San Juan Islands Vacation Advice Needed

I live in the San Juans! What time of year are you coming up? That will dictate how early you need to be in the ferry line. If it is in summer, bring lots of books, snacks and playing cards to help make the wait fun.

The easiest island to access is Lopez (first stop) That is where I live. Our island is rural, beautiful and peaceful. There isn't alot of town, but the vibe is great!
Orcas island is big, great hiking in Moran State Park. San Juan Island is the county seat and has the town of Friday Harbor as a feature. It is easiest to go to without a car.

All the islands have great kayaking, bike riding, whale watching, beach combing, relaxing.... If you are coming for several days, you can stay on one island and "island hop" for day trips.

Please message me with more questions! I love to share our islands :) It really is an incredible place. You and your kids would love it here!

You can take your car on the ferry and drive on Friday Harbor. This, aside from Orca, is the easiest to navigate. I don't know think there is a lot of public transport. Many, many bike shops and would be a fantastic way to see the island(s). Go SUPER early to avoid the lines, bring snacks. If your boys are outdoorsey, they will LOVE kayaking. Look into Seaquest.com for tours or overnights. Fantastic company - all graduate students researching the wild life/sea life in the area.

Hard to tell you about Seattle. I think I could live there aside from the rain, ha ha. So maybe there and back. Check on innatthemarket.com. Not cheap, gorgeous B&B.

Can you tell I love this area? My family has a second home in Olympia, WA and we go up to the San Juans whenever we are there. Well, in the summer: ) Any other questions, send me a message.

How much time do you have to spend cruising the islands? If it's just a few days, take your car....if you have longer, you could rent bikes.

I love that ferry ride. You can do either....take your car over to Friday Harbor and drive around, or rent bikes. I recommend taking your car, as that's a pretty far bike ride to the other side where the old 'military' base is, if you want to go that far. We tend to like to see it all. So I prefer having a car especially if your going over night. There is camping on Orcas Island. Just read the time table carefully so you know which Ferry stops there. Not all do.

Lodging: I think there's even a youth hostel in Friday harbor...but go on line and check rates. Paying for a specific whale watching is a personal choice as the ferry ride is so long and pretty similar as it goes through much of the same waters. We've done the whale watching twice and did not see anything more than what we witnessed from the Ferry.

I would recommend a AAA book too. Have fun....it's truly one of the most beautiful places in the world!

If you can bring bikes, you can leave your car and bike onto the ferry. Otherwise, I suggest going on Monday-Thursday. The ferry line for leaving the islands can be long, too, which is another reason to consider a mid week trip.

Lopez is best for biking (flattest). It has some awesome camping spots, but they fill early. Check out the WA State Park website to check availability and make reservations. Other than camping and biking, Lopez might not have enough to keep your older kids interested.

Orcas has good hiking, parks, and kayaking. There is another state park (Moran) you should check out for camping.

San Juan is the biggest island with the most variety. You can bike to camping on this island, as well, but it's long and hilly. If you want to see whales, I'd suggest going kayaking from here. You'll probably want your car for this island.

It's beautiful! We're thinking of camping there this summer, but we're not going on a weekend (or Friday!). The ferry wait can be hours long. Last year we were lucky and we only waited 2-3 hours, but we barely got on.

Good luck!

I haa great resource book for you - The Essential San Juan Islands Guide. It's available on Amazon and will answer all of your questions. I have it and it's so helpful! One thing you didn't clarify is which island you are going to. San Juan Island is the largest (Friday Harbor is there - and there is lots to do just off the ferry landing), but Orcas Island is another popular destination. But it's hard to answer your questions without knowing which island (s) you are going to. As for Seattle with your kids, I recommend the Pike Place Market, EMP (only if they are really in to music), riding the Duck (an amphibious land vehicle that tours Seattle by land and water), or the Seattle Art Museum. The Wallingford, Greenlake, and Fremont neigborhoods are pretty fun to explore as well. Have fun and if you have other questions, let me know - I live in Bellevue but went to UW so I'm very familiar with the area.

You need a car. Sometimes is pours on those islands even in summer.
You can Island hop from the US side to the Canadaian. Camping is wonderful.
You can rent bikes but many Islands go for endless miles.
I find Orcas becoming more and more touristy and many cults have their retreats and main centers there.
I much prefer the Canadian portion of the Islands which are well served by ferrys from Nanimo and other ports. Vancouver Island is the biggest. At the top you can take an 11.5KM hike to a secluded beach. It's a beautiful hike through the old growth forest. Take a camera along.
We go up that way every three years through the San Juans. Often we stop at Whidbey Island which is not part of it but a very relaxing place with long beaches and excellent places to eat.