. The remaining mile travels mostly alongside Lowell Point Road. Some pretty farmland scenery becomes visible to the west, with views stretching beyond rickety barns and overgrown fields to the pale blues of Whidbey Island across the Saratoga Passage.