Turtleback Mountain Preserve

Rising more than 1,500 feet above the Salish Sea, Turtleback Mountain is the second highest point in the San Juan Islands. Nine miles of trails guide hikers up the mountain with views of the sea through the trees as you climb. A series of overlooks create rewarding options for shorter hikes. Stunning views of surrounding islands and the Olympic Mountains greet hikers at the summit. 

Turtleback Mountain is one of the most distinctive geographic features of the San Juan Islands. Visible throughout the archipelago, the mountain has served as a landmark for the Salish people of the Northern Straits as they traveled among their fishing grounds.  

“Turtleback Mountain is an iconic landscape, as important to the health and identity of the larger Puget Sound region as it is to the San Juan Islands community,” explained Roger Hoesterey, former Northwest Regional Director at TPL. 

Turtlehead, the westernmost point of the turtle-shaped mountain, was donated to the San Juan Preservation Trust in 1990. In 2005, the rest of the mountain went up for sale. Developers were keen to purchase the property. But the San Juan Islands community knew Turtleback Mountain was too special to lose. The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank, The San Juan Preservation Trust, and TPL came together with the community to raise the funds needed to purchase and protect Turtleback Mountain as public land. Over 2,000 individuals across the Puget Sound region and beyond donated to protect Turtleback Mountain.  

In 2006, Turtleback Mountain Preserve opened to the public managed by the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank. In 2012, the San Juan Preservation Trust purchased a key 111-acre parcel to connect Turtlehead to the rest of Turtleback Mountain. And in 2020, the San Juan Preservation Trust and San Juan County Conservation Land Bank added 36 acres to the preserve to connect Turtleback Mountain to the shoreline and returned adjacent culturally significant land to the Lummi Nation. Today, community members and visitors can hike from the base of Turtleback Mountain to the summit. And thanks to the actions of generous individuals and community leaders, the forests and trails of Turtleback Mountain will remain connected and protected for generations to explore.