09 / QUICK ANSWERS
Asked at every ferry queue
Do I need a ferry reservation?
If you're bringing a vehicle across from Anacortes in summer, effectively yes. Washington State Ferries requires vehicle reservations on the Anacortes / San Juan Islands route for the peak season — roughly mid-June through mid-September (the 2025 window ran June 14 to September 19; confirm the exact 2026 dates with WSF). Reservations are free, held with a card, and for vehicles only — walk-on foot and bike passengers never need one. Slots release in waves (about two months, two weeks and two days before each sailing), so if the first release is full, check back. Inter-island sailings and the westbound legs from Lopez and Shaw are not reservable. Reserve at wsdot.wa.gov/ferries or 1-888-808-7977, and check in at the tollbooth at least 30 minutes early or you go standby.
Which islands can I reach by ferry?
Only four: Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and San Juan (Friday Harbor). Sailings from Anacortes call in that general order, but not every departure stops at every island and some run express to Friday Harbor — read the schedule for your specific sailing. Every other island in the archipelago, including marine parks like Jones Island, has no ferry and is reached only by private boat or kayak.
Where can I see orcas from land?
Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side of San Juan Island — "Whale Watch Park" — is widely called one of the best land-based whale-watching spots on earth. The seabed drops to about 960 ft within 25 ft of shore, so orcas, minke whales, porpoises and seals forage close in. The endangered Southern Resident pods (J, K, L) frequent Haro Strait May–September, timed to salmon runs, with transient (Bigg's) orcas passing too. It's day-use, 8 a.m. to dusk year-round, Discover Pass required. San Juan County Park (Smallpox Bay) and Cattle Point are other good shore spots. From land there's no minimum-distance rule — but if you go out on the water, stay well back from Southern Resident orcas and check the current Be Whale Wise distances first.
Where can I camp — and are there hookups?
Camping is state parks, county parks and a few private resorts. On Orcas, Moran State Park (four campgrounds, ~124 sites at Cascade Lake) reserves Memorial Day–Labor Day, first-come Oct–Mar. On Lopez, Spencer Spit State Park (37 sites) and the 30-site Odlin County Park sit near the landing. On San Juan, San Juan County Park at Smallpox Bay, plus Lakedale Resort — which has the island's only RV hookup sites. Shaw Island County Park has 11 waterfront sites. Marine camps like Jones Island are boat/kayak-in only, water seasonal. No state or county park in the islands has hookups — only the private resorts do. All state parks need a Discover Pass, summer fills fast, and current fees change, so verify at booking.
Is it a good place to cycle?
Yes — compact, low-traffic and among the most cycling-friendly places in Washington, which is why the walk-on-with-a-bike strategy works so well. Lopez is the flattest and the most beloved by cyclists, with a first-night base at Odlin County Park about a mile from the ferry. Orcas is hillier (the Mount Constitution road is a serious climb) and San Juan sits in between. Bike and e-bike rentals are on Orcas (Wildlife Cycles, Eastsound) and moped/scooter/e-bike rentals on San Juan (Susie's Mopeds, Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor), so you don't have to bring your own.
How close can I get to the whales?
On the water, not close. The Southern Resident orcas are an endangered population, and federal and state rules require boats and kayaks to keep well back. We're not printing a distance because the legal buffer has been revised over the years and we won't publish a figure that might be stale — check the current Be Whale Wise distances before you launch, and if in doubt, book a licensed operator who runs to the rules for a living. From land there's no minimum distance, so shore-watching at Lime Kiln or Cattle Point lets you watch as long as you like.
