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Day Hike - Oyster Dome-Samish Overlook Loop

Beautiful cool spring weather and good company makes for a happy day

SuJ'n Chon SuJ'n Chon
May 10, 2022
  • Road rough but passable

  • DNR asks that hikers use the Samish Overlook parking area for the trailhead instead of the Chucknut Drive approach. This is much safer for pedestrians and vehicles but means driving a few miles on a forest road with potholes to reach the overlook. Relatively speaking, the pothole rating is not too bad.

We arrived at 9:30 AM with 2-3 other cars in the parking area. The restroom hadn't been serviced in awhile (trash on floor, no TP, icky conditions). We did a loop hike to Oyster Dome -> Lily Lake junction -> Max's Shortcut -> PNW Trail back to parking area. Our three GPS reported different stats but my best estimate is 5.6-5.7 miles.

The weather was cool and partly sunny. Beautiful visibility greeted us at Oyster Dome but also a chilly breeze. We lasted less than 15 minutes at the viewpoint before the chill sent us back on the trail.

We saw about a dozen or so other hikers and a few cute dogs along the way. Trail conditions were mostly dry, with a few partly muddy patches. Lots of trillium and gorgeous green moss. By the time we returned back to the cars three hours later, the restroom had been serviced - yay! By this time, the parking lot was also mostly full with a few empty spots. All in all, a great day!