San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are a region in Washington State.

The San Juan Islands are a scattering of forested islands in the serene waters to the north of Puget Sound in Washington state, adjacent to British Columbia. Ferries, private boats, kayaks, and Orca (whales) criss-cross the waters, while float planes and bald eagles soar overhead. The islands are largely rural, with a few small towns on some of the islands. The year-round population is small, but swarms of summer visitors come to for the scenery and outdoor life, and a lucky and wealthy few have vacation homes tucked into the islands.

Visitors admiring the sunset from Patos Island


There are 176 islands that are large enough to be named. The four largest — Orcas, San Juan, Lopez, and Shaw Islands — are served by ferry from the Washington mainland and Vancouver Island BC, and are the most heavily visited by tourists.


Other destinations


There are about 700 islands and reefs between Vancouver Island to the west and the mainland to the east. The sea border in the Haro Strait divides them into the Southern Gulf Islands of Canada to the west, and the San Juan Islands of the United States to the east. To the south lies the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, and to north is the Strait of Georgia and the US-Canada boundary on the 49th parallel.

Hugely popular during the summer months with long days and even longer ferry lines. Travelers in the know also visit the islands in their off seasons when crowds are at their least and prices at hotels are frequently cheaper.

For our purposes, this article covers the US islands only, which exactly consist of San Juan County, Washington. Fidalgo Island to the east is treated as part of the mainland. It and the Puget Sound islands to the south are covered in the Puget Sound region's article.


Almost all Americans speak English. Most people in Washington speak English with a Pacific Northwest accent. This accent is considered very similar to general American standard accent (native to the Midwest), popularized in the 20th century by radio, TV and movies. Washingtonians generally have little to no problem understanding different accents of the English language. Americans often admire foreign accents and most will approximate the standard accent to help you understand them, or try to speak your language if they can. The San Juan Islands attract tourists from around the world and it is common to hear many foreign languages being spoken in public in major tourist areas.


Many of the Islands names come from early Spanish explorers or in the case of Lummi Island's name which comes from the Native American Tribe in that area.

Get in

The iconic Washington State Ferry in the San Juan Islands

By ferry

For security and immigration processing when traveling between the US and Canada, a 60-minute advance arrival is strongly suggested for vehicle traffic. Walk on passengers need to arrive 30 minutes in advance. Vehicle reservations are recommended. Please speak with Washington State Dept of Transportation Information Agents in Seattle at +1-888-808-7977 or reserve online. Passports are required to enter either country. Reservations are accepted on the Sidney-Friday Harbor-Anacortes and Anacortes-San Juan Islands routes. Once on board a departing ferry you may not get back off the ferry without permission from the captain. The ferries only serve Lopez, San Juan, Shaw and Orcas Islands. For the other islands a private boat or seaplane is required.

From Anacortes

Equally distanced between Seattle to the south and Vancouver, B.C. to the north (approximately 85 miles from each), Anacortes rests on the waters of the Pacific Ocean on beautiful Fidalgo Island: 2100 Ferry Terminal Road Suite A, Anacortes, WA 98221

From Sidney BC

Victoria Clipper

San Juan Cruises

By seaplane

By boat

The San Juan Islands are one of the most popular areas for cruising on small craft in the North America. Most towns are built around their harbors and offer a wide variety of supplies, restaurants, hotels and various services geared towards boaters and usually within walking distance of marinas. Even the less populated islands will oftentimes have a public dock or a variety of public buoys for visiting boaters. Check individual island and city listings for more specifics. If interested in cruising to the islands, there are charter companies in both Anacortes and Bellingham. The Waggoner Cruising Guide is a great resource for these waters.

When arriving from Canada or other foreign countries there are only a handful of ports including Roche Harbor, Friday Harbor, Anacortes and Bellingham that are official U.S. ports-of-entry and can process boaters through customs. The Cardinal Rule is touch land at customs dock before any other stops, fines for not doing so can be up to $5000. Besides a passport for everyone on board, you will need your boat's license number and User Fee Decal number.

Customs enforces USDA guidelines for what foods are acceptable to bring into the country and these guidelines are constantly changing so it is best to check in with them before arriving. Boaters are responsible for knowing the prohibited foods and can be fined for not declaring them.

Get around

By car

Bringing a car on the ferry is a popular option for exploring the remote areas of the main islands, but car rentals are also available in such areas as Eastsound. Other smaller islands may have unimproved county roads, but due to their remote locations and lack of ferry service these roads often serve as foot trails and you are more likely to see someone traveling by horse than car. The lines for loading cars onto Washington State Ferries can be notoriously brutal during peak season and weekends. It is not unusual to wait in line for many hours and missing the last ferry can mean a desperate search for unplanned accommodations to spend an unplanned night on the islands so plan accordingly.

By ferry

The four largest Islands— Orcas, San Juan, Lopez, and Shaw are connected by Washington State Ferries. Water Taxi services can transport to the small islands such as Blakely, Decatur and Henry Islands.

By boat

The San Juan Islands are the most popular sailing charter area in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most popular destinations for cruising on small craft in the United States. Small towns and harbors are geared towards visiting boaters and many of the areas most scenic and remote areas can only be reached by boat. The area waters are reasonably protected even in storms off the Pacific, but due to the many underwater hazards some boating experience is helpful. Many charter companies include a day of training in the charter package. See Waggoner Cruising Guide for more detailed navigational and recreational information.

By bike

The winding paved roads of the main islands are ideal for exploring by bike and bike rentals are available near many areas in the San Juan Islands, however the smaller more remote islands often do not have paved roads making traveling by bike more of a challenge. Bicyclists have priority boarding on Washington State Ferries so bikes can bypass the sometimes ridiculously long car lines and walk right onto the ferries.

By sea kayak

Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the San Juan Islands miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings and excellent opportunities to view wildlife, making the San Juan Islands one of the most popular areas to kayak in Puget Sound. Thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees and hundreds of creeks and estuaries dot the coastline. Some camping areas in the various state parks in the area are only open to people powered vessels.

By foot

Exploring on foot is perhaps the most rewarding way to view the islands. Many trails dot the various islands and state parks giving travelers an insightful view of their surroundings. Outside of the four main islands cars are more of an impractical luxury item rather than a means of transport. Many of the dirt roads see far more foot traffic than car traffic and basically serve as wide foot trails.




Few, if any, American regions can challenge the Pacific North West's love of coffee. According to a group of industry market researchers, there were an amazing 1,640 coffee shops in the Puget Sound region in 2011, ranking it the most popular coffee region in the country and the San Juan Islands are no exception to the rule. Coffee shops are frequent and popular and even small harbors with perhaps one store will still be expected to have some espresso options.

Microbreweries and beer in general are a Northwest specialty, and the area has many to offer for beer enthusiasts. The larger brewers, like Redhook and Pyramid, distribute their products regionally or nationally like their coffee cousins, while other brews can only be found in local stores or bars (some notable brewers don't bottle their product). Ask your servers for local beer recommendations and search out regional microbrews in stores.

Stay safe

the crew aboard the National Marine Fisheries Service vessel Noctiluca observed a "spy hopping" Southern Resident killer whale off San Juan Island

Animal safety

Though many of the animals in the Puget Sound area are used to seeing humans, the wildlife is nonetheless wild and should not be fed or disturbed. Stay at least 100 m away from bears and 25 m from all other wild animals! Check trail head postings at parks for recent activity and be aware of rules keeping a distance from Orca Whales and other marine animals while boating. Regulations for killer whales require that boaters stay 200 yards away & keep path of the whales clear. These new U.S. regulations apply to all vessels (with some exceptions) in inland waters of Washington.

Don't disturb resting seal pups, keep children and dogs away and report to the local stranding hotline. Report harassment or sightings of injured/stranded marine mammals by calling the NOAA Fisheries hotline at (800) 853-1964. Seal pups 'haul out' to get much needed rest when they are young and are often alone for many hours. They are extremely vulnerable at this time and should be left alone. Only about 50% of Puget Sound seal pups make it through their first year so please help to protect their health. NOAA recommends at least a 100-yard buffer around seals.

Cell phones

Many visitors are surprised by their monthly phone bills after returning from the San Juan Islands. Due to their close proximity to Canada it is possible to get a better signal from a Canadian cell phone provider and depending on your phones settings could add foreign roaming charges to your bill. Roche Harbor and north San Juan Island are notorious for having better Canadian service. Check your phones settings before using and be wary of your cell phone providers roaming charges. Many of the islands are remote enough that cell phones simply won't work so don't plan on being dependent on them especially in the outer islands.

Petty crime

With so many people visiting the San Juan Islands each year petty crimes are something to be vigilant against. Lock your car doors and exercise sensible precautions with valuables, especially when parking your car at a trail head, marina or ferry terminal when you may be away from your car for a while. It would also be advisable to carry anything of value out of sight.

Go next

This article is issued from Wikivoyage - version of the Sunday, February 14, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.