Project Story

Saratoga Woods – finally the pressure is off and a new park is formed

For ten years prior to it protection, this 118-acre property was under intense development pressure. In that time, it had been slated for a 137-home subdivision, then a 250-room hotel and conference center, and finally a clear-cut logging operation. Finally, after months of negotiations, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust acquired an option to purchase the property for $750,000. The Land Trust structured the deal so that the owners received a tax deduction for selling the property at below market value.

Save the Woods on Saratoga, a local grassroots organization that led past efforts to save the property, spearheaded the fundraising campaign to purchase Saratoga Woods. Once purchased, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust worked collaboratively with Save the Woods to transfer the property to Island County for a new public park. The Land Trust retained a conservation easement, insuring that Island County manages Saratoga Woods as a park and preserve and restricting uses to passive recreation such as hiking, picnicking, wildlife appreciation and environmental education.

Saratoga Woods includes diverse landscapes. The extreme easterly portion is a high bluff that provides dramatic, unobstructed views of Saratoga Passage, Camano Island, Mt. Baker and the North Cascades. The eight acres on the east side of Saratoga Road is an old farmstead and includes an extensive wetland complex. The upland area is ideally suited for a picnic area, trailhead sign and informational kiosk and restroom facilities. The remaining 110 acres include one of the most impressive second-growth forests remaining on Whidbey Island.

This project included the donation of a pedestrian trail easement across a contiguous, privately-owned 40-acre parcel. The donated trail easement leads to an extensive network of existing trails winding through adjacent, publicly-owned natural lands.