San Juan Island National Historical Park · Washington

Young Hill Trail

0.6 mi of trail, end to end · Hike to Young Hill: 1.9 mi out and back in the Service's write-up · about 350 ft of climbing · 294 ft–647 ft · hiking

294 ft 560 ft · 0.4 mi high 560 ft

Hike to Young Hill 1.9 mi out and back · the Park Service's write-up

dogs allowed

Start Young Hill Trailhead

A view of a sunset from the top of a mountain, looking towards the ocean and islands.
Young Hill has some of the best views of the surrounding islands.

On a clear day, the hike to the top of Young Hill provides a panoramic view of San Juan Island’s bays, English Camp, and Vancouver Island. During the joint occupation (1860-1872) visitors from Victoria regularly climbed to the top of Young Hill and took in its impressive vantage point. This trail allows visitors to follow in their footsteps.

The 1.9 mile out-and-back trail is steep, climbing 566 feet to reach Young Hill’s 650-foot summit. Along the way, exercise caution as you cross San Juan Valley Road .3 miles into the hike and carry water, as none is available on the way. At .4 miles into the hike, you will cross a short spur trail that leads to the English Camp Cemetery the final resting place of 6 members of the Royal Marines and one civilian who died during the joint occupation of San Juan Island. At .8 miles into the hike, the woods clear, providing you with your first viewpoint out into the bay. 1 mile into your hike you will reach the end of the trail with stunning views and excellent rocks for an informal picnic.

Accessibility This is a moderate hike along an unpaved trail. It is 1.9 miles round trip and includes 566 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.