Stroll The Streets

Coupeville's scale invites strolling the neighborhoods. Enjoy a self-guided history tour with a free map from the Island County Historical Society Museum or contact the museum to arrange a group tour. More than 50 structures in Coupeville are on the National Register of Historic Places. Look for plaques noting the construction dates and original owners of these Victorian homes and commercial buildings.
Find art and antiques in false-front shops on Front Street. Enjoy Arts and Antiques Walks the first Saturday of March, June, September, and December; when the shops stay open late to show the latest creations and serve refreshments.
Get out on the historic Coupeville Wharf for a close look at Penn Cove. While you're there, check out the restaurant and shops, as well as the skeletons of a gray whale and Dahl's porpoise.

Hike Or Bike

Walk or ride your bicycle along the Kettles Trail from the corner of Hwy. 20 and Main Street all the way to through the woods of Fort Ebey to the bluff. The Ebey's Landing parking lot is a popular point of departure for walks along the beach to Perego's Lake or inland to historic Sunnyside Cemetery.
Probably the most popular uphill walk in the area is the climb up the bluff above Ebey's Landing. The endless vistas include crops growing on the prairie, forests, Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, and the Olympics, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Vancouver Island. There's a good chance that you'll see a submarine, frigate, the Victoria Clipper or a magnificent cruise ship. You're guaranteed to spy container ships and tugs hauling huge barges between ports.

Soak Up Scenery

The more time you spend here, the more you appreciate the attraction to artists. From the sweep of the beach at Ebey's landing during a storm to a delicate spiderweb on a foggy Penn Cove morning, the sights, moods, weather and light weave a beguiling tapestry of vista and visual vignette. Walk along Penn Cove before dawn or return to Ebey's Landing for a memorable sunset.

Wade In The Water

The water influences our weather, geography and economy. Your visit is not complete without a drive around Penn Cove; see our mussel farm, several lagoons, and sea birds. Arrive in your own boat or launch it at Captain Thomas Coupe Park or Ft. Casey State Park. Kayak Penn Cove or Admiralty Inlet. At low tide, look for sea stars below the wharf.
From March to May, go whale watching or take a historic cruise from the Coupeville Wharf with Mystic Sea Charters.
SCUBA dive at Keystone Underwater Park and other spots. Watch for gray whale, otter, sea lion, Dall's porpoise, jellyfish, crab, sea star, and Orca in the waters around Coupeville (and be sure to report your whale sightings to the Orca Network). Fish or crab (in season).
If you just like to watch, come in July and enjoy Whidbey Island Race Week sailing races from the shore or the Coupeville Wharf. The races are headquartered in Oak Harbor, but the best views are usually from the Coupeville shoreline.

Explore The Reserve

The National Park Service staff conducts on-site programs delving into the history and nature of the Reserve. Typical topics include "Walk Back in Time for a Tour of Historic Downtown Coupeville," "Find out Who, Where and What is Ebey's Landing," and "Explore the Underwater World of Keystone Spit." For information, call 360-678-6084.

Get Back to the Land

Sustainable agriculture continues to prosper in and around Coupeville. Take the farm tour or visit individual operations including Lavendar Wind Farm, Hummingbird Farm Nursery and Gardens, Penn Cove Shellfish, Sherman's Pioneer Farm, Meerkerk Gardens, Rosehip Farm and Garden, Greenbank Farm, and others.