Scenic Beach, Nick’s Lagoon

July, 2020

Nick Holm must have been a really nice guy. I like to think that. He’s long gone now. But he was instrumental in preserving two fresh-water and salt-water lagoons for generations of people after him to enjoy. By “people” I mean humans and birds and beavers and bugs and fish and reptiles and all manner of plants. We’re all in this together, yes?

This morning I again stayed close to the campground, no long drives or explorations. While researching things to see and do here in Kitsap, I found information about a place called “Nick’s Lagoon”, a little-known nature preserve not too far outside the Scenic Beach State Park boundaries. But the precise location was tricky to find.

Here’s one description on one website: “On the westside of the county is Nick’s Lagoon, a 35-acre Seabeck Bay park that was once celebrated as a prime salmon-watching spot after it was purchased by the county in 2003. Within a few years, the trails had become overgrown and the park faded from many people’s memories. Despite appearances, the park is open. Its trail and estuarine beach are good places for watching wildlife. Salmon are known to leap in the lagoon, and herons, ducks, beaver and otter are common sights. You might be surprised to find a private home in the park. The county rents it to a former employee, but you are allowed to wander anywhere you like on the property. Get there: From Seabeck Highway, head west on Miami Beach Road about 600 feet. Look for a bare patch along the right side of the road. That’s your parking spot. Once you get out, you’ll find an an overgrown and unmarked trailhead into the park.”

There was another website that told me I needed to find two short blocks of wood that marked the trailhead, but the author admitted that those blocks of wood had long since been overgrown by native plants.

I drove back and forth on the road a couple of times. Eventually, using the GPS and lat/long coordinates provided by a third website, I saw one block of wood right where there was a bit of gravel parking area next to the road. I parked, jumped out of the big white truck, and found the second block of wood. I was there!

 

The trail started into the woods immediately past the two blocks of wood.

The trail was level and easy walking. It was overgrown in places so I took my time and watched where I stepped. Along both sides of the trail was water, moving ever so slightly towards the lagoon ahead of me.

Here’s a little video (below) of how it felt and sounded to walk in those woods.

 

The path continued along for quite a distance in that deep rich woodland, and then around one bend in the trail the lagoon appeared, with a different smell and a different feel entirely. More light seemed to bring more life, or so it felt.

 

Almost immediately, my eye caught a bit of motion in the distance off to the right.

This handsome Belted Kingfisher was out there on that limb dancing and prancing, preening and cleaning, sometimes looking right at me it seemed, though I was a long way away from it and I was trying to hold still. Those birds are so smart!

By and by, the Kingfisher flew off. Then I started walking around the lagoon to see what more there was to see.

A Beaver home, I do believe … right out in the middle of the lagoon.

Oh my word, look at the photo below. A Beaver was leaping out of the water right in front of me!

I zoomed in with the camera for a closer look, hoping it would show itself again.

Ah me, my imagination ran away with me yet again. That “leaping Beaver” was just another chunk of wood. sigh.

 

Such a pretty lagoon. It smelled rich and lush. I can imagine lots of critters live here.

There was lots of evidence of real Beavers at work here (not just my imaginery ones).

 

I then headed further along on the trail. The websites say the trail leads to the head of Seabeck Bay, and another lagoon there, and then the trail continues onto the Seabeck Bay beach and around that second lagoon.

 

Unfortunately, just past that bridge above, the path became completely blocked by plants and the ground became just about completely saturated with water. I felt no need to blaze a new trail and maybe get stuck in the mud somewhere, so I headed back. The walk back to the road and the big white truck was, of course, just as deliciously beautiful as was the walk inbound into those woods and the lagoon.

 

 

 

What a beautiful world we live in.

Here’s a website with a report by one fellow who found a sign marking the lagoon but the sign had been placed at a road to some homes, rather than at the trailhead. Evidently the lagoon trail actually does loop around past these homes, which are owned by the county and are on county land, the same as the lagoon is … https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/life/blogs/trails-and-tides/2013/11/18/private-house-in-a-public-park/95209196/.

Here’s hoping that some Kitsap County folks improve this trail. I’d love to hike all the way out to Seabeck Bay on my next trip here. If I knew when a volunteer group might be working on the trail, I’d be happy to go camping here again and help!