Mount Finlayson Loop Trail
in Washington · centroid 67 mi from Seattle
The Mount Finlayson Loop Trail begins at the Jakle’s Lagoon Trailhead on the side of the parking lot nearest Cattle Point Road. On a clear day, hikers will enjoy breathtaking views of the Olympic Peninsula, Cascade Mountains, nearby islands, and Mount Rainier in the distance. This loop trail has many options in terms of hiking distance from 2-4 miles in total.
The trail is mainly forested, with the trees clearing away at the top of the hill. As you begin the trail you will cross meadows where you may encounter foxes, eagles, and deer who live on this island. At 0.3 miles, you will encounter the junction with the Nature Trail.
0.25 miles later, you will ascend Mount Finlayson; at this point, you can shorten your hike by taking a connecting trail to Second Lagoon which loops back toward the trailhead or continue another 0.3 miles further for a longer loop.As the trail loops back, you walk down a long road through second-growth forest. This area of San Juan Island was extensively logged during the 1800s and this forest has regenerated since its extensive exploitation. Today’s forest is lush with numerous Douglas Firs, wild roses, and ferns.
- States
- Washington
- Trail type
- National Historical Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Seattle, WA · 67 mi · ~1.9 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 48.4637°, -122.9989°
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/mount-finlayson-loop-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 Mount Finlayson Loop 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
Coastal Bluffs Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
South Beach 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
22 miles from this trail's centroid
Upper Gray Wolf River Trail
43 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.