Awesome ferry ride over to the islands. With Beautiful views. Entering was easy and quick.read more

I only got to visit the American Camp side of this park, but it was wonderful!…read more Driving along Cattle Point Road you'll see signs to enter multiple different sites at the park. I mainly stopped at three locations: Cattle Point Interpretive Area: You can either take the steps down to the pebbly beach to feel more connected to the water, or go up the mossy mound to get a high ground view of... well, everything. I saw water, cliffs, islands, ducks, eagles, seals... unfortunately, no whales, though, prob because this is not the time of year they are around much. Cattle Point Lighthouse: Walked on a cute trail to the lighthouse, where I saw a humongous red fox on a hill, looking like it was digging or pouncing on something! On the other side of the lighthouse are views of miles of open sky and water. South Beach: On the road leading to the beach, we actually saw a black fox just chilling, lying on the road. It moved to the fenced area as we approached, and my gosh it was beautiful. I didn't even know black foxes existed! The beach itself is wide and has views of endless water, with some driftwood hanging out near you. I know there's so much more to the park that we didn't see, but I was quite happy with the wildlife and incredible scenery. Especially the foxes... I've only seen like one other (that I can remember), so seeing the ones here were such a bonus. The trails and sites that we missed are even more reason to return to San Juan Island National Historical Park. I just hope I'm able to come out to this island again someday.

It's not a fun park unless you're a kid. Then it's a blast with a playground that has those weird…read morecircular htings that swing you around with your weight and other fancy playground items. But this park is more about the sunset. I was in town as a day trip and the weather was so nice that I wanted to check out the sunset. We sat there people watching on the bench as the sun started sinking over the water. People walked out down the pier and it made for really nice pictures. Once the sun went down, people left because there was a chill in the air, but until that moment, the sunset was magical. Definitely glad we hung around for twilight.

Washington Park is beautiful. The scenic loop is a great drive (go slow 10 mph there are…read morepedestrians on the paved road too). There are spots for cars to park on the loop to enjoy the view (and a disability parking spot). Take advantage of the easy and beautiful access to epic views of Burrows Island and the pass at this park before getting on the ferry to the San Juan islands or staying in Anacortes.

When I'm in the mood for some gorgeous views over Anacortes, Cap Sante Park is one of my go-to…read morespots. Perched high on a point across the harbor from downtown, it's the perfect spot to take it all in. And with its northerly views, you can not only watch the boats arrive at the marina far below, but peer across the mountains for breathtaking sunny day views of Mount Baker, too. It also has a "lover's lane" vibe, so I'll give it an extra star for romance potential. There are a view benches, as well as rocky outperches, to sit and ponder all the beauty. Fall potential is high, so I wouldn't let little ones wander around on their own here. Parking can be a hassle on sunny days.

Went during a sunset and it was spectacular. Even saw a rainbow. There were parking spots when we…read moregot there though it was also a lot of people concerning it was already past 9PM. Wonderful views of the marina and the islands! And beautiful Mountain views.

I hadn't planned to visit Lime Kiln Point State Park while staying on San Juan Island, but our BnB…read morehost INSISTED we include a visit to the park in our itinerary. Lesson learned; always trust the guidance of locals when visiting a new place. This park is a gem! Visitors will find this gorgeous park located on the west side of the Island, perfectly situated to offer stunning views of the Salish Sea. The park is named for its historic lime kiln used by settlers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. An interpretive center has displays and activities about orcas and the area's lime kiln industry once important to the region. The coastline is incomparable! A five to ten minute downhill walk from the parking lot reveals remarkable views of the Olympic Mountains and an expansive view of sparkling water stretching far into the distance. It's said this site is one of the best whale watching locations in the islands, where visitors will most likely be able to see orcas! We weren't fortunate enough to find any during our visit, but the scenery was rewarding enough. The trail continues along the rocky shoreline, passing several pristine coves and thickets of madrones with twisted, curling red bark. The trail soon reveals a beautiful lighthouse on a rocky bluff, and the lime kilns in the distance. There is a well-curated gift shop back at the parking lot, as well as picnic tables, information kiosks, and public restrooms. There's a whole lot of beauty packed into this 42 acre park... something you won't want to miss!

Truly a picturesque park with beautiful coastal hikes. We certainly enjoyed walking along the…read morecoastline while taking in the scenery. Walking to the lighthouse was a perfect adventure and not strenuous if you are looking for a pretty easy hike. Stop and look out for whales (we didn't see any) and also check out the tide pools!

So this park is awesome and we found it on accident we actually stayed up in the group camping…read morewhich I actually prefer more because it was a lot of trees a lot of space five minute walk down to the water. The spots on the water are a little closer together it's dryer and not many trees down there so it's give-and-take whatever you prefer. The sites are $25 and we had a boat that we put in the extra parking for $12 a night. I think the staff that works there would prefer you never talk to them and do everything on your own.

We camped here for 1 night this past weekend, Oct 1-2, 2016. I made reservations online a month…read moreprior. Looking at the map, we booked campsite #24 which was on the water. It was a few $$ more expensive than the ones not on the water, the view was worth the few extra dollars. I paid $34/night (tax included). Campsites: the lowered numbered sites, 1-5 I think, have shore access. 24 does not have shore access but is on the water. There are biker/hiker sites, if you don't have a car these would be preferable. The pit toilet was clean and on the lower end of smelly. The campsites are pretty close together so be aware of that. I think sites 28 and 29 are actually conjoined. My aunt and uncle live nearby and said the campgrounds get booked full during the summer season. Also it's hard to get off the island during the summer months because of so many tourists and cars going on the ferry. Beautiful spot though! Pet friendly, and I think they are open year round. Starting November till April/May it's a walk up only campsite. During summer you can reserve online.

Beacon Hill Park is such a beautiful and vast park! Our party of four had to break our exploring of…read moreit into two different rounds and each time it was great! There are beautiful ponds and fountains here in amongst lush trees. There are paths that lead you into all sorts of park adventures! On the first excursion we saw a juvenile owl in a tree and got some pictures of it as well as well as the Moss Lady statue as extra bonuses. On the second excursion we went to a wonderful rose garden, the Children's Farm which consists of various animals which are primarily barnyard types. We then went to the south end of the park and went to Mile Zero for the Trans Canadian Highway and a gorgeous view of the water from the Straight of Juan De Fuca. And we saw more juvenile owls out and about in the trees. Definitely a park to go to and it's the kind of place that will bring in tourist sightseers but will have locals or residents as well because it's clear it's a park that is loved by all.

A beautiful park in Victoria that reminded me a lot of of a small version of Central Park in New…read moreYork City. Tons of towering trees, lots of untouched, wild Lasic, beautiful, well tended to gardens, areas for kids to play as well as Pickleball and other courts for people to use to play. There's a dog park in There so you can take the dogs out for a walk as well. So many beautiful places and sites in this park. Which I'm sure would make for a great afternoon for any family that wanted to get away from home. A lot of it is taken care of by just a few People, and a number of volunteers to take care of gardens.

Being a few weeks removed from my day here helps me appreciate this lil' park for what it is. You…read moresee, I did not have the most five-star experience here, but that's unique to my visit. I'll spare the details as they're not relevant to the park, but it involved my very active dog and a very expensive camera lens. So what can I say about Obstruction Pass that is relevant? Well, it's a tiny little park. But almost everyone I spoke to about my time on Orcas said they actually like it more than its big neighbor Moran, to the north. Situated on the southern tip of the eastern point of Orcas Island, it only occupies 80 acres. But among that 80 acres is a bit of precious beachfront; some of the only public beach space on the island of private developments and no trespassing signs. These are San Juan island beaches, so you'll find millions of rounded pebbles, not sand, lest you imagine frolicking barefoot down the beach. To reach the beach, you have to hike. There's a shorter trail than sort of hugs the seashore, and a longer one that goes over land and abuts private property. I took the wooded longer one to the north on the way in, then the beach-hugger on the way out. It's a short hike, not too strenuous, but it's certainly not ADA approved and it will take you a little time to reach the waters. The park features the trail, beach, a small campground, and restrooms. You access the beach down a couple of staircases, and the thick woods above provide lots of shade. I was here in the dead of winter, but even then I shared the beach with a very loud family, and a couple of other parties. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Be careful on those rocks. If you're, say, carrying a full camera and tripod rig and slip, you'll bounce all the way down the rocks into the water. Probably. And then, after your dog damaged your lens before, and you ended up falling into the water, you'll just pack up and get back to your car and call it a day.

Situated at one tip of Orcas Island, Obstruction Pass State Park is home to campers and…read moreshort-duration hikers. This is a great (less than) a mile hike to the beach and back with a pretty PNW view. Its not as big and majestic as Moren State Park, but its a great feeler for Orcas Island, and because of the size, you will notice more people around, when there are people around. We did this as a group of 6, quick in and out on our first day here. We saw a boat parked out on the water and a little house situated by the water. We didn't see many hikers here when we went on a late Saturday afternoon, but we saw a number of campers. *Porta potty's were available

This is a very cool place that I recommend visiting if you like the outdoors and are on Orcas…read moreIsland. I saw two deer foraging in a neighboring field as I neared the Coho Preserve. My navigation sheet was the .pdf the San Juan County Land Bank website provided with a map of the Preserve, parking marked, and directions to the Preserve's entrance. One of the neat things I read on the Preserve's webpage was that the area had trout and salmon. So definitely something to watch for on your walk/hike. There are numerous benches where you can stop and rest, several of which look out over the stream/creek (Cascade Creek) running through the Preserve. I can see myself with binoculars sitting and waiting for hours if need be to spot me some trout and/or salmon. The parking lot is visible from the road and easy to spot. There are a number of spaces, though I imagine it could fill up pretty quick. There was one other car there when I arrived, and three others when I got back to my car. On the trail itself I saw no other people. The trail has two parts, an out-and-back and a loop that loops back round to the out-and-back part. The out-and-back segment is mostly flat with only a slight incline in places. You cross a small bridge before you get to a fork. You can take a left or a right to go around the loop portion of the trail. I took a left at the fork and am glad I did. I hurt my knee about a month ago and going downhill can be difficult and if the land I am walking on is too steep I can't walk. The trail to the left of the fork is steeper with a bunch of little switchbacks and a few benches where you can stop and watch the creek. The creek ran fast in some portions of the trail and I had fun looking for fish. Towards the top of the loop, the waterfalls get pretty big! By the time I reached the top of the trail my knee developed a pressure around the kneecap (not a good sign for going downhill). However, the trail evened out and was not as steep on the way down back to the out-and-back portion of the trail. By the time I got back to my car the discomfort in my knee had almost completely alleviated. The day after the hike (I went to the Preserve on 21 April 2020) my knee was fine, the fastest it has recovered since the injury. This is a healing trail to hike! Signage is very well done and looked after. As was the Preserve trails and land therein as a whole. Public/private land boundaries were made clear and so were the expectations for hiking on the trails. Coho Preserve is a gem of a place tucked away in the greenery of the Island.

Great playground structure on anacortes. There was something fun for everyone. The swings and play…read morestructure was all new and top of the line. It is a pretty big playground and w a lot to do. The only shame was that big kids were at this playground throwing the wood shavings and throwing bottles at each other, not good for the little kids playing nearby. Many of the families left. This might have been an one off but it wasn't pleasant having them throw things from across the playground. There is plenty of grass area to run and play sports. The parking lot was a good size as well.

We were visiting from out of town and stopped by to play, and boy am I glad we picked this one! We…read morehave kids ages one to six and they had a blast. At one point my 6 year old poked his head out of one of the portholes in the pirate ship and yelled "THIS PARK IS AWESOME!" (this coming from the kid who rarely enjoys things if its not on a screen ). Splash pad was closed because it was November, but that look pretty cool too. There's also a sign with pictures of the park construction, which was done by the community - my thanks go out to those folks who gave our family a fun afternoon on our trip!

An absolute favorite for good ole woods on the lake camping! Campgrounds have so much variety in…read moreshade, waterfront options, RV hookups, walk-in, and group sites. Their bathrooms and showers are well maintained, and the public use areas are always kept up as well. They staff a little snack shack where you can find limited swim gear and accessories, plus impressive snacks, coffee, ice cream, candy, etc. The lake is a non-motorized boat lake, but they rent out water toys or bring your own float islands and paddleboards. Mt. Constitution is also found within the park and is a must visit! Views into Canada and over the WA coast are to die for on a clear day. Whether you're visiting just for the day or longer, Moran State Park is an oasis worth experiencing!

This is probably the biggest highlight on Orcas Island if you're outdoorsy!…read more Lakes, scenic views, trails a plenty even leading to an ice cream finish, water activities, and on and on and on. I had only wished we had one more day. My group did the Cascade Lake Loop, Cascade Fall's, plus give or take hopping on to another trail to widen the "loop." Day passes are $10 bucks and go off an honor system with completing a short form with vehicle and govt issue ID details and dropping them into a collection box. Plenty of places to park near multiple different trail entrances. The trails are well maintained & the trees are massive. Sugar shack offered up some delicious ice cream during our widening of said loop. There were clean bathrooms and a large playground located near this pit stop. Plenty of entrances/parking to different trailheads can be found along the outskirts. Definitely recommend for anyone taking a vacation on Orcas Island. And as always practice leave no trace!