A PLACE OF REFLECTION AND SOLACE

Halls Hill Lookout and Labyrinth is a meditative space overlooking Blakely Harbor.

The Lookout, on Halls Hill Road north of the harbor, was donated to the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation by IslandWood founders Debbi and Paul Brainerd. The Brainerds established the Lookout in 2008 as a contemplative wayside for Bainbridge Island residents and visitors who live, walk and bike nearby. 

The lightly wooded parcel features a stone labyrinth, a bronze prayer wheel and carvings by Northwest artists. Meandering paths wind among native trees and plants, and benches and a chair swing looking down over the quiet harbor from the high bluff. 

From the beginning, the intention was to steward the land with sensitivity to the environment, and its natural beauty and native foliage, and to create a quiet, inviting space for reflection. 

The Lookout honors Noel Burke, an early and beloved employee of IslandWood, the nearby environmental learning center founded by the Brainerds. Burke died in 2005. 

The property is maintained by the Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation with private support from the community.  

STONE LABYRINTH & PRAYER WHEEL

Stone Labyrinth: The Halls Hill Lookout and Labyrinth’s signature feature is a stone mosaic labyrinth by artist and landscape designer Jeffrey Bale, of Portland, Ore. The 36-foot diameter labyrinth design is based on the 13th Century French Chartres Cathedral labyrinth.  Counting the central ring, the number of circles is 12, which ties the labyrinth to both the seasonal and lunar cycles. Jeffrey incorporated the Native American medicine wheel into his mosaic pattern, through orientation and coloration of stones. His labyrinth uses color, symbols, patterns, and numerology in the design created from stones found on Bainbridge Island beaches. 

Jeffrey was very thoughtful about integrating the energy of the prayer wheel into his design. The 36-foot diameter corresponds to the number of times the Halls Hill prayer wheel’s four panels pass when turning the cylinder nine times, causing the bell inside to ring.  While building the labyrinth, Jeffrey created flowers or symbols in the circuit, each time he heard the bell ring.

Many believe that labyrinths are useful for healing and meditation. In the Middle Ages, walking a cathedral labyrinth became a devotional activity used as walking meditation to focus the mind.

Bronze Prayer Wheel: The bronze prayer wheel was commissioned by artist and sculptor Tom Jay of Chimacum, Wash. Prayer wheels, as developed within the Tibetan tradition, provide people a way to offer heartfelt wishes that all beings might be free from sources of suffering. Mechanically turning the wheel, installed at heart-level, offers a comforting motion and sound, as the wheel completes nine revolutions.

VISITING HALLS HILL LOOKOUT & LABYRINTH

The Halls Hill Lookout & Labyrinth on Halls Hill Road is owned and managed by the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation. It is open year-round, dawn to dusk. 

The space is intended to be a quiet and meditative place with a strong connection to the land and water it looks out upon. It is not intended as an event space or park.  

Visitors are asked to observe the site rules: 

– Organized and formal gatherings and celebrations (including weddings) are not permitted.

– Short visits are encouraged. 

– Parking is limited to a maximum of five cars in two parking spots located on the east side and three parking spaces located on the south side of the area.

– The site may not be altered in any way with plants, decorative materials or music. If candles are used on the labyrinth, stones must be protected from wax droppings.

– Please keep pets leashed and leave no trace.

For more information, please contact the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation at 206.842.4971 or info@biparksfoundation.org.

GETTING HERE

Halls Hill Lookout & Labyrinth features beautiful functional works by noted Northwest artists, crafted from materials indigenous to the region.