Top 3 Island Hikes

Byline: Carter, Grace

“No man is an island,” wrote English poet John Donne in his famous testimony to the interconnectedness of humankind. “But every man needs to kick back on one,” you’ll counter after reveling in your disconnectedness on these hikes. Indeed, for solitude, views, and they-can’t-go-far wildlife, it’s hard to beat these three ocean oases.1) Orcas Island, WA

Climb to the San Juans’ highest point

Orcas is the largest of the 176 islands that make up San Juan County, a patchwork of land and sea off the Washington coast. Catch the 6 a.m. Orcas ferry in Anacortes and head to Moran State Park for the archipelago’s airiest viewpoint. Hike 3.7 miles on Twin Lakes Trail from Mountain Lake through acres of old-growth to 2,409-foot Mt. Constitution. You’ll pass Twin Lakes at 2.2 miles, then climb steep switchbacks to the summit for a total elevation gain of 1,490 feet. At the top, a stone tower built by FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps begs your weary quads to endure one last offense for seaplane views of Vancouver to the north, the Cascades and Bellingham to the east, the rest of the San Juans and the Olympic Range to the south. (360) 902-8844

Food for thought: Grab the binocs and glass the coast for a Hutton’s vireo or Western tanager as you wait for a wild-mushroom omelet at the West Sound Cafe. (360) 376-4440

The Way: From Seattle, take I-5 N to WA 20 W to Anacortes; follow signs to the ferry. No reservations are taken, so get there early.

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2) Cumberland Island, GA

Go Barefoot on a National Seashore

The Appalachian Trail tends to hog the attention from other Peach State trails. But that’s a good thing for anyone who ventures onto one of the state’s most distinctive footpaths, hundreds of miles away on 20,000-acre Cumberland Island. Only 300 people are allowed on the car-free island daily, and most lounge about the Greyfield Inn, an opulent mansion built by the Carnegies in 1900. Let them sip sweet tea as you hike the sandy Parallel Trail north from Sea Camp Ranger Station into a fern-filled maritime forest hiding bobcat, white-tailed deer, turkeys, boars, armadillos, and alligators. Kick off your shoes at Stafford Beach and stroll back to Sea Camp along the coast for a 7-mile day. Watch for the famous wild horses cantering on the beach and among the ruins of the decaying manses. (912) 882-4335

Food for thought: Catch the 4:45 p.m. ferry back to St. Marys and head to the Riverside Cafe & Restaurant on the waterfront for a calamari and rib-eye dinner. (912) 882-3466

The Way: From Savannah, head south on GA 405 to St. Marys. Follow signs to the Cumberland Island Ferry on Osborne St.

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3) San Miguel Island, CA

Hike Channel Islands backcountry

There’s only one ferry a day to San Miguel, the wettest, windiest, and remotest of the eight Channel Islands, so you’re guaranteed near-solitude on its trails. With no potable water and no shade, this 9,325-acre isle offers the most rugged landscape–and the most exciting hiking–in the chain. The return trip for dayhikers is three and a half hours after drop-off, leaving you just enough time to beat feet 5 miles round-trip on a wildflower-lined pathway over 831-foot San Miguel Hill to the Caliche Forest, named for the hardened mineral deposits that bear the imprint of ancient trees and plant life. Watch for the island fox, one of 12 species of plants and animals found only on the Channel Islands. (805) 658-5700

Food for thought: Surfers love Marshall’s Bodacious BBQ, a hole in the wall with a menu that mixes it up with tangy carnivorous fare and vegetarian burritos. marshallsbodaciousbbq.com

The Way: From LA, head north on CA 101 for 65 miles to Ventura, where the most popular ferry, Island Packers, runs regular service (islandpackers.com).

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