Baker Preserve
Visit the Baker Preserve
1/3 mile south of the Sunrise Road/Seacrest Drive intersection
The Baker Preserve trail is a vigorous hike up a steep, winding trail. The 1.64-mile out-and-back trail has a 1,060-foot elevation gain that leads to an overlook with magnificent views of Rosario Strait and the San Juan Islands.
The Baker Preserve is the Heritage Trust's first controlled-access preserve. Due to the ecological sensitivity and, sometimes, hazardous terrain, hikers are required to sign in at the trailhead before accessing the Baker Preserve trail.
Dogs are not allowed.
Please help us care for these special places by respecting our rules.
Preserves are open only during daylight hours.
Please stay on the trails.
Only foot traffic is permitted. Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed.
Foraging is not permitted. Please do not pick, remove, or disturb plants.
Please leave nothing behind, including trash.
Do not feed wildlife.
Please help us be good neighbors. Respect private property and do not trespass.
Dogs are not allowed.
Fires, smoking, and alcohol are strictly prohibited.
No hunting is permitted. Firearms or other weapons are not allowed.
Camping is not allowed.
Drones are not allowed.
Trail map
History of the Baker Preserve
Located on the west flank of Lummi Mountain, this property was originally owned by Frank Wright’s Lummi Island Land Company. Frey and Estrid Baker purchased the property circa 1940, and they passed the land on to their children. Today, Charles Baker raises sheep and cattle, and he logs and quarries the land. He lives in the historic farmhouse, which boasts a basement built with original fish trap timbers.
In 2007 the Heritage Trust succeeded in permanently protecting the 435-acre Baker Ranch, one of the largest and most visible protected shoreline properties in the San Juan Islands. The property contains a diverse mix of habitats including mature forest, grassy balds, wetlands, farmland, and over one mile of saltwater shoreline.
Conservation easements held by the Trust’s partners, The San Juan Preservation Trust and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, limit development of the property and ensure permanent protection of the land's natural values. The Heritage Trust owns and manages a portion of the property as the Baker Preserve. The WA Natural Heritage Council has designated the Baker Preserve as part of the Statewide System of Natural Areas. Across the State, these natural area preserves are living museums that protect the best remaining examples of rare plant and animal habitats.
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