Orcas Island - San Juan Islands, Washington
October 31 - November 1, 2020
Spontaneous trips are the most fun. On this particular Saturday it went like this...
And with that chain of events, I had exactly 24 hours to explore Orcas Island before catching my 2PM Sunday ferry back to the mainland.
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago off the coast of northwest Washington between the Washington mainland and Vancouver Island, Canada. There are approximately 130 named islands in the archipelago and every one must be accessed by boat or plane. Only four of those islands - Lopez, Orcas, Shaw, and San Juan - are accessible by Washington State Ferries and open to vehicle traffic. On this weekend I chose Orcas Island (the largest island) because I had read it had great hiking and spectacular, 360 degree views. Overall the island feels remote and largely undeveloped. It has a small "downtown" area with several streets of quaint shops and restaurants. Luckily, even remote islands have a craft brewery these days and I made sure to pay a visit to Island Hoppin' Brewery.
To explore the island I hiked to its highest point - the top of Mount Constitution in Moran State Park. Mount Constitution offers amazing views of Mount Baker and the Rosario Strait to the east and Canada to the north. I stopped through Turtleback Nature Preserve giving a different perspective south and west to the Olympic Mountain Range and Canada's coastal islands (including Victoria Island). I camped on a cliffside above a quiet beach in Obstruction State Park and was joined by a super nice sailboat moored offshore for the night. A next objective is to figure out how I can get invited on a luxury sailboat for a few days of adventuring! My weather forecast panned out and I had blue skies and great fall temperatures both days of the trip. Orcas Island delivered solitude, plenty of hiking opportunities, and beautiful views. For a spontaneous weekend getaway, I could not ask for anything more! To read about other Washington ferry routes, check out my Have a Ferry Good Time blog post.
- 8:50AM: Wake up and check weather/temperature.
- 9:00AM: Realize it will be perfect weather this weekend and I've got to make the most of it.
- 10:00AM: Drive an hour and a half to the ferry terminal in Anacortes, Washington.
- 12:30PM: Board the Washington State Ferry in Anacortes.
- 2:00PM: Drive off the ferry onto Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands.
And with that chain of events, I had exactly 24 hours to explore Orcas Island before catching my 2PM Sunday ferry back to the mainland.
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago off the coast of northwest Washington between the Washington mainland and Vancouver Island, Canada. There are approximately 130 named islands in the archipelago and every one must be accessed by boat or plane. Only four of those islands - Lopez, Orcas, Shaw, and San Juan - are accessible by Washington State Ferries and open to vehicle traffic. On this weekend I chose Orcas Island (the largest island) because I had read it had great hiking and spectacular, 360 degree views. Overall the island feels remote and largely undeveloped. It has a small "downtown" area with several streets of quaint shops and restaurants. Luckily, even remote islands have a craft brewery these days and I made sure to pay a visit to Island Hoppin' Brewery.
To explore the island I hiked to its highest point - the top of Mount Constitution in Moran State Park. Mount Constitution offers amazing views of Mount Baker and the Rosario Strait to the east and Canada to the north. I stopped through Turtleback Nature Preserve giving a different perspective south and west to the Olympic Mountain Range and Canada's coastal islands (including Victoria Island). I camped on a cliffside above a quiet beach in Obstruction State Park and was joined by a super nice sailboat moored offshore for the night. A next objective is to figure out how I can get invited on a luxury sailboat for a few days of adventuring! My weather forecast panned out and I had blue skies and great fall temperatures both days of the trip. Orcas Island delivered solitude, plenty of hiking opportunities, and beautiful views. For a spontaneous weekend getaway, I could not ask for anything more! To read about other Washington ferry routes, check out my Have a Ferry Good Time blog post.
Ferry Ride from Anacortes to Orcas Island
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Obstruction State Park
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Mount Constitution, Moran State Park
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Turtleback Nature Preserve
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