Washington has 400 islands you can only reach by ferry, and the orcas swim right up

They’re closer than you’d think

The San Juan Islands sit in the Salish Sea, about 100 miles northwest of Seattle. At high tide, the archipelago counts more than 400 islands and rocks, with over 100 of them named.

Only four get regular ferry service. Coast Salish peoples, including the Lummi Nation, have called these islands home since time immemorial. Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza charted and named the chain in 1791.

You can reach them in a morning from Seattle, and once you step off the boat, every island feels like a different world.

A pig started a war between two countries here

In 1859, the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over San Juan Island. The whole thing started when an American farmer shot a pig that belonged to the British Hudson’s Bay Company.

Both nations sent troops, but instead of fighting, they agreed to a joint military occupation. It lasted 12 peaceful years.

In 1872, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany stepped in to arbitrate and awarded the islands to the United States.

San Juan Island National Historical Park now preserves both the American Camp and English Camp across 2,146 acres.

Watch orcas from a rocky bluff at Lime Kiln

Lime Kiln Point State Park sits on the west side of San Juan Island, and the ocean floor drops steeply just offshore. That steep drop brings whales close enough to see from land.

The 36-acre day-use park puts you on a rocky bluff where orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, harbor seals, porpoises and bald eagles all pass through.

A lighthouse built in 1919 still works as a navigational beacon in the Haro Strait. Near the parking lot, an interpretive center has hands-on exhibits about orcas and marine life.

Hear whale songs at the country’s first whale museum

The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor opened in 1979 as the first museum in the country devoted to a species living in the wild.

You walk through exhibits of whale skeletons, recorded whale songs and displays about the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. Step into the Whale Phone Booth and listen to actual whale calls.

The museum runs the San Juan County Stranding Network to protect marine mammals and supports ongoing research. You can find it in the historic Odd Fellows Hall downtown, within walking distance of the ferry terminal.

Friday Harbor puts you right in the action

Step off the ferry at Friday Harbor and you land in the center of town. No shuttle needed.

The walkable waterfront has galleries, shops and a Saturday farmers market stocked with local produce and crafts. Down at the working harbor, fishing boats and seaplanes come and go all day.

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art rotates exhibitions by regional artists.

Friday Harbor is the county seat and the main hub of the archipelago, so everything you need fans out from the dock in every direction.

Climb to 2,409 feet on Orcas Island

Mount Constitution on Orcas Island rises to 2,409 feet, the highest point in the San Juan Islands.

At the summit, a stone observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s looks like something from a 12th-century Russian fortress.

From the top, you can see Mount Baker, the North Cascades, the Olympic Mountains and the island chain spreading out below. Hikers can take the trails through Moran State Park to get there.

If you prefer, you can drive straight to the top.

Moran State Park covers 5,000 acres of forest and lakes

Moran State Park sprawls across more than 5,000 acres on Orcas Island, making it the largest public recreation area in the San Juans. You get 38 miles of hiking trails and five freshwater lakes.

Cascade Lake and Mountain Lake give you swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and rainbow trout fishing. More than 20 park structures date back to the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.

Between Mountain Lake and the summit, Cascade Falls makes a good stop along the trail to catch your breath.

Lopez Island is flat, friendly and built for cycling

Lopez Island goes by the Friendly Isle, and people wave at you whether they know you or not. It is the flattest of the four ferry-served islands, which makes it one of the best cycling spots in the San Juans.

Quiet country roads wind past rolling farmland, driftwood-scattered beaches and small family farms.

On the west side, Shark Reef Sanctuary leads you down a short forest trail to rocky bluffs where seals and sea lions rest.

Spencer Spit State Park has a sandy spit stretching into the water with views of the Cascade Mountains.

Paddle right up to harbor seals and bald eagles

Sea kayaking is one of the best ways to get close to the islands. Guided tours leave from Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor and spots on Orcas and Lopez Islands.

The protected bays and coves keep the water calm enough for beginners.

You might glide past harbor seals, bald eagles, sea stars and sometimes orcas moving through nearby channels.

If you want more time on the water, multi-day trips along the Cascadia Marine Trail connect remote island campsites you can only reach by non-motorized boats.

Walk the prairies where American and British soldiers camped

American Camp sits on the southern tip of San Juan Island with open prairies, coastal bluffs and three surviving buildings from the military occupation.

South Beach runs along the coast here as the longest public beach in the islands, with views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains.

English Camp on the northwest side has restored barracks, a formal garden and forested trails to Young Hill.

The prairies at American Camp are home to the island marble butterfly, thought extinct for 90 years before someone spotted it again in 1998. Both sites are free.

Stroll through lavender fields and 125 sculptures

Pelindaba Lavender Farm on San Juan Island has welcomed visitors for more than 20 years, and the fields are free to walk.

July and August bring peak bloom, when rolling purple rows line up against views of the Olympic Mountains.

Near Roche Harbor, the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park spreads across 20 acres along Westcott Bay with about 125 works in bronze, stone, glass and wood.

Forest trails, a pond loop and a bay loop each showcase different pieces. Roche Harbor’s waterfront keeps an evening Colors Ceremony tradition at sunset.

Half the rain of Seattle and cactus growing wild

The Olympic Mountains and Vancouver Island block most of the rain headed this way, putting the San Juan Islands in a rain shadow. The islands get roughly half the rainfall of nearby Seattle.

Summer daytime temperatures usually stay in the mid-70s, and days in the 80s are rare. That mild, dry climate supports some surprises, like dwarf prickly pear cactus growing on certain islands.

The surrounding straits, including the Haro Strait and Rosario Strait, keep temperatures moderate all year, so you can explore comfortably from spring through fall.

Catch the Ferry to the San Juan Islands

You can reach the San Juan Islands by Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, about a 90-minute drive north of Seattle. Ferries run to San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw Islands.

Book a reservation during peak season from April through October, because spots fill up fast. If you want to skip the drive, Kenmore Air flies seaplanes from Seattle’s Lake Union straight to the islands.

State parks require a Washington Discover Pass, and entry to San Juan Island National Historical Park is free.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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