A Whimsical Walk through Krueger Woods

The morning was gray and overcast as I headed out the door to take a walk. The featured hike of the week from my favorite local hiking blog was in Coupeville and I wanted to stay close to home. (https://hikingclosetohome.weebly.com/hike-of-the-week/sun-break#/

Normally I like to get out into nature a bit more, but Coupeville is a lovely little town and since I'd gone to the trouble of trying to actually map out the walk based on the blog description, I pulled up the map on my phone as I pulled into the parking lot at Whidbey Health Hospital. 

my rough attempt at a map

I crossed the street and walked through a cute neighborhood, admiring the cottages and wondering if I'd ever want to live in a neighborhood like that. I think the reality of close neighbors on either side would take some getting used to. 

I paused at a trail sign for Krueger Woods on my way down to the green space by the public library and considered taking a side loop to explore the woods but decided to wait until I came back up. Walking past the local restrooms I tried to figure out where the trail was. Several people were playing with their dogs on the grass and a woman asked if I was looking for something. I told her I was trying to find a trail and with a smile she pointed ahead to where it trampled off to the right. After meandering between two full stormwater ponds I began a small ascent up 7th Street towards Broadview. 

whimsical fairy house

The houses in this historic town are worth wandering by and I did not regret my urban trail choice, captivated by charming white picket fences and cottages. Approaching Krueger Trails, a doe walked towards me down the trail. Her large eyes gazed at me, contemplating whether I was a danger or not. Eventually as I turned towards her on the trail she moved off to the side, ears flicking in irritation at my interruption.

deer in Krueger Woods

I explored Krueger Woods, a small enclave of wooded area in the heart of the neighborhood, walking the trails until I looped back to Broadview where I passed the Foursquare Church and the community garden area. A wide graveled path took me back towards Whidbey Health. I love walking areas and discovering hidden gems you can't see from the road. The trail goes parallel to Highway 20 but a large berm blocks the road noise and hides the traffic. I've driven past this trail for 15 years and never knew it was there. You can't see it from the road because of the berm.

The trail connected into Birch Street and I passed the Northwest Art School pausing to admire the funky metal sculpture in front of it.

I made it back to my car just as it started to rain. I enjoyed every minute of this 1.9 mile, 42 minute walk. If you ever find yourself at Whidbey Health Medical Center needing a nature walk or break, I highly recommend this trek.