Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve

I have a tough time giving nature any less than 5 stars, ya know? I don’t get a few of the other reviews but maybe we are just out for different experiences. My two kiddos (8 and 4) and I were looking to get out of the house and into the woods for a bit so we came out to finally see this stump house. Parking is a small dirt lot on the side of the road. Cross over and there are marked trailheads. There are two trails down. One is sawmill trail which will take you all the way down to the beach (once closer to the beach the drop off is quite steep and trail very narrow.) and the other trail spits you out onto a gravel road. You can continue on the gravel road down to the beach or walk a hundred feet or so and take the sawmill trail. We took the gravel road down and I couldn’t help but feel like I might be on private property because at the top of the trail it said to keep on trail because of private property. BUT once we got down we realized that yes, this road does take one to the private property but that it’s permitted for park goers to use the road as well. One car came down as we were walking and parked to make their way down to the beach. There really isn’t a dedicated area to park here, just a turn around spot so maybe plan to drop off if you go this route. And your car needs to be out an hour or two before sunset or you get locked in. There was a fellow yelling for the car owners as we were on our way back but they were nowhere to be found. Once you get down to the beach access point there is a detailed map to see the entire layout of the park and trails. You cross over a little bridge and to your right is the beach and to the left is the stump house. The access point was flooded so rain boots were a must. The water and mud was about ankle deep in the more shallow areas. It’s doable. Don’t let a little water stop you. From the bridge we went left in search of the stump house and found it in about five minutes of walking the trail. A cute little stump, hollowed and some fixings nailed up to make it took like a home. Inside there’s a book to sign your name and maybe add a quote or story. Also, a treasure box to leave something behind. It was a really cool spot for the kids. We headed back after this as it was getting late. So I cannot speak for the beach area. We’ll get to that next time. We took the trailhead to the left this time. There’s an old, gutted house that’s surely to fall to pieces soon at the head of the trail. This trail is extremely steep and while it was more serene than the gravel road it was a workout. Overall, it’s a great little hike for the entire family. We even saw a bald eagle.
Note: there are no restrooms or running water.

A hidden treasure! There are several options to take down to the cove — if maps are available then you’ll be set! Once at the beach the view is simply breathtaking! When the trail hits level ground you’ll have to navigate the driest route to the beach, it can be a very wet walk if you’re not creative, but it can be done! A walk through the forest finds stump houses, and you can see where beavers have been hard at work — a great adventure for the family — I would suggest 6 and older! Enjoy!

This is a fun hike for the whole family! We have done it twice now. Love the views you get of Seabeck and the water. We got to see a bald eagle flying around. I have 3 kids and they can do the hike! The best part is that it is only a few miles away from my favorite restaurant!

We hiked the trail down to the beach yesterday, and we had a perfect day for it. There are several decisions to make as trails branch off, but if you look at the map at the end of the trail, you can figure it all out. Getting down to that point is intuitive. The main bridge down near the end of the main road is not easy to get to without waders, but if you follow alternate trails, you can get to the stump house and even over to the beach. The main road is loose gravel and going downhill it’s easy to slip and fall if you don’t have the proper footwear. I wore tennis shoes, and I fell once, even being careful. Stick to the trails and it’s a better path. The stump house is pretty awesome. There are also some other old structures along the way that are boarded up and interesting. Signage isn’t great. The only wildlife we saw was a large slug and many fuzzy black and brown caterpillars, and a few birds. But the trail is reminiscent of walking through a little rain forest with all of the ferns and moss and huge evergreens. I agree with Jim G about not leaving valuables in your car. But that is a good rule anytime you hike and leave your vehicle at a trail head.

This Kitsap County park turned out to be a nice hike on an early spring day. I found the park while searching on the Washington Trails Association site. You will follow windy back roads for a good 10 miles off the main road to get here, but there are signs that point the way. Parking is a small dirt lot on the side of the road. I would definitely not leave any valuables in your car though, even though you’re quite aways from town. There is a nice rustic trail that leads downhill and through a ravine, down to the creek area. Unfortunately, from here, you can see the beach, but you cannot get to it because there is a private residence. The only way to get there is to cross a bridge over the creek. However, when I visited, the creek had overspilled its banks and so it was pretty marshy and muddy in this area. The only way to get to the bridge would be if you had waders and I was not this prepared. Hopefully they will be able to provide access to the beach area another way. I read online that there is a ‘stump house’, but this is also across the bridge so I was unable to see it. I was able to hike back along the ‘maple’ trail which was a nice loop. I spent about 90 minutes looking around here and ran into maybe 10 other people. I enjoyed hiking here and but I probably won’t come back until the bridge to the beach is accessible again!