Wanting to explore more in the San Juan Islands than just Friday Harbor, I took the Anacortes ferry to Orcas Island for a day of driving around. I followed this Orcas Island Scenic Byway itinerary, produced by the San Juan Islands Visitors’ Bureau, which worked well.
But pro tip #1: make sure to download offline Google Maps before you leave! There isn’t much cell service on the island and it helps to use GPS from point to point. I didn’t realize that until I got there. I managed to pull up next to a small resort that happened to have an open wifi signal to download maps. But I wouldn’t risk it again!
Getting to Orcas Island
Getting to Orcas Island requires taking the ferry from Anacortes, as I outline in my post about Friday Harbor. The rate from Anacortes to Orcas Island in a normal-sized vehicle is currently $62.75, and reservations are recommended. I planned on taking the 7:30 am ferry on a weekday and was so afraid I’d miss it (I had cut it so short last time) that I didn’t make a reservation. There’s a $16 no-show fee if you do, but I arrived over 45 minutes early and was able to nab a spot. But I was nowhere near the front even at that early hour. Make sure to arrive early, even if you do have a reservation!
I arrived prepared for the wait with a snack-tray breakfast of fruit & cheese, and a drive-thru coffee from Cruisin Coffee in Anacortes. There are bathrooms while you wait and a snack shop with food you can purchase. Once the ferry arrives, they unload and reload it pretty quickly! But be aware, the ferry system can run behind at times, though I’d think it’s less likely to have a problem first thing in the morning.
Orcas Village
After a ferry ride of around an hour, you arrive in Orcas Village. This isn’t a destination port as nice as Friday Harbor, though there is a shuttle that operates in the summer if you are a walk-on ferry passenger.
In Orcas Village, there is one pretty hotel right at the ferry dock, and a few places to eat, shop, and get groceries. I bypassed the village when I arrived, but had more time to linger as I waited for the ferry for the return trip.
Deer Harbor
Orcas Island is mostly a residential place, albeit an especially scenic one. Don’t be surprised to see regular houses and small farms, etc. But dotted around are deep bays, shops, resorts, state parks, and one notable town in the middle.
The first stop on the official itinerary is Deer Harbor. There’s a large marina here with a deli/grocery and bathrooms, as well as other resorts and services to support them, like bike & kayak rentals, and whale charters. It’s pretty and slightly rugged, but overall seems to serve the boating crowd.
Orcas Island Pottery
Orcas Island Pottery is a delightful stop! After driving through the trees, you arrive at a garden gate that opens to a sort of outdoor pottery garden. Different collections and styles are arranged on picnic tables and around a small house. It seems that they do most of the creation and firing inside, while most of the retail shop is outside, though there is an indoor section. There are also a few outbuildings stocked full, and a treehouse!
Orcas Island Pottery has been run almost the same way since it opened in 1945, and now features a collection of talented artists, some generations-deep of Orcas Island potters. When you’ve rounded up everything you’d like to buy, there’s a purchase window on the outside of the house.
(The visitor’s bureau map also indicates a Crow Valley Pottery on this side of the island, but that location is permanently closed. Look for its new location at the next stop, Eastsound Village.)
Eastsound Village
The biggest, and pretty much the only, town on Orcas Island is Eastsound Village. This is a great stop to walk around, shop, and get lunch. I particularly enjoyed Darvill’s Bookstore, though there are a lot of fun shops here. And plenty of places to eat, including a co-op and a larger grocery store with a deli.
If you go during the week in the off-season, it may be hit or miss on what’s open, but I still found plenty to look at on a Tuesday. I do wish the one museum, the Orcas Island Historical Museum, had been open for me, but it’s only open Thursdays-Saturdays.
There are a few places to stay in Eastsound, and more via Airbnb & Vrbo. But the most notable is the historic-looking Outlook Inn. It, like the rest of the town, is basically right on the water of the sound in the middle of the island (though the water was a little gross this visit.)
Rosario Resort & Spa
The next stop takes us to the other side of the big sound, to Rosario Resort & Spa. This beautiful historic resort used to be the family mansion of a rich shipbuilder from Seattle. Now it houses hotel rooms, a spa, a restaurant, and a gift shop. While the restaurant seemed closed during my midday Tuesday visit, there are snacks in the gift shop if needed.
What makes it most interesting to a day visitor is the 2nd-floor museum featuring a stunning music room with a massive pipe organ, stained glass windows, and a Tiffany-glass light fixture. Rooms along either side hold historic photographs and the history of Mr. Moran and his family in rooms furnished as they would have been ca. 1909. Walk down a level from the lobby to the gift shop into what was the families’ old games room with a large fireplace and the still-operating indoor pool.
The museum is open for self-guided tours daily from 8 am-8 pm. At 4 pm on Saturdays, and in the summer months (June 17-Sept 16) on Tuesdays-Saturdays is a free hour-long presentation on the historic organ with stories and pictures.
It’s worth noting that the summer shuttle from the ferry only stops at Eastsound and Rosario Resort.
Moran State Park & Mount Constitution
Adjacent to Rosario Resort is Moran State Park, on property Mr. Moran the shipbuilder also used to own. The big attraction here is Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juan Islands. At the top of a short walk up from the parking lot is a tower offering superb views of the surrounding islands and water. It is not to be missed!
On your way to the top of the mountain, you’ll pass Cascade Lake, which is a great stop for picnicking and hiking around the lake, and even swimming and boating if it’s nice enough. Higher up in elevation is Mountain Lake, with fewer ready resources except for more camping and hiking.
Orcas Island Artworks
After leaving Moran State Park, you head down to Olga, home of Orcas Island Artworks. Here you’ll find pottery, woodworking, paintings, jewelry, journals, and so much more from local island artists. It’s a beautiful stop. There’s a cafe in here that’s open from 10-3 only from Thursday-Sunday, so if you’ve somehow made it this far without food, it’s a great option.
Obstruction Pass State Park
For another chance to get out of the car, head to Obstruction Pass State Park for a short half-mile walk down to a rocky beach. The trail is a wonderfully green and soft path, cushioned deep with pine needles, the specific type of woods you only find in the Pacific Northwest.
You end the short hike with a path through a primitive campsite and stairs down to the beach. Which is very rocky – there’s no sand around here. It’s a great place to sit and contemplate near the end of a day on Orcas Island.
Doe Bay Resort & Retreat
At the farthest end of Orcas Island from the ferry is Doe Bay Resort & Retreat. It’s a little more rustic, a lot more new age, and features outdoor soaking spas that can be booked privately, or communally. (Though be warned, the spas & sauna are clothing-optional.) There are also massage treatments and yoga available, mainly for guests of the resort.
There’s a lovely general store that is open most of the time and high-end cafe that is open on the weekends, and some beautiful cabins and shorefront views. Just driving in, it doesn’t look like there are many accommodations, but looking at the map of cabins, yurts, and campsites, it’s pretty big.
Back Home on the Ferry
From Doe Bay back to the ferry dock is about a 35-minute drive if you don’t make any stops. I arrived in the morning at 8:20 am and after a full day of touring, made it back in time to take the 5:15 pm ferry back to Anacortes with plenty of time to spare. Go ahead and park in the ferry lanes when you arrive. Then you can get out and walk around the village until the ferry shows up.
There’s the hotel, a “ciderworks” bar, a souvenir-heavy gift shop, and a small grocery store if you want to get a sandwich to take on the ferry with you. Or there’s a cafe at the hotel. I ate in Anacortes after arriving back there around 6 pm, which worked well for me.
There you have it – what it’s like to spend a day on Orcas Island. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have a beautiful sunny day to explore everything. I do recommend doing it by car, if only to pack out all the pottery you’ll want to buy. But Mount Constitution is the high point (literally and figuratively) of a day trip to Orcas Island, and it’s much nicer to do by car.
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