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.

Pine and Cedar Lakes Trail is a solid kick in the pants with 1500 ft of elevation gain in 1.5…read moremiles. I spent two days camping at Pine Lake and saw one other person. Another bonus is that the hills mask the hum if I-5. There are plenty of boot tracks to explore along the North Shore. A very peaceful place with solitude in spades!

Great hike. I made it a loop and ended up at Falls Drive and walked along the main road back to the…read moretrailhead. I went alone and didn't encounter a single person in the 4-5 hours it took for me to do the loop. Not all maps show the trail that leads off so you can make the loop. You go to the south from an off shoot in between cedar and Pine lake. The trails at this point are very overgrown. There is more opportunities to go on trails but I stuck on the service roads for the most part. Lots of good lookout points over Lake Samish. The original hike to get to Pine and Cedar lake is very steep. Once you get past that point it is more rolling hills or flat. I highly recommend turning left and heading toward the overlook NW of Cedar lake. Great views of the San Juan's and on the other side you can see Baker. For the Lakes there is camping opportunities available (primitive). Also there are no toilets available. Swimming in the lakes might be possible but they look as if the water is stagnant and there is much muck. I'm only knocking it down because of the hill. The overgrown section isn't part of this trail but is a fun way to go if you want more mileage and to make a loop of it. Just be aware you will be walking back along the road and there is little to no shoulder at times so walk towards the oncoming traffic to step out of the way when they approach.

Easy stop for people and dogs. Nice trail. Great little, nearly hidden, spot before you reach the…read moreferry area.

About 6 parking spots 2 picnic tables…read moreStairs/trail down to Guemes Channel Trail Great views!

We did some hiking around here, checked out Cattle Point Lighthouse, and generally creeped on…read morefoxes. Definitely a success on all points. The hiking was great, the water views and beaches were lovely and not packed, the foxes adorable. We look forward to returning adhesion next spring.

Wow! Only one review, and it's two stars? This wrong must be righted…read more Californians unimpressed? Ho hum. Don't come back, and don't send any of your friends up here to mess the place up. Just repeat '2 star' like you're ordering mediocre Thai food: Not so hot. They'll get the picture. Olympic National park just average? Compared to which temperate rainforest? Rainer? Just a big hunk of rock and ice, and it's always behind the clouds. How about North Cascades? Just wannabe alps. It's like the Yelpers who gave a 1 star rating to Death Valley complaining that it was too hot, or that the Grand Canyon is just a big hole in the ground. Not helpful. San Juan islands have a lot to offer, and San Juan in particular has a lot of interest, but you need to get out of your car to enjoy it. Hike, bike, kayak, go whale watching, drop some crab pots, maybe tour the historic parks too. Sail, fish, go to the beach. You could also spend a lazy afternoon shucking and eating fresh oysters on the bluff at Westcott bay. You're here for island life mon. Watching whales off Lime Kiln point? Seen them on PBS. Orcas breaching In the Sound? We have some of those at Sea world. Argh. Spending a couple of hours shuttling between the mainland and the island, then driving around the island in your car? Yeah, that sounds boring. You missed it all. Now get off my lawn. Phew! I feel better.

Came here while on vacation and we had so much fun! The walk was so nice and cool for July. A bit…read moreof a hike but totally worth it. The place is well maintained as people seem to care for the area while visiting and keeps it clean. People stay on the trail too. Does seem like people wander the area for walking and very light hiking, but they don't stick around long. Seems like a fun area.

Talk about an unexpected, slightly creepy, yet cool find!…read more On the list of things to do on San Juan Island was this spot, and it seemed intriguing, so the bff and I decided to make the drive on over to check it out. Parking was easy at the adjacent gravel lot on the perimeter of Roche Harbor airport. The ~1 mile dirt path takes you through a few family grave sites, and there are ample signs leading to the mausoleum itself. When you get to the mausoleum, expect to be wowed by how well-kept the structure is despite being so isolated. It was a bone-chilling experience to see how John S. McMillin decided to preserve his family's memory. Note that there is only a portal potty on site. It's not exactly wheelchair friendly, either. Definitely take a visit!

I read about this trail online and decided to check it out today. It's a flat and paved trail with…read moreBeautiful views of the Guemes channel, Anacortes ferry terminal and sorrounding islands. Take your bike, bring your kids and the dog. The trail is 3 miles out and back, it connects to the Ship Harbor interpretive trail on one side and the other end will eventually connect to the Tommy Thompson trail making it one long trail.

Otis Perkins was my Great Uncle! I'm so happy to know his legacy continues via this beautiful &…read moretreasured family landmark.

I love all of the parks and beautiful beaches that can found in the San Juan Islands. Be sure to…read moreinspect your maps, and don't forget to look in residential neighborhoods because that is where you will find some of the best spots! Otis Perkins Day Park sits on a slender spit, in between several residential neighborhoods. There's plenty of space to pull off the road to park on the curb, but you'll also find several gravel areas along the spit to park as well. Be sure to allow plenty of time for beachcombing, I found a lot of treasures on this long stretch of beach. And there is so much beautiful driftwood lining the beach. It makes for a lovely spot to sit and listen to the waves. I've been to this location twice, and never encountered anyone else during either of those visits. Be sure to follow the rules about visitation hours, and park responsibly. Lopez Island is a small island, but there are many beautiful sights to see. Enjoy!

I went down Lopez Sound Road the opposite way of the directions provided on the San Juan County…read moreLand Bank website (from Mud Bay Road) and recommend following the directions provided. The roads were rocky and it had rained recently so there were puddles of standing water and thick mud patches. What does this mean? It means you have a good chance of getting stuck in the mud or bottoming your car out if it is not built for those kinds of roads. I have been back-roading before in a Jeep Wrangler, but alas I was in my trusty steed of a Toyota Corolla named Lepton this time. It made it through, but the bottom of the car did scrape on rocks a number of times and mud and muddy water splashed along the front, sides, and up and over the top of the car. Luckily I didn't get stuck and the car didn't bottom out too bad. There is a small entry road off Lopez Sound Road that is marked with a Lopez Hill Preserve sign that leads to the trailhead. At the end of the entry road is a small parking lot to hold a handful of cars, I'd guess 5 cars. One other car was parked in the lot when I arrived. A small covered area contains some posted information about etiquette in the Preserve and a map of the trail system. There are lots of forks in the trails, so I recommend either taking a picture of the trail maps or printing out the handout on the website with the trails labeled. I printed out the handout from the San Juan County Land Bank website and consulted it at every fork I reached in the path. The trail was quiet and very green and tree-y! On occasion there were horse poops along the trail, so watch the path ahead of you as you walk. They don't smell too bad. I spent about an hour and a half exploring the Preserve and only covered a fraction of the trails. I ventured to the left at the first fork to the trail marked with a fishhook, the other option was what appeared to be a steaming stump. At the second fork in the trail marked with a red and orange arch I took a left. That trail intersects with Lopez Sound Road and continues after venturing a short way along the road. You can also turn around and walk back to the small entry road off Lopez Sound Road from this point. I chose to loop back around on Lopez Sound Road (which at this location runs along the edge of the Preserve) to see the roads my Lepton and I had surmounted. There were no cars in the parking lot other than my own when I departed for the Lopez Island Ferry Terminal. The Lopez Hill Preserve is a magical place. Yay, for the tall trees, but also the ambience was just a bit magical. Vegetation along the trail changed from shrubbery to green trees to trees without leaves to bog-like ground cover. There were abandoned wooden buildings that had collapsed or whose roof was no longer there. The bog-like ground cover was cool (though I like ground cover that reminds me of the bogs of Scotland), and the natural feature landmarks such as a tree arch and partial wall of tree roots along the side of the trail made the place feel otherworldly. A captivating place to take some time to explore and adventure!