Maribeth Crandell grew up in North Carolina loving the outdoors. But now she’s found her home and vocation in Washington’s scenic Island County, leading hikes in the region.
Maribeth came by her expertise naturally, by foot, exploring the region’s beautiful and intriguing places.
“There are beaches and bluffs, woodlands and wetlands, fields and forest, lovely lakes, and even a few mountains,” writes Maribeth on her website. “Lace up your shoes, grab your walking stick and get ready to go exploring.”
Her love of hiking and exploration didn’t start with Island County. According to the Whidbey Institute, while she was growing up, Maribeth’s parents took her hiking in 45 states. She finished the rest of the states as an adult and hiked the Appalachian Trail in her 40s. Her memoir about the experience is called Flip Flop on the Appalachian Trail.
Now she shares some of her favorite local Island County trails through her website and trail guidebook, Hiking Close to Home.
“Hiking Close to Home started when a librarian asked me to put together a program on local hikes. After a few weeks of visiting my favorite trails and taking pictures, I offered the presentation for the first time. It was in August 2018 and over 50 people attended,” writes Maribeth. Then three more local libraries asked her to offer the presentation. “…and each time the room filled to capacity.” People engaged with her after the talks, asking about more hikes in the area or offering tips such as, “The bollards are too close together on that bike path to allow wheelchairs access.”
“This spurred me to go out and explore further, contact land owners and trail planners and to add to my evolving presentation.”
People urged her to write a book or start a blog. “I felt pressured and a bit overwhelmed,” she admits. She had just finished Flip Flop on the Apalachian Trail the year before. “It took six months to hike and a decade to write and I worked full time. So I reached out to my old friend, Jack Hartt and asked him to partner with me on this project. With just a moment’s hesitation he said, ‘Sure!'”
Jack Hartt worked for Washington State Parks for 40 years and had recently retired as manager of Deception Pass State Park. He has been involved with Transition Fidalgo, the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, and Skagit Land Trust. “Besides being trail savvy, Jack has published several books himself and has a great eye for photography. This project would not have been possible without his help,” writes Maribeth.
“I’ve been an outdoor educator and trail guide in the Pacific Northwest for over twenty years,” she adds. “My work took me from the Columbia River Gorge to Southeast Alaska. I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2006 and walked the Coast to Coast Path across England in 2024. Still, Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands have been my home base. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to live here and to work with Jack Hartt on this project.”
In a 2023 interview with the Whidbey Weekly, Maribeth discussed her imminent retirement plans — from her day job, that is, not her trail guide vocation. Maribeth’s early work included a career as a naturalist, but in her 40s she decided it was time to get a job with benefits. She worked first for the City of Oak Harbor as an environmental educator, then with Island County Environmental Health Department. Her most recent job was as Island Transit Mobility Specialist.
In the Whidbey Weekly article, Maribeth said, “I wanted our seniors to consider the safe, free, accessible Island Transit bus as an alternative to driving as they got older. But if seniors haven’t used public transit before, how could I entice them onboard? My dear old dad didn’t use public transit, but he’d go on bus tours with the senior center. So, I started offering monthly ‘Ride with a Guide’ bus tours on our regularly scheduled buses. I’ve led tours to libraries and bookstores, coffee shops, parks, wineries, thrift shops, festivals, and parades.” Her monthly bus tours always booked up.
Retired or not, Maribeth reported that there is more traveling in her future, and maybe another book.
“Hiking Close to Home is dedicated to those individuals and organizations that work to secure the land, build and maintain the trails and protect our natural areas for all of us to enjoy. And to all the trail users who follow my mother’s advice, ‘Leave a place better than you found it.'”
MORE INFORMATION
Visit HIKING CLOSE TO HOME for trail events including Hike of the Week and to learn more about Maribeth Crandell and her books. The trails offer anything from a relaxing walk to all-day excursions. Another aspect of Maribeth’s resources is that they are listed by ability level and show which trails are accessible by bus, which are wheelchair and walker friendly, and which ones welcome your four-legged friend or are especially good for birdwatching.
