Moran State Park

Moran State Park is a Washington State park located on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands. It was formed from land donated in 1921 and now comprises several thousand acres of forest, lakes, and peaks.

The core of the park was donated to Washington State in 1921 by Robert Moran, a Seattle-area shipbuilder and former mayor who owned much of the land on Orcas Island. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps and other New Deal-era programs built many of the park’s structures and the stone observation tower on Mount Constitution.

Moran State Park occupies the central and eastern part of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands archipelago, accessible from the Washington mainland via ferry services from Anacortes and by road from the island’s ferry terminal. The park sits amid mixed Douglas-fir and cedar forests with lakes and upland ridges typical of the islands’ terrain.

• Founding and donor: Donated to the state in 1921 by shipbuilder Robert Moran, forming the core of the park's current acreage.
• Size and terrain: Covers roughly 5,252 acres and includes developed lakes, mixed forest, and the highest summit in the San Juan Islands.
• Best viewpoints: Best viewpoints are the Mount Constitution observation tower for wide island and mountain vistas, and lakeside spots such as Cascade Lake for sunrise and calm-water views.

What to See #

• Mount Constitution: Sits at the park's highest point and is the tallest peak in the San Juan Islands at about 2,400 feet (roughly 730 meters). Features a stone observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s that provides panoramic views across the islands and to the Olympic Mountains on clear days.
• Cascade Lake: A freshwater lake with a developed campground, picnic areas, and a day-use swimming beach that is one of the park's primary recreation hubs for boating and fishing.
• Mountain Lake: A smaller mountain lake used for quieter water recreation and short shoreline trails; several trailheads around the lake connect to the park's upland trail network.
• Campgrounds and day-use areas: Group and family campgrounds located near Cascade Lake and other park lakes, offering tent and RV sites, basic amenities, and trail access to nearby peaks and lakes.