San Juan Island National Historical Park · Washington

Bluff Trail

0.2 mi of trail, end to end · Hike the Bluff Trail: 2 mi loop in the Service's write-up · 40 ft of descent · 39 ft–77 ft · hiking

77 ft 39 ft · 0.2 mi high 77 ft

Hike the Bluff Trail 2 mi loop · the Park Service's write-up

dogs allowed

A hiker on a dirt trail along a hilly coastal bluff
The bluff trail offers the best views along the coast Photo: NPS

The Bluff Trail is a phenomenal way to experience the environmental richness of American Camp. The trail traverses high, sandy bluffs that overlook the sandy pocket beaches between Grandma's Cove and South Beach. On a hot summer day, the cool ocean breezes and ripe trailing blackberries found on this trail are particularly delightful. Bald eagles are regularly seen on the rocky points that intersperse the bluffs and sometimes orcas can be spotted in the Salish Sea beside the trail.

The Coastal Bluffs Trail begins at South Beach and ends just before the final segment of the Grandma's Cove Trail. Visitors can combine it with the South Beach Trail for an easy 2 mile loop that provides stunning views, wildlife opportunities, and an opportunity to get close to the pristine landscapes that bring so many visitors to American Camp.

Accessibility This is an easy unpaved trail that is 0.8 miles one way. It includes 53 feet of elevation gain.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 20 trails in San Juan Island National Historical ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.