Coastal Bluffs Trail
in Washington · centroid 67 mi from Seattle
The 1 mile Coastal Bluffs Trail is a phenomenal way to experience the environmental richness of American Camp. The trail traverses high, sandy bluffs that overlook the sandy pocket beaches between Grandma's Cove and South Beach. On a hot summer day, the cool ocean breezes and ripe trailing blackberries found on this trail are particularly delightful.
Bald eagles are regularly seen on the rocky points that intersperse the bluffs and sometimes orcas can be spotted in the Salish Sea beside the trail. The Coastal Bluffs Trail begins at South Beach and ends just before the final segment of the Grandma's Cove Trail. Visitors can combine it with the South Beach Trail for an easy 2 mile loop that provides stunning views, wildlife opportunities, and an opportunity to get close to the pristine landscapes that bring so many visitors to American Camp.
- States
- Washington
- Trail type
- National Historical Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Seattle, WA · 67 mi · ~1.9 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 48.4569°, -123.0077°
About San Juan Island National Historical Park
This trail is inside San Juan Island National Historical Park, a national historical park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/coastal-bluffs-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/sajh/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Coastal Bluffs Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
South Beach Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Mount Finlayson Loop Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Old Military Road (American Camp Trail)
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Agate Beach County Park and Iceberg Point Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Dungeness Spit
21 miles from this trail's centroid
Upper Gray Wolf River Trail
42 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.