There are a pair of trailheads off Dry Lake Road — one on each side of the road. For the purposes of this hike, take the trailhead on the left (south) side. There are a pair of loop trails that make up this hike — the Elger Bay Nature Trail and the Forest Loop Trail.

The Trek: After parking on the rather narrow shoulder, set out. Venture past the sign for the trailhead and enter the forest, slowly descending into lush, green surroundings. The trail bends to the left before heading uphill to the road.

Carefully cross Elger Bay Road and pick up the trail on the other side.

Crossing Elger Bay Road can be difficult. Be aware that cars going 50 mph close distances quickly.

Make your way past a carpet of invasive English ivy and reach an intersection with a number of signs.

The sign for the Nature Trail boasts several icons. A tree on a sign with the name of a particular tree or plant means the flora was used by American Indians, a bird means it’s a viable food source for birds and a circle with a slash through it means it’s a non-native plant species.

The English ivy has the slash symbol.

After committing the icons to memory, set out on the Nature Trail to the left. The trail to the right will be the return route.

Continuing on, venture past another invasive plant species, Himalayan Blackberry. It’s nasty stuff.

Passing a bench, pass Indian plum, which was used by American Indians and is still a favorite of local wildlife.

A double-wide path covered in leaves leads downhill past a red flowering currant bush. A short spur trail to the left leads down to the Elger Bay Preserve’s Beaver Marsh.

When the glacier that once covered Camano Island melted over 10,000 years ago, it left the shallow, saucer-shaped depression in front of you.

Precipitation from the watershed collects in the depression. In the years since this area was logged in the 1980s, beavers have built a dam along East Camano Drive at the outlet of the marsh. This has raised the water level.

The water from the marsh flows under East Camano Drive, down an unnamed seasonal stream, through the Country Club Third Beach area and to Port Susan Bay. Because of the steep terrain near the beach, salmon are not able to access the stream or marsh.

The marsh provides habitat for amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The animals include frogs, which provide food for great blue heron.

The surrounding lands provide additional food for bald eagles, red tail hawks and osprey. Belted kingfishers, ducks and smaller song birds, such as red winged blackbirds, find food and nesting areas in the marsh vegetation.

A large, raised platform overlooks the marsh and boasts a pair of benches.

More information about Beaver Marsh is available on a handout inside a box below a sign along the Nature Trail.

Returning from the marsh, proceed left. The trail becomes muddy and slick.

As winter continues to take a firm grasp, the trail will become less and less hospitable. Winding through dense forest, pass several large firs before heading uphill.

On this day, the air was crisp and the sun shone brightly. Rays penetrated the canopy and illuminated the multi-colored leaves that littered the trail.

Continuing uphill, reach another intersection. This one is highlighted by a massive salmonberry bush. Go right, heading up another short incline. Here, the forest closes in and gives one the sense of being in some sort of grotto.

Farther on, massive ferns contend with red huckleberry, elderberry and Western red cedar trees for space.

Passing one of the many big leaf maple trees responsible for the carpet of leaves, reach a fork.

The trail to the left is the Forest Loop Trail. On this day, a large, pileated woodpecker was pounding away on an old stump. The bird was by no means the first to do so. The tree was pitted with other’s insect-seeking efforts.

Now on the Forest Loop Trail, venture deeper into a portion of forest that years ago was scarred by fire. Burned stumps litter the landscape.

A steep section leads to a switchback that bends to the right. Pass under an arched tree that spans the trail, making your way past more burned stumps. Keep an eye out for the little yellow signs that point the way.

Break out of the forest above the play fields of Elger Bay Elementary school.

At the next fork, go right. Along this stretch, the understory is thick. Small, frozen droplets cling to the branches and leaves of plants not warmed by the sun.

A hairpin leads around an island of trees and ferns.

The next intersection is the nature trail. Proceed left, passing red alder and plenty of sword ferns.

Reach a clearing at the base of a huge berm. Pass another big leaf maple tree and a stand of hookers willow.

Skirt around the berm’s base and continue uphill, eventually reaching the trail’s sign. There is plenty of info about the trail.

Head to the left of the sign and down the path, past black cottonwood, Pacific madrona, Pacific dogwood and a mass of Bohemian knotwood. Reach that first intersection at the base of the descent, then go left to return to the rig.

Distance: 1 1/2 miles

Destination: Loop trail

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: Minimal

Getting there: From 269th Place/WA 532 in Stanwood, continue south on East Camano Drive. East Camano Drive becomes Elger Bay Road. Turn right (west) on Dry Lake Road. Park on either shoulder of the road. If you reach the Elger Bay Store, you have gone too far.