John Tursi Trail

The John Tursi Trail crosses a forested ridge on south Fidalgo Island, named for a Civilian Conservation Corps veteran who helped build Deception Pass State Park and later donated conservation easements across these woods. Two miles round trip with six hundred feet of climbing through madrone, Douglas fir, and salal — quick by length, but the loop packs more variety than its mileage suggests.

Stone outcrops break the canopy at intervals, opening views west over Pass Lake, south toward Campbell Lake, and east to the bare summit cone of Mount Erie. The route passes a small red rock quarry and the remains of a miner's shack, both dating from the early twentieth century. Rocky balds catch the sun, drying fast after rain and hosting moss and stonecrop year-round.

The trail crosses private property — the route is signed, but stay on tread to keep the easements intact. Two access points serve the trail: a Discover Pass lot at Pass Lake and a no-pass pullout on Donnell Road.