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EBEY'S LANDING GATEWAY TO THE PRAIRIES |
Past the barn, Hill Road leaves the prairie for the descent to Ebey's Landing. At the bottom of the hill, watch for the small ravine by which early travelers made their way up to the bluff top from the shore. You can see the Ferry House at the top if you look up the ravine. Early travelers landed on the beach and proceeded to the Ferry House, where they secured lodging, meals, and postal services. From here they continued on to Coupeville or other destinations.
Whidbey Island is located in the Olympic Peninsula's rainshadow — a dry region in the lee of the Olympic Mountains. As a result, this beach and the adjacent bluff support many species of plants and animals not found in other parts of the Pacific Northwest — including cactus. Perego's Lake, a brackish lagoon north of the Landing area, provides habitat for resident and migratory birds. Salmon were once abundant along the coast. Large fish traps, built out into the water, efficiently captured this seemingly endless supply of fish. Traps were banned in the 1930s after they severely diminished salmon runs.
WHILE YOU ARE HERE . . .
- The beach at Ebey's Landing is an excellent place to hike, picnic, or watch the ships entering Puget Sound through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Walk north along the beach about 1.2 miles to visit Perego's Lake. Watch for bald eagles soaring above the bluff and other bird life.
- From the trailhead near the parking area, hike the bluff top for
views of Vancouver Island, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Cascades. A
1-mile trail leads across the prairie to the Prairie Overlook Wayside
(Stop 4) and Sunnyside Cemetery.
There is a vault toilet near the parking lot at Ebey's Landing.
Drive up Ebey Road to the prairie. As you cross it, you will pass farms from very different periods of the Reserve's history. Immediately to your right take another look at the 1860s Ferry House, a waystation for many years. It shows the very simple, functional construction characteristic of the early settlement period, when the pioneers put all of their energy into establishing their farms.
Fancier houses, like the John Gould House (0.4 miles further up the road, on the left side) and the Francis A. LeSourd House (at the corner of Ebey Road and Cook Road, on the right) came later, when the settlers had become established. Their presence in the landscape attests to the success of the pioneers in tilling the land and building an economy that could support them. At Cook Road, turn left and proceed to Cemetery Road. Follow Cemetery Road to the Prairie Overlook, at the top of the hill.
