SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. April 22, 2025 –Saturday, May 3, join commissioners and staff from the Land Bank and Bureau of Land Management as we celebrate opening the new trail from Watmough Bay to Watmough Head. The ¾ mile hike to the point at Watmough Head is rich with scenic views of Watmough Bay, Chadwick Hill, and across Rosario strait to Anacortes and the Cascades.
In February of 2022, your Land Bank stepped up to purchase the last unprotected parcel along Watmough Bay. Watmough Head, as it’s locally known, fit perfectly into the larger portfolio of nearly 400 acres of Bureau of Land Management public lands designated within the San Juan Islands National Monument and adjacent private lands protected under conservation easement.
“The acquisition completed a decades-long goal of creating a contiguous conservation area in southeast Lopez,” stated Lincoln Bormann, Land Bank Director.
What to expect: The trail to Watmough Head begins at the existing trailhead for Watmough Bay and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Please note, it is a rustic trail with uneven terrain in some spots. A short opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 12:30pm near the old homestead orchard.
Due to limited preserve parking, we encourage carpooling or use of the free, roundtrip shuttle service the Land Bank has arranged for this celebration. Park your car at Lopez Island High School located at 86 School Road; the shuttle is scheduled to pick up/drop off on the half-hour, starting with a 10:45am pick up at LIHS and concluding with a shuttle leaving the Preserve at 2:45pm.
Contact: Tanja Williamson Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator, tanjaw@sjclandbank.org, 360-370-7655
About San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank
San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property at closing, acquires and preserves areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic, or low-intensity recreational value. The Land Bank offices are located at 328 Caines Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank, visit www.sjclandbank.org.
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