San Juan Island

San Juan Island is one of the larger islands in the San Juan archipelago in the Salish Sea, northwestern Washington State. The island combines small-town services, coastal parks and marine wildlife viewing opportunities.

Key visitor activities include whale and marine mammal watching, exploring shoreline parks and visiting the island’s main town, Friday Harbor, which provides ferry services, shops and museums. Protected lands on the island include coastal viewpoints popular for orca observation and two units of a national historical park preserving mid-19th-century camps.

The island’s modern history includes use as a base for maritime activities and 19th-century territorial settlement; it later developed tourism, conservation lands and small-scale agriculture. Historic sites reflect the 19th-century Oregon Territory era and subsequent American settlement.

San Juan Island lies in the Salish Sea off the northwest coast of Washington State, southwest of Vancouver Island and northwest of the city of Seattle; ferries connect the island to the Washington mainland at Anacortes.

• Getting there: Ferry connections from Anacortes on the Washington mainland are the main public transport route; the island is also served by small regional flights to Friday Harbor Airport.

What to See #

• Friday Harbor: Friday Harbor is the primary town and ferry terminal on the island, serving as the commercial and transport hub for visitors and residents.
• Lime Kiln Point State Park: Lime Kiln Point State Park offers shoreline viewing for resident orcas and has established viewpoints and interpretive facilities for marine wildlife observation.
• San Juan Island National Historical Park: San Juan Island National Historical Park comprises two units, American Camp and English Camp, preserving military and settlement history from the mid-19th century.