San Juan Islands

Leafy hedgerows, soporific settlements and winding lanes with few cars. Where the heck are you? Not in continental America, surely. The answer is both 'yes' and 'no.' The San Juan Islands, a nebulous archipelago of approximately 172 landfalls, islets and eagle perches that lie splayed between the mouth of Puget Sound and Vancouver Island, BC, conjure up images of a sleepy American throwback where the clock last chimed in the 1970s, ’60s or even ’50s, depending on where you dock.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Spencer Spit State Park

    Spencer Spit State Park

    San Juan Islands

    Spencer Spit State Park is one of only four state parks on the San Juan archipelago. Two sand spits have formed a marshy lagoon that is a prime spot for…

  • Upper Cascade Falls, Moran State Park, Orcas Island, Washington

    Moran State Park

    San Juan Islands

    In 1911 Robert Moran donated 7 sq miles of his property to create this park on the eastern saddlebag of Orcas Island. The park is dominated by 2409ft Mt…

  • Turtleback Mountain Preserve

    Turtleback Mountain Preserve

    San Juan Islands

    Saved from possible development when it was bought for $18.5 million as public land in 2007, Orcas' second mountain (rising to 1519ft) was in private…

  • Lime Kiln Point State Park

    Lime Kiln Point State Park

    San Juan Islands

    Clinging to the island's rocky west coast, this beautiful park overlooks the deep Haro Strait and is reputedly one of the best places in the world to view…

  • San Juan Island National Historical Park

    San Juan Island National Historical Park

    San Juan Islands

    Known more for their scenery than their history, the San Juans nonetheless hide one of the 19th century's oddest political confrontations, the so-called …

  • Whale Museum

    Whale Museum

    San Juan Islands

    If you have time for only one sight, visit the excellent Whale Museum, a small but cleverly arranged space dedicated to the life of the orca (killer whale…

  • San Juan Historical Museum

    San Juan Historical Museum

    San Juan Islands

    In an 1890s farmhouse on the outskirts of Friday Harbor, the San Juan Historical Museum commemorates early pioneer life on San Juan Island. While the…

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Articles

Latest stories from San Juan Islands

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Caucasian man walking on rocks near the lighthouse on San Juan Island, Washington

Destination Practicalities

A first-time guide to the San Juan Islands, Washington

Jan 30, 2024 • 8 min read

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