Kellys Point Guemes Island
Kellys Point Guemes Island is a peaceful place to hike and enjoy the charm of Guemes Island. The beach line gives you an opportunity to walk and view many varieties of wildlife.
It also has over three thousand feet of shoreline that is on the southwest side of the island. From the beach, you can see the San Juan ferry coming and going out of the Anacortes ferry terminal.
You can watch some fantastic sunsets over the San Juan Islands.
Land Protected: 27 acres
Shoreline: 2,100 feet
Hiking Trails: None
Elevation Gain: 10 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Geology
Kelly’s Point Conservation Area is a beloved outdoor classroom for studying geology. At Kelly’s Point, Yellow Bluff exposes a remarkable sequence of sediments that span 70,000 years of Earth’s history from before the last ice age, to about 13,000 years ago.
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Environment
Kelly’s Point has a very diverse area containing forest, beach area and wetlands. The upper forested area is closed to the public for wildlife conservation. The beach has many things to observe and you might spot a North American River Otter just offshore in the early morning. It is very important to check the tide when deciding when to visit. At high tide, you will lose access to most of the northern end of the beach. You do not want to get stuck on the beach at high tide.
Birding from the beach is another magnificent spot on Guemes Island for birdwatching. The shoreline also has a great variety of wildlife to be seen like Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Commorant, Bald Eagle, Hairy Woodpecker, Hummingbirds, Red-tailed Hawk, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Belted Kingfisher, Black Oystercatcher, Pigeon Guillemont, Cedar Waxwing and Gulls. In the forest area, you can enjoy eagles, falcons, owls, flickers, and pileated woodpeckers. Bring your lunch, binoculars or camera and spend an eventful day birdwatching.
Access
To get to Kelly’s Point once you have crossed over to Guemes via the Guemes Island Ferry, you can easily walk the road or you can drive
The Guemes Island ferry landing to Kelly’s Point is about a mile. When you exit the Ferry, take a left and head west on South Shore Rd. South Shore Rd will turn into Tidewater Rd. At the stop sign, make a left on South Shore Dr. Follow South Shore Dr until you see the Kelly’s Point sign. The parking area is at the corner of South Shore Dr and West Shore Dr. Car parking is very limited.
It is best to walk or bike onto the ferry to get to Kelly’s Point.
Skagit Land Trust
VISITOR GUIDELINES
Please keep in mind the following when visiting Kelly’s Point:
- Access to the beach is down a steep bluff using a pre-existing steep ramp. Use with caution and at your own risk! The access point may not be appropriate at this time for people with physical disabilities or for very young children.
- Similar to other natural areas, please keep your pet on a leash.
- Please do not build fires.
- UAVs or drones are prohibited.
- Please note that during high tide, the beach may become inaccessible in some areas, making a return trip difficult and hazardous.
- The boundaries of Skagit Land Trust’s conservation area are marked. The beach and uplands beyond these points are private. Please respect our neighbors’ private property.
Painted Rocks
Hiding of Guemes Island Painted Rocks
Skagit Land Trust
After much discussion, the committee determined that leaving painted rocks at any Trust property is inconsistent with our visitor code of conduct (which includes following leave no trace principles on Trust properties)
Regina Wandler
Stewardship Manager, Skagit Land Trust
8/22/2018