New Steps for American Camp Trail

Steve Ulvi, Dick Coffey, Dave Zeretzke, and Allen Rosenberg with Gus-Gus, Mike Lazzari’s dog (Photo by Mike Lazzari)

The six-mile American Camp Trail (ACT) connecting Friday Harbor with the national park’s visitor center is a relatively easy walk for most people, but as it goes through a gully on airport property it has been difficult for some.

So last Saturday, November 18, a crew of Trails volunteers led by Steve Ulvi built steps down the steeper north slope to the creek, using materials supplied by the Port of Friday Harbor. The other crew members were Dick Coffey, Mike Lazzari, Allen Rosenberg, and Dave Zeretzke.

The trail through the airport property is maintained by Trails volunteers, with major mowing throughout the year by Don Jarrell. The sturdy bridge over the creek was built a few years ago by Jarrell. The trail itself was built jointly by airport acting director Stuart Hansen and volunteer John Dustrude in 2005.

The finished steps and the bridge over the creek (Photo by Louise Dustrude)

Beyond the airport the trail goes along roadsides on Golf Course Road, Fairway Drive (with a permissive use agreement from the homeowners association), and short stretches of Cattle Point Road. Just north of the golf course entrance it sits on county property known as the Minnie Mae Trail.

Six of the landowners along Cattle Point Road have given trail easements and on their property the trail is shielded from the road by a screen of trees. Then the trail goes through the Land Bank’s Frazer Homestead Preserve and American Camp to the visitor center.

At six miles, it’s the longest trail on the island, followed by the three-mile Barracks to Boats trail connecting English Camp and Roche Harbor Resort. Both have been pieced together by a variety of cooperating landowners.

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