Anacortes Community Forest Lands
Managed by City of Anacortes
2,023 acres30.6 mi of trail
21210218205+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailhead
W. T. PRESTON (snagboat) · Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Anacortes
Anacortes has 61 miles of mapped trails, 5.2 for every square mile of land
47% of Anacortes’ land is conserved, about 3,512 acres. 1,453 acres are parks and preserves, 81 per 1,000 residents. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #5 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
47%
3,512 acres · of 11.7 sq mi of land
Trails
61 mi
5.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,453 ac
81 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
9.7 mi lanes · 4.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,263 ft
Mount Erie
Lakes & rivers
7
7 beaches · 11 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Anacortes?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Anacortes have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Anacortes is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #5 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Anacortes’ overall grade.
Conserved land47% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%A+Trails5.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (61 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land81 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,453 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13AParks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)#5 of 285
Water is 25% of Anacortes’ area (4 of 16 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 35%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Anacortes Community Forest Lands, with 30.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cranberry Lake Park ACFL
Park
707 acres14.7 mi of trail
10115113Trail 100+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Washington Park
Managed by City of Anacortes
211 acres4.6 mi of trail
501516520502+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mount Erie Park
Managed by Anacortes Community Forest Lands
286 acres3.3 mi of trail
239216215247+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cap Sante Park
Park
22 acres0.7 mi of trail
Rotary Viewpoint TrailMarine Stadium Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
John Storvik Playground
Park
8 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 18 parks & preserves
Anacortes Community Forest Lands2,023 acres · 30.6 mi of trail · City of Anacortes
DirectionsCranberry Lake Park ACFL707 acres · 14.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park211 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · City of Anacortes
DirectionsMount Erie Park286 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · Anacortes Community Forest Lands
DirectionsCap Sante Park22 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn Storvik Playground8 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsTugboat Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Causland Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
John and Doris Tursi Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fidalgo Bay Aquatic Reserve626 acres · Washington DNR
DirectionsSeafarers Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsAnacortes Waterfront Park2 acres
Fidalgo Bay - Carsten Conservation Area1 acres · Skagit Land Trust
James Rice Civic Park1 acres
DirectionsAnacortes Farmers Market park and Railway Museum1 acres
DirectionsFarmers Market Park1 acres
DirectionsAnacortes Viewpoint Park1 acres
DirectionsRotary Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,512 conserved acres
47% of Anacortes’ land. Water is left out: Anacortes has 11.7 square miles of land and 4.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Anacortes’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,514 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,713 ac
Joint626 ac
Local Recreation Area · 2,065 acForest Stewardship Easement · 1,132 acState Conservation Area · 626 acUnknown Easement · 579 acLocal Park · 446 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 523 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 24 of 41 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acfl Whistle Lake Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2,063 | Open |
| Fidalgo Bay Aquatic Reserve State Conservation Area | Joint | 626 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 235 | Open |
| Mount Erie Park Local Park | Town or city | 150 | Open |
| Cap Sante Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Rotary Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Cranberry Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| John Storvik Playground Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Anacortes Airport Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Ben Root Skateboard Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
62 places to go in Anacortes
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Anacortes
Plus 4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Anacortes
Anacortes Library Playground
DirectionsSpider Park climbing playground
DirectionsSpider park climbing playground
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Anacortes
FIDO dog park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Anacortes
Burrows Channel ViewpointIn Washington Park
DirectionsCap Sante Park ViewpointIn Cap Sante Park
DirectionsWaterfront viewpoint
DirectionsPlus 13 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Anacortes
Mount Erie1,263 ft elevation · In Mount Erie Park
DirectionsSugarloaf1,027 ft elevation · In Anacortes Community Forest Lands
DirectionsSugar Cube833 ft elevation · In Anacortes Community Forest Lands
DirectionsLittle Round TopIn Anacortes Community Forest Lands
DirectionsPicnic areas in Anacortes
Green Point Picnic AreaIn Washington Park
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Anacortes
Washington Park CampgroundHours: Open 24 hours · Fee · In Washington Park · City of Anacortes
DirectionsDisc golf in Anacortes
Rotary Park Disc Golf Course
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Anacortes
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 46.5 miHorses · 16.3 miUnpaved · 55.5 mi
211.8 mi
2101.7 mi
101.5 mi
1151.3 mi
Trail 1001.3 mi
2181.2 mi
2051.1 mi
5011.1 mi
3021.1 mi
2151.0 mi
15 more trails
113
1.0 mi27
1.0 mi247
1.0 mi300
0.9 mi22
0.9 mi249
0.8 mi212
0.8 mi28
0.8 mi20
0.8 mi239
0.8 mi201
0.7 mi226
0.7 mi216
0.7 miKenny Oaks Trail (204)
0.7 mi220
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.1 mi
off-road bike paths
22 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
12Baseball
9Tennis
8Pickleball
5Basketball
4Soccer
3Softball
2Football
2Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Anacortes Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1977
About itCausland ParkStructure · listed 1981
About itCalifornia Fruit StoreBuilding · listed 1987
About itGreat Northern DepotBuilding · listed 1987
About itMarine Supply and Hardware ComplexBuilding · listed 1987
About itSemar BlockBuilding · listed 1987
About itLa MercedStructure · listed 1990
About itWilson HotelBuilding · listed 2004
About itFraternal Order of Eagles Hall-AnacortesBuilding · listed 2019
About itBurrows Island Light StationDistrict · listed 2024
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Anacortes: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 49 | 53 | 58 | 64 | 68 | 73 | 73 | 68 | 59 | 51 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
July is the driest month (0.9 in) and August the warmest (highs of 73 °F). 4.9 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Anacortes →
Questions about parks and trails in Anacortes
Where can I hike in Anacortes?
The longest trail networks: Anacortes Community Forest Lands, 30.6 miles; Cranberry Lake Park ACFL, 14.7 miles; Washington Park, 4.6 miles; Mount Erie Park, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Anacortes is conserved land?
47% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Anacortes’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Anacortes Community Forest Lands (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Anacortes?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.7 of painted or protected lanes, 4.1 of off-road paths and 22 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Anacortes?
8,973 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Anacortes or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,453 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Anacortes have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #5 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Anacortes neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →