25 Best Things to Do in the San Juan Islands (by a kayak guide!)

September 3, 2023

Looking for the best things to do in the San Juan Islands? From the best kayaking and hiking to places to eat, here is a complete guide on what to do in Washington’s San Juan Islands:

Best Things to Do in the San Juan Islands:

Washington’s San Juan Islands are the cultural and ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish First Nations, and particularly the Lummi Nation. When recreating in the San Juans, keep in mind that every campsite, beach, and trail is a potential cultural site and remember to tread lightly and Leave No Trace. This includes but is not limited to packing out all trash including toilet paper (when pit toilets are not present), taking nothing with you, and observing relevant fire bans.

why this blog? Hi! My name is Maddy, and last summer I worked as a sea kayaking guide in the San Juan Islands! The San Juans are a beautiful place to visit, and after spending a whole summer exploring, I’m happy to show you around!

image of kayakers enjoying a sunset on the salish sea in the san juan islands, guided sea kayaking overnight tour

image of a woman drinking coffee in a glamping tent on Orcas Island

Oh hi there! This post contains affiliate links-– that means if you make a purchase I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you.

What to pack for a trip to the San Juan Islands:

The San Juan Islands are sunny and beautiful most of the summer! Here’s what I recommend for an outdoorsy trip to Washington’s San Juan Islands:

Quick dry shots: I like the Stio Goodwin, quick dry with a built-in belt
Sun shirt: Grab a UPF sun hoodie for a trip to Orcas Island! The San Juan Islands are very sunny, and if you’re on the water you may get sunburned from the reflection off the water as well.
Hiking day pack/travel bag: The Perimeter 35L from Granite Gear is my go to weekend hiking bag. I can usually pack an entire weekend in this bag both for car camping, backpacking, or travelling to a hotel, and I’ll use it as my day bag on the trail as well.
Hiking boots: I love my Oboz Bridger Mids for longer more rugged hikes and a good pair of trail runners for shorter hikes or hikes with stream crossings because they dry very quickly.
Something fancy to wear out! Orcas Island has lots of fine dining options. (I worked as a kayak guide in the islands and I wouldn’t know about those lol)
A swimsuit: There is so much great swimming on Orcas Island!
A wetsuit if you want to snorkel or for extended swimming
Binoculars: You’ll definitely want a pair of binoculars for watching wildlife on the ferry over. I’ve owned a few different pairs while sea kayak guiding in the San Juans, and the best pair I’ve had are the NOCS Field Issue, they are absolutely worth the money

for a full guide to packing and weather in the San Juan Islands, click here.

How to get to the San Juan Islands: Washington State Ferry

To visit the San Juan Islands, you’ll need to book passage on the Washington State Ferry. Check the schedule or reserve a spot here. Reservations are recommended on the ferry, but to be totally honest I’ve had decent luck on standby without reservations (I only travel during the weekdays).

image of coffee and binoculars on the washington state ferry headed to friday harbor

My NOCS Field Issue binoculars on the ferry. A few years ago, NOCS gifted me a smaller pair before a sea kayak expedition. I went back this past year and gifted myself this beefier pair. One of my favorite travel purchases I’ve made and having a good pair of binoculars in the San Juans is a must!

Bring a car across to San Juan Island and Friday Harbor, then hop on the Inter-island ferry to visit the other major islands like Orcas and Lopez. Alternately, walk on to the ferry for cheaper and hop on a sea kayaking day trip– most outfitters pickup within easy walking distance from the ferry.

The ferry costs $70 round trip to get to Friday Harbor, and you only pay on the way out.

25) Sea Kayak Lime Kiln State Park

Looking for the single best thing to do in the San Juan Islands? Sea Kayak Lime Kiln State Park for a beginner-friendly kayak trip featuring beautiful cliffs, sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, and the best possible chance of seeing wildlife!

Fun Fact! You can do a sea kayaking day trip in Lime Kiln State Park with out even bringing your car to the San Juan Islands. Outfitters like Outdoor Odysseys will pick you up within easy walking distance from the ferry terminal and provide lunch along your paddle.

(I worked for Outdoor Odysseys as a sea kayaking guide!)

image of sea kayak on day trip to lime kiln state park in san juan island

sea stars exposed to kayakers in a negative tide

How do I see whales on a kayak trip on San Juan Island?

There is no way to guarantee whale sightings on kayak trips! That being said, a day trip to Lime Kiln is beautiful whales or not, and Lime Kiln is an excellent place to whale watch. Note that all reputable outfitters will follow the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits kayakers from approaching marine mammals, most particularly orcas. It is considered extremely not legal to launch your kayak knowing orcas are in the water, don’t do it! You can read more about marine mammal best practices here.

24) Visit Darvill’s Book Store in Eastsound

Looking for the most magical spot in the San Juan Islands? Hop over to Darvill’s bookstore in Eastsound on Orcas Island. This bookstore is full of both local authors and the hits. In the back, grab a latte and enjoy a beautiful view of the fjord-like Eastsound.

Need a book rec? Check out Tides by local author Jonathan White, a personal favorite of mine that I recommend to anyone looking to learn and disappear into the science of our tides and a damn good ocean story.

23) Eat at Bakery San Juan

One of the best places to eat in the San Juan Islands is Bakery San Juan. Grab a pastry, a slice of pizza, or a sandwich to go. The catch? San Juan Bakery is only open on weekdays.

22) Visit Spencer Spit State Park

Tucked away on Lopez Island, Spencer Spit State Park is a beautiful state park and campground on Lopez Sound. It’s no secret that Lopez Island is the best San Juan Island for biking, mostly because it’s so flat.

Spencer Spit State Park is the perfect spot to basecamp, with beautiful wooded campsites and several incredible picnic spots along the ocean.

Looking for where to hike in the San Juan Islands? Check out the best easy day hiking trails in the San Juan Islands, Washington

21) Eat at Aloha Friday’s Hawaiian BBQ

The unsung hero of Friday Harbor cuisine, Aloha Fridays has delicious food and is more affordable than most places in Friday Harbor. 10/10 recommend this quirky stop.

20) Go Glamping

The San Juan Islands are the perfect place to book a glamping cabin and experience nature from the comfort of a wall tent and queen-sized bed. Orcas Island is easily one of the best glamping destinations in Washington, with both plenty of quirky island business to sample and the nearby trail system of Moran State Park.

We stayed at West Beach Resort, a rustic glamping option with canvas wall tents, fire pits, and ocean views, but there are plenty of glamping options in the San Juan Islands! In addition to glamping, West Beach Resort also has oceanfront cabins available, but they book up very far in advance in the summer.

where to book a glamping tent in the San Juan Islands, Washington:

West Beach Resort, Orcas Island. Shower house access, ocean views, walkable bar/wood-fired pizzas. Electric outlet outdoors.
LEANTO, Orcas Island. Bring your own bedding, near Moran State Park and hiking options. Fire pits, no electric.
Lakedale, San Juan Island. Calling these glamping seems a little ridiculous since these canvas wall tents are set up nicer than the average hotel room. Small lake views. Book well in advance.

19) Whale Watch with Maya’s Legacy

Looking for the best way to see whales? Head out on a whale watching tour with Maya’s Legacy, a Friday Harbor based whale watching tour operator committed to protecting marine mammals and named for local Captain Jim Maya.

18) Camp on Sucia Island

Looking to visit the most beautiful of the San Juan Islands? Head out to Sucia Island via shuttle or overnight kayak camping trip to experience incredible sandstone caves, cliffs, and beautiful views of the Strait of Georgia and other San Juan Islands.

This summer, a friend and I paddled out to Sucia and it was an incredible experience. We watched the full moon rise over. the ocean, paddled under sea stars, and explored the sandstone formations all over the island. It was such an incredible trip.

Read more about this trip here in personal essay Howling at the Moon

17) Hike to Cascade Falls in Moran State Park

Orcas Island is one of the most beautiful of the San Juan Islands, and one of the best parts of the island is Moran State Park. Moran has a variety of hiking trails available, and the hike to Cascade Falls is easily bucket-list worthy.

Cascade Falls on Orcas Island is a short and easy hike out to a 40-ft tall island waterfall! Continue upstream along the trail to spot a few more incredible waterfalls.

16) Visit American Camp in San Juan Islands National Historic Park

Located at the southern end of San Juan Island, American Camp is part of the San Juan Islands National Historic Park. Here, you can find several hiking trails and the beautiful South Beach, as well as plenty of information on the history of San Juan Island.

15) Get Pizza at Van Gogh’s

Looking for the best place to eat on San Juan Island? Visit Van Gogh’s for delicious Italian food and the best pizza you’ll ever taste!

14) Experience a Negative Tide (Go Tidepooling!)

Plan your visit with a full or new moon and check for the lowest tides of the day to experience magical tide-pooling! On a negative tide, much of the ocean floor is exposed and you can find sea stars, anemones, sea urchins and more!

Check a tide table to plan your trip with a negative tide! Very generally, negative tides occur just after full or new moons.

Learn how to sea kayak camp in a beginner’s guide to kayak camping

13) Hike Mount Finlayson

Looking for the most beautiful hiking trail on San Juan Island? Check out the Mount Finlayson hike in San Juan Islands. This four-mile round trip hike takes you up the hills with sweeping views of Cattle Pass and Point. Keep your eyes peeled for foxes and deer and watch the water for orca whales!

Mount Finlayson Hike is easily one of the best things to do on San Juan Island!

12) Watch for Foxes at Cattle Pass

One of the best things to do in the San Juan Islands is wildlife watch, and down at Cattle Pass and American Camp in the San Juan Islands you are almost guaranteed to see the foxes of San Juan Island.

11) Overnight Sea Kayak the San Juan Islands

Looking for the single best thing to do in the San Juan Islands? Book an overnight sea kayaking tour! Overnight sea kayaking tours frequent beautiful Jones and Stuart Islands, and take paddlers past sea cliffs, seal colonies, eagles, sea stars, and more!

Most of my kayaking photos are shot on an iPhone 8 and edited with my photo presets, which you can download here!

I recommend booking your tour with Outdoor Odysseys, the outfitter I worked at this summer! Your trip will be a blast, and the food will be top notch. A trip to Jones Island is more beginner- friendly with more down time and more frequent break options while paddling and more scenic campsite options. A trip to Stuart Island can be more challenging, but the reward is paddling more dramatic shoreline with a variety of hiking options.

Looking to get into sea kayak camping? Check out a beginner’s guide to kayak camping!

10) Hike the Coastal Bluffs Trail

The best easy hiking trail on San Juan Island is the Coastal Bluffs Trail, a beautiful trail beginning in American Camp of San Juan Islands National Historic Park. This short trail runs between South Beach and Grandma’s Coves, with idyllic overlooks of the coves below.

This is a perfect hike for a sunset walk, and a great spot to spot whales or go for a dip in the ocean.

9) Drive up Mount Constitution

Looking for the most beautiful view in the San Juan Island? Mount Constitution on Orcas Island overlooks the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea. On a clear day, you can see Mount Baker over Lummi Island and the ocean below.

You can both hike up to Mount Constitution from the trails in Moran State Park, or drive to the top and enjoy the views with just a short hike from the parking lot. Mount Constitution is located on Orcas Island in Moran State Park. A Washington Discover Pass. is required in Washington State Parks.

8) Hike and Swim in Mountain Lake

Another Moran State Park gem, Mountain Lake on Orcas Island is easily one of the most magical island lakes in the world. It’s just about four miles to hike around crystal clear Mountain Lake. For a longer hike, detour to Cascade Falls.

edited with photo presets “Forest Light” and “Sunbleached”

Visiting Moran State Park is easily one of the best things to do in the San Juan Islands!

7) Attend Shakespeare Under The Stars

I’ve been to two Shakespeare performances– one was at the Globe in London. The other was Shakespeare Under the Stars on San Juan Island. I went to the closing night of 12th Night and it was kind of incredible. I’m not really a live theater person, but this was a really cool performance.

Shakespeare Under the Stars is put on by Island Stage Left and is totally free to attend, though donations are more than welcome as all actors are paid!

6) Check out the Friday Harbor Farmer’s Market

One of the coolest things about the San Juan Islands is the art scene, and there’s no better place to get a taste of the art of the San Juan Islands than visiting the Friday Harbor farmer’s market. Check out local pottery and woodwork, and taste the fresh baked goods!

The Farmer’s Market is every Saturday April-October in downtown Friday Harbor

5) Visit the Orcas Project Tasting Room

Located in EastSound on Orcas Island, the Orcas Project Tasting Room is the perfect spot to taste local wines in an idyllic setting. With reds, whites and everything inbetween, there’s a perfect local wind for everyone at the Orcas Project.

The Orcas Project Tasting Room is easily the best place for wine tasting in the San Juan Islands.

4) Sleep Under the Stars

With few bugs and very little rain in the summer, the San Juan Islands are the perfect place to cowboy camp under the stars! Ditch the tent and just throw up your sleeping pad and bag for a magical night.

The best car camping options in the San Juan Islands include…

San Juan County Park

Spencer Spit State Park

Moran State Park

Looking to see the best of Washington State in just a few days? I planned the perfect one-week road trip to see the best that Washington has to offer!

3) Kayak with Bioluminescence

Did you know the San Juan Islands are one of the best places in the world to kayak with bioluminescence? Book a night kayaking tour to paddle into the sunset and experience the slow burn of bioluminescence appearing with the stars. Bioluminescence is easiest to see at the new moon, but under the right conditions you can also experience bioluminescence at the full moon if you find a dark enough corner.

Is it possible to take pictures of the bioluminescence?

One of the most common questions I get about kayaking with bioluminescence in the San Juan islands is is it possible to take a photo of the Bioluminescence? The short answer is yes, but only with a long exposure camera and probably not from a kayak. Your cell phone will not be able to capture the Bioluminescence on camera.

2) Whale Watch form Landbank (aka Westside Preserve)

One of the best places to whale watch and watch the sunset in the San Juan Islands is is Westside Preserve, just down island from Lime Kiln State park. This beautiful little trail system has a variety of beautiful spots to sit and faces west over the Haro Strait. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy!

Can you spot the breaching orca in the photo on the left? Bonus points if you can pick out Mount Rainer!

1) Watch the sunrise over the Cattle Point Lighthouse

Drive down to Cattle Point to enjoy the beautiful views of the Cattle Point Lighthouse and hike along the bluffs. In the distance, you’ll be able to catch views of the Olympic Mountains. Across the pass, spot tiny islands along the south end of Lopez Island. Cattle Point in the morning is easily the most incredible place to experience in the San Juan Islands.

I took this photo on a Cattle Point hike! At the time I didn’t even realize there was an orca dorsal fin in the photo. Can you spot it?

Where to Stay in the San Juan Islands:

Looking for the best places to stay in the San Juan islands? For a budget option, check out San Juan Hoste l. Keep in mind that campsites book out early in the season. For remote camping routes for kayakers (cheaper), check out this blog post instead. For a luxury spa experience, visit the Earthbox Inn.

What to do in the San Juan Islands with Kids:

It’s totally possible to have an awesome vacation in the San Juan Islands with kids! Consider booking a custom kayak tour. Tackle easier hikes like the coastal bluffs trail or the easy trek out to Cascade Falls.

How do I see Whales in the San Juan Islands?

The San Juan Islands are one of the best places in the world to whale watch from dry land! Keep in mind that it’s a big ocean, and many species of whale are endangered, so try and set expectations accordingly. While you have a much better chance of spotting whales in the San Juan Islands than in other locations, I would put odds of spotting a whale on any given day under 50%.

The best locations to whale watch on San Juan Island are Cattle Point and Cattle Pass, and Lime Kiln State Park. Due to increased currents, good viewpoints, and location along salmon and seal frequenting areas, these two spots seem to be better than others on the island for spotting whales.

If you’re hoping to spot whales I recommend dedicating several hours to sitting in one spot and scanning the horizon and investing in a good pair of binoculars. I have had great luck with the Field Issue binoculars from NOCS.

What’s the Weather like in the San Juan Islands in the Summer?

In the Summer expect sunny and warm water in the San Juan Islands, and plan for it to be much cooler on the ocean than on the islands by as many as 20 degrees. Because the islands are in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains, the San Juan Islands do not get much rain. Plan for lows in the 50s overnight, and highs in the daytime in the 70s in the summer. Plan for strong UV rays. I’ve sunburned myself more times than I can count this summer.

In the winter, expect weather to be cooler and rainier.