The King Sisters Preserve is an often overlooked little gem in our San Juan Island Trail System. Strategically located in the heart of San Juan Island near the corner of San Juan Valley and Boyce/Wold Roads, this roughly 2-mile round trip walking trail parallels San Juan Valley Road and will […]

As the summer’s heat wanes, here’s a fun easy hike to get you out there. This approximately mile-and-a-half long eastern edge of the Zylstra Lake loop is seasonally closed October thru March so now is a great time to enjoy it. Keep all dogs on leash please.    Ready? Let’s […]

Join Historian Mike Vouri and members of the Old Military Road Trail committee at 10:30 a.m., Saturday May 15 as they explore the southern starting point of the Military Road that once ran between American and English Camps.   Learn how the old road was initially cut by laborers employed […]

Trail Times is a continuing series of articles introducing the Old Military Road Trail (OMRT), a proposed 18-21 mile cross-island non-motorized multi-use trail linking English Camp and American Camp and honoring the original Old Military Road. Welcome to Spring and another segment of the intriguing Old Military Road Trail to […]

Hello Spring! This season of growth and hope is reflected in many wonderful strides ahead for the Old Military Road Trail Project. As many of you have been aware, the OMRT Committee has worked behind the scenes throughout the worst of the pandemic. During this time we have greatly benefitted […]

Zylstra Lake: Trail Times, Fall 2020 Thanks to the cooperation of the Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust we now have a beautiful new and historic public land to explore.   On September 26th, National Public Lands Day, 5 years of negotiations and planning came to fruition when […]

This trail along the base of Mount Young in English Camp is very near the original Old Military Road What a great time to be exploring our trails. Covid seems to have made us all more aware of the healing power of nature and our fortunate ability to be part […]

San Juan County Land Bank is seeking public input on its updated Interim Stewardship and Management Plan (SMP) for the Zylstra Lake Preserve on San Juan Island. This updated interim plan details the Preserve’s abundant wildlife and habitat areas; provides a collaborative strategy for engaging with agricultural interests; and proposes opening approximately […]

The heat was already stifling at 11 a.m. in late July 2004 when I encountered four Canadian reenactor colleagues taking a breather in the shade at the corner of Little and Douglas roads. Clad in the scarlet and blue wool uniforms of the mid-19th century Royal Marines, they were running […]