Lost on Green Mountain

Recently, a friend and I decided to go for a day hike at Green Mountain on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Just outside Bremerton, it was a quick jaunt from Gig Harbor (about 20 minutes) and promised beautiful 360-degree views that included the Olympic Mountains, Cascade Mountains and Seattle's skyline across the water on the Puget Sound.

Neither of us had been out there before and used the Washington Trails Association website to guide us. 

We arrived at the Gold Creek Trail parking lot, walked toward the restrooms and up the trailhead immediately to the right of the structure. That was our first mistake. 

The trail did a small loop around the parking lot and we ended up circling back to where we came. Finally, we found our way up through the tree canopy to a dirt road that lead to a cell phone tower and what appeared to be a Q-13 FOX satellite tower.

We were confused by what we were seeing compared to the trail site description. Luckily we could check our phones, due to the remarkably good cell phone service just below the tower. According to the Trails website, we should have crossed a bridge over a river and arrived at a picnic area on the top of Green Mountain, but saw nothing of the kind.

Even so, the views above the cell phone towers were lovely. We took it all in and made our way back down the slope, but not before losing the trail a couple times on the way.

Back at the parking lot, we stared at the trail map. What happened? A friendly couple nearby told us they just finished the hike to Green Mountain, and it was lovely. Turns out, we took the wrong trailhead. The correct one was on the other side of the parking lot, further away from the restroom structure.

It didn't make sense, we argued. But, then we saw the big green sign at the proper trailhead that we didn't even notice.

Word to the wise: always heed the green trail signs, because you never know where you'll end up. But sometimes the laugh of a wrong turn and discovering a new place can be worth it.

Have you hiked to Green Mountain? How was your experience?