Samish Overlook
Samish Overlook sits at 1,253 feet on the byway between the Blanchard Road overcrossing and Vic Larabee State Park, facing 240 degrees toward the southwest. The land drops 1,233 feet within 600 meters of the overlook, giving an open view across lower terrain toward Samish Island and the water beyond. Visible features include Smith & Vallee Sculpture Park to the south-southwest at 3.3 miles, Samish Island Acres Community Garden at 4.1 miles, and Samish Island Park at 4.7 miles. Samish Beach lies west-southwest at 4.8 miles, with Samish Island Beach Access and the Goldston Conservation Easement further along the same shoreline. To the west, Paintbrush Point Overlook, Vendovi Island Preserve, and Sunrise Beach are all visible near the 8-mile mark, along with View of Uplands and Lookout Tower to the south-southwest. Because the overlook faces 30 degrees off square from due west, it looks generally toward the sunset side of the sky. Bellingham is 10.3 miles north-northwest and Mount Vernon is 13.9 miles south-southeast. The next lookout along the route is Burnout knob.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Smith & Vallee Sculpture Park9 ftsouth-southwest · 3.3 mi
- Samish Island Acres Community Garden10 ftsouthwest · 4.1 mi
- Samish Island Park132 ftwest-southwest · 4.7 mi
- Samish Beach98 ftwest-southwest · 4.8 mi
- Samish Island Beach Access63 ftwest-southwest · 5.7 mi
- Samish Island - Goldston Conservation Easement117 ftwest-southwest · 6.0 mi
- Paintbrush Point Overlook239 ftwest · 8.0 mi
- View of Uplands131 ftsouth-southwest · 8.3 mi
- Vendovi Island Preserve261 ftwest · 8.3 mi
- Sunrise Beach70 ftwest · 8.3 mi
- Lookout Tower53 ftsouth-southwest · 8.5 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:13 | 19:23 | 18:41 |
| June solstice | 05:08 | 21:17 | 20:27 |
| September equinox | 06:57 | 19:09 | 18:28 |
| December solstice | 08:00 | 16:17 | 15:22 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Bellingham10.3 mi north-northwest
- Mount Vernon13.9 mi south-southeast
- Oak Harbor24.0 mi south-southwest
Take the scenic way to Samish Overlook.
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How high is Samish Overlook?
Samish Overlook sits at about 1,253 feet (382 m).
What can you see from Samish Overlook?
From Samish Overlook: Smith & Vallee Sculpture Park (SSW, 3.3 mi); Samish Island Acres Community Garden (SW, 4.1 mi); Samish Island Park (WSW, 4.7 mi); Samish Beach (WSW, 4.8 mi).
Is Samish Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Samish Overlook toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Samish Overlook?
Bellingham, 10 miles NNW of Samish Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Samish Overlook?
Burnout knob is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Samish Overlook.
Drive to Samish Overlook with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Jct Sr 5 Vic Burlington To Jct Sr 5 Vic Bellingham, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Edison · 3 mi
- Northwest Washington · 10 mi
- Bellingham · 11 mi
- Burlington · 11 mi
- Sedro-Woolley · 11 mi
- Anacortes · 12 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Samish Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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Field notes
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More lookouts on Jct Sr 5 Vic Burlington To Jct Sr 5 Vic Bellingham
Named places near this lookout
- Blanchard State Forest Nature reserve · 1.07 mi
- Bow Hill Southbound Rest Area Rest area · 4.05 mi
- Bow Hill Northbound Rest Area Rest area · 4.26 mi
- Butler Creek Conservation Area Nature reserve · 4.59 mi
- Samish Beach Beach · 4.84 mi
- Humphrey Hill Peak · 5.44 mi
- Silver Creek Falls Waterfall · 5.97 mi
- Lookout Mountain Peak · 6.22 mi