8 Summer Hikes to Help You Cool Off

South Whidbey State Park
If you have a half a day, take the ferry from Mukilteo to the south end of Whidbey Island and explore South Whidbey State Park.  Many families enjoy camping here, but there are kid-sized trails galore to explore, and a beach area for cooling off after your hike (it’s only a half-mile walk from the parking area down to the shore).  Take the 0.6-mile-long Nature Discovery Trail along the bluff, cross the street, and add on the 0.8-mile-long Wilbert Trail.  The latter path takes you into dense, dark forest, where kids will marvel at the huge trees that miraculously survived the logging era.

My kids were fascinated by the wild bunnies and the diversity of birds in the park.  You’ll find a day-use picnic area that catches the cool westerly breezes funneling through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.