If you're a nature lover, expect to see bald eagles and a great variety of water birds on Lopez Island, along with black-tailed deer and lots of rabbits. You may spot these on one of the island’s web of hiking trails, many near or along the shore (the same terrain that makes for somewhat easy cycling makes for plenty of opportunities for not-too-strenuous hiking). Whether you visit with family and friends or you’re in search of solitude, Lopez’s many parks (some of them well-kept secrets) fill the bill, from Agate Beach County Park with its soothing sound of waves over pebbles to the trails and bluffs of Shark Reef Sanctuary, where you’re likely to spot seals and often times sea lions. Or launch your kayak to explore the island’s inlets and paddle around the unspoiled paradise of one of the nearby National Wildlife Refuge islands (no two-footed creatures allowed) for glimpses of pigeon guillemots, double-crested and pelagic cormorants, and harbor seals.
