Anacortes was our mainland base for exploring the San Juan Islands. Our first day kept us close to the water with Washington Park, an orca-watching cruise, and an afternoon at Deception Pass. The next day, we took the ferry to San Juan Island and explored the island by trolley.
Pick a stop to see its story and photos.
Washington Park occupies the western edge of Anacortes, with a wooded campground, shoreline access, bluff views, and frequent ferry traffic through the surrounding channels. It was a convenient base for both the boat tour and San Juan Island ferry.
Our three-hour cruise from Anacortes passed Deception Pass and several wildlife-rich islands before reaching a pod of five orcas near Orcas Island. The trip also produced views of seals, cormorants, gulls, and bald eagles.
Deception Pass State Park surrounds the narrow channel between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands. We viewed the bridge from below and hiked the Goose Rock Perimeter Trail to higher views across the water and islands.
Friday Harbor is San Juan Island's ferry terminal and main commercial center. It served as the start and finish of our trolley loop, with restaurants and waterfront views within a short walk of the dock.
Roche Harbor is a historic resort marina on the north end of San Juan Island, with restaurants, docks, and Hotel de Haro. The nearby sculpture park adds an outdoor collection spread across trails, meadows, and ponds.
English Camp preserves the British military post from the nineteenth-century boundary dispute known as the Pig War. Historic buildings, a formal garden, and waterfront grounds explain the joint British and American occupation of the island.
Lime Kiln Point protects rocky shoreline and a historic lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island. It is one of the region's best-known land-based whale-watching locations, though our visit produced coastal views rather than whales.
Washington Park occupies the western edge of Anacortes, with a wooded campground, shoreline access, bluff views, and frequent ferry traffic through the surrounding channels. It was a convenient base for both the boat tour and San Juan Island ferry.
Our three-hour cruise from Anacortes passed Deception Pass and several wildlife-rich islands before reaching a pod of five orcas near Orcas Island. The trip also produced views of seals, cormorants, gulls, and bald eagles.
Deception Pass State Park surrounds the narrow channel between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands. We viewed the bridge from below and hiked the Goose Rock Perimeter Trail to higher views across the water and islands.
Friday Harbor is San Juan Island's ferry terminal and main commercial center. It served as the start and finish of our trolley loop, with restaurants and waterfront views within a short walk of the dock.
Roche Harbor is a historic resort marina on the north end of San Juan Island, with restaurants, docks, and Hotel de Haro. The nearby sculpture park adds an outdoor collection spread across trails, meadows, and ponds.
English Camp preserves the British military post from the nineteenth-century boundary dispute known as the Pig War. Historic buildings, a formal garden, and waterfront grounds explain the joint British and American occupation of the island.
Lime Kiln Point protects rocky shoreline and a historic lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island. It is one of the region's best-known land-based whale-watching locations, though our visit produced coastal views rather than whales.
After wrapping up our time in North Cascades, we rolled into Anacortes, WA, a relaxed coastal town that…
We kicked off the day catching the 8 AM ferry as walk-ons from Anacortes to San Juan Island, about a 90…
