The Samish Overlook is a wonderful location for capturing images of the Skagit Valley. From the drive-to viewpoint you look out over Chuckanut Drive, Bow, and Samish Island to the south and a myriad of islands and water to the west.
Getting there is easy, take the Alger Exit off of I-5, head west at the end of the ramp and turn onto Barrell Spring Road. In about a quarter mile hang a right and head up hill on a dirt road (there is a sign for the Blanchard Mountain Trail system, and follow all the way to the Lookout. There you will find a paved parking area, rest rooms, benches and a great view.
You will need a Discover Washington Pass to park!
Spring is my favorite time, when the flowers start blooming, but any sunrise or sunset is spectacular.
This is one of my favorite places to take people for the North Cascades Photo Tour, find out more here!
And if you’d like to purchase prints of any of these images, here is the link!
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- Samish Overlook
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- Samish Bay
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- Skagit Valley, Northern Hemisphere, Planet Earth, in the outer rim of the Milky Way Galaxy
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- Skagit Valley
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- Samish Overlook
North Western Images - photos by Andy Porter 
Beautifully captured!
Love them all
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!
How the blinkety blank blank @(*$@$_)_)$%@)Y are you getting the Milky way to show with that much light pollution…?!!???!??
I was very surprised to see the Milky Way at all from up there. I went thinking I would see a few stars, and thats it. When I saw that the Milky Way was visible, I started shooting. It was a somewhat chilly Sept. night, so not a lot of moisture in the air…of course ALL Milky Way of mine (or anyone elses) are photoshopped quite a bit, to make the stars brighter, the sky darker, to add contrast, etc. But honest to god, the Milky Way was visibly from up there!