Mount Erie
What is it and why visit?
Mount Erie is the high point of Fidalgo Island, just a few minutes from the city of Anacortes. It boasts a premier vista of the islands and waterways of the Puget Lowland. On a clear day, not only do you have a sweeping view of Fidalgo Island, Whidbey Island, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier, but you can think about this: during the last ice age, you would be standing under 3,000 feet of ice, even on this 1,250-foot peak! The asymmetric peak serves as an excellent lookout from which to orient oneself within this unique island chain landscape. Whether you come for the day or just a quick drive to the top for an unforgettable photo, Mount Erie represents an up-close perspective of the Salish Sea with unparalleled ease of access.
Geologic story
‘The mountain is a glacial landform known as a ‘roche moutonnée’ or ‘sheepback’
Glacially carved Mount Erie is a unique window into Earth’s interior. The rocks at Mt. Erie belong to the
Mount Erie is made of dense, dark igneous rocks from the middle of the ophiolite. These resistant rocks were able to withstand thousands of years of
The mountain has been extensively altered by the
The shape of Mount Erie is a testament to its life as an inconsequential speed bump for the ice. The mountain is a
Deep, linear striations/grooves, have also been scoured into this landscape by the receding ice sheet in a northeast to southwest direction. These striations are visible cuts in the bedrock at the summit.
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Fun Fact
Mount Erie is part of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, a natural area that began as a green space buffer for the city’s reservoir. The area has grown to encompass over 2,800 acres of forests, wetlands, lakes, and peaks, with over 50 miles of recreational trails and many great rock climbing spots.
What to see and do
Access passes you may need: None
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Getting There
From Interstate 5 north or south, take exit 230 in Burlington and head west on State Route 20 toward Whidbey Island for about 13 miles. Turn right onto Campbell Lake Road and go 1.6 miles to Heart Lake Road. Continue 1.3 miles on Heart Lake Road to the trailhead (on the right) and Erie Mountain Drive. If you want to drive to the top instead of hiking, continue another 1.5 miles to the summit on Erie Mountain Drive.
Nearby Amenities
Photo gallery
Bibliography
Brown, E. H.; Housen, B. A.; Schermer, E. R., 2007, Tectonic evolution of the San Juan Islands thrust system, Washington. In Stelling, Pete; Tucker, D. S., editors, Floods, faults, and fire—Geological field trips in Washington State and southwest British Columbia: Geological Society of America Field Guide 9, p. 143–177.
Gusey, Daryl, 1978, The geology of southwestern Fidalgo Island: Western Washington University Master of Science thesis, 85 p., 1 plate.
Jordan, T. H.; Grotzinger, John, 2008, The Essential Earth: W. H. Freeman and Company, 414 p.
Miller, M. B.; Cowan, D. S., 2017, Roadside geology of Washington, second edition: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 378 p.
Porter, S. C.; Swanson, T. W., 1998, Radiocarbon age constraints on rates of advance and retreat of the Puget Lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet during the last glaciation: Quaternary Research, v. 50, no. 3, p. 205–213. [https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.1998.2004]
Tucker, Dave, 2014, Fidalgo ophiolite, part 1: A bit of the mantle at Washington Park, Anacortes [webpage]: Northwest geology field trips. [accessed Dec. 6, 2019 at https://nwgeology.wordpress.com/the-fieldtrips/fidalgo-ophiolite-part-1-a-bit-of-the-mantle-at-washington-park-anacortes/]
Tucker, Dave, 2014, Fidalgo ophiolite, part 2: Mount Erie and the ocean crust [webpage]: Northwest geology field trips. [accessed Dec. 6, 2019 at https://nwgeology.wordpress.com/the-fieldtrips/fidalgo-ophiolite-part-2/]