The Ultimate Guide to Camping in the San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands in Washington are easily one of our favorite travel destinations.

These rocky islands carpeted with impenetrable forests are something straight out of a fairy tale. The cute little towns, like Friday Harbor and Eastsound, have a decidedly Stars Hollow feel – and yes, I’m a man making a Gilmore Girls reference. Plus, if you’re kayakers like us, the opportunity to spot an orca whale or sea lion while you’re paddling is a truly magical experience.

Unfortunately, accommodations on the San Juan Islands are astronomically expensive, at least during the summer tourist season, which is when the most popular activities are available. Camping, on the other hand, is relatively affordable – that is, if you can get a site. However, the process of reserving one of those sites is decidedly more challenging than it would be at your typical campground.

This San Juan Islands camping guide will shepherd you through the process of choosing when, where, and how to pick a site. Don’t worry, it’s not impossible, and once you’ve nailed down the trip planning, the actual camping experience should be a breeze.

Getting to the San Juan Islands

Before we can talk about camping, we need to cover some logistical information about traveling to the San Juan Islands. Your journey will start at the Washington State Ferry terminal in Anacortes. The state-run ferry makes stops on the San Juan’s four largest islands: Lopez, Orcas, Shaw, and San Juan Island (Friday Harbor).

Ferry reservations aren’t entirely necessary, but booking ahead of time gives you one less thing to worry about,especially if there’s an event happening that causes a surge of tourists.

Pro tip: fares are only collected in the westward direction, and San Juan Island is the farthest west.

So if you go from Anacortes straight to Friday Harbor, you’ll pay nothing coming back through the other islands. However, stopping first at Shaw, Lopez, or Orcas and then continuing westward will lead to multiple charges. On our trip, we visited San Juan Island first for this exact reason.

When to Go Camping on the San Juan Islands

Thanks to the moderating effect of the Salish Sea, the San Juans have a mild climate that makes year-round camping a real possibility (although admittedly, winter camping will not appeal to most!). Every season has its challenges, so consider what you can and can’t tolerate before booking a campsite in the San Juan Islands. For most campers, May-September is going to be the best time to visit.

Summer

From June through August, the sun is shining, the skies are cloudless (by PNW standards), and the ferry is absolutely packed. Summer is when the islands truly come alive with farmers’ markets, film festivals, art tours, and dozens of other exciting events.

It’s peak season in the San Juans, and if you’re going to take in their beauty while benefiting from the delightfully mild summer weather, you’ll be doing it with maximum crowds and paying higher prices. Because it’s so popular this time of year, you’d best reserve your campsites long in advance.

Spring & Fall

Shoulder season lasts from March through May and September through November, offering a reprieve from the oppressive summer crowds and you won’t need to book as far in advance (you’ll still need a reservation, though).

The chance of a rainy day is roughly double that of the warmest summer months, but temperatures remain comfortable, with lows in the 40s or low-50s being the norm. That’s still tent camping weather if you ask us. Most of the restaurants continue to operate in shoulder season, even if the crowds are winding down. However, some museums and other attractions are closed or have reduced hours from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

Winter

You need to be a very particular sort of person to camp the San Juan Islands during the winter (and you must have the right equipment). From December through February, temperatures average in the low 40s and high 30s at night, and rain can be expected every other day. It does snow a few times each year, with the occasional storm dumping several inches.

Campground amenities are spartan during the low season, too, with some turning off the taps for drinking water and flush toilets. If you have a heated RV, that might all sound do-able. But factor in muddy trails, windy seas, and many restaurants and shops shutting down for low season, and the experience appeals to only a select few.

Booking a Campsite in the San Juan Islands

The most daunting aspect of camping in the San Juans comes long before hopping on the ferry at Anacortes. There aren’t a ton of places to camp, and the campgrounds in the San Juan Islands are every bit as popular as those at some of America’s busiest national parks. The reservation experience is similar, with your mouse hovering over the “Book now” button as the sites become available at 9:00am in mid-April.

There are 13 campgrounds across the four islands of the San Juans, located either in county parks, state parks, or on private land. If you’re only looking at public campgrounds (which are significantly cheaper than the private ones), you have just two websites to visit: San Juan County Parks & Rec and Washington State Parks. Reservation policies are a little different between county and state parks, and private campgrounds each set their own.

If everything’s all booked up don’t despair just yet. There’s a Facebook group where campers can sell their reservations at cost (this isn’t StubHub, after all). Keep an eye on that, and you may be able to find a reservation that works for your trip.

Where to Camp on the San Juan Islands

First order of business is to decide where in the archipelago you want to go camping. The San Juan Islands each have their own flavor, ranging from rustic fishing village with nothing to do but enjoy nature (Shaw Island, and Lopez to a lesser extent), to full-on tourist experience with museums, craft breweries, and art galleries (San Juan Island, and Orcas to a lesser extent). Start the planning process by thinking about the sorts of activities you want to do while you’re camping on the San Juan Islands.

Another thing to consider is what type of set-up you’re traveling with. We are primarily tent campers ourselves, and we think of these islands as a paradise for tent camping. Hook-ups are only available in a couple places, dump sites are few and far between, and some campgrounds only allow relatively short trailers or none at all. That said, there are plenty of options for RV camping on the San Juan Islands – just know what to expect in terms of amenities. 

Camping on San Juan Island

Home to the famed town of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island is the most visited and the second-largest of the islands. Upon disembarking from the ferry, you’re greeted with one of the cutest seaside towns, complete with dozens of restaurants, art galleries, wine bars, and fun shops to browse. 

As such, it’s also the busiest of the islands, and traffic can actually be a problem during peak season. However, just a few miles outside Friday Harbor and you’re back to the pastoral landscapes the San Juans are most known for. If you’re traveling with an RV, know that there are also no dump sites on the island – otherwise, however, San Juan Island offers every amenity you could need.

So, where does one camp on this beautiful island?

San Juan County Park

This is the only public (read: by far the most affordable) accommodation for tent camping on San Juan Island, so booking a site well in advance is essential during the summer season.

The other reason to camp here? The stunning ocean views. Just 20 minutes from the ferry terminal and Friday Harbor, the campground sits on the island’s western shore overlooking the Haro Strait.

When the weather is clear enough, you can just barely see Vancouver Island and British Columbia’s capital, Victoria. Campers sometimes spot orcas swimming through the strait, though you’d have a much better chance of seeing them on a chartered tour since they tend to frequent deeper water far from the shore.

During the summer, most of the essentials are provided including flush toilets and drinking water. However, there are no showers, so if you want to get clean, you’ll need to use the coin-op showers at the Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor marinas.

There’s a small cove for launching a kayak near the entrance to the park, but the water gets quite rough just a bit farther out. You’ll also need to pay for a launch permit and watch a 15-minute video on kayak and whale watching safety.

San Juan County Fairgrounds

If you’ll be RV camping on San Juan Island, the county fairgrounds is another great option. While it lacks the incredible views of the county park, it makes up for it with convenience: it’s just a few minutes from the ferry terminal, and everything in Friday Harbor will be walkable from your campsite.

The fairgrounds only offers eight sites, so you’ll want to make a reservation early. They’re also unavailable during the San Juan County Fair, which is in mid-August.

Free Horse Farm

A very unique private “campground,” this working horse farm has just one site available, referred to as the Maple Campsite. Right in the center of the island, the farm is about ten minutes from Friday Harbor and the ferry terminal. The campsite is large enough to accommodate tent or van campers – no long RVs permitted.

There are showers, toilets, and an outdoor kitchen, though, so it should still feel like a fairly civilized camping experience. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to join in farm chores and gardening to get a sense of what rural life is like on the San Juans. Since there’s just one campsite, it’s quiet, peaceful, and an amazing place to get away from it all.

Lakedale Resort

Like many of the private campgrounds in the San Juan Islands, Lakedale Resort caters to travelers wanting a more upscale camping experience. In addition to their lakefront lodge, the resort offers luxurious glamping tents and yurts, as well as both RV sites and tent pads for campers.

Tent campsites are either single-family set-ups for four campers or family campgrounds designed for multiple tents and up to eight campers. The RV sites accommodate either up to 25-foot or 40-foot rigs, and this is the only San Juan Island campground to offer water and electrical hook-ups.

When you’re not enjoying your site, there’s a host of activities to take part in at Lakedale. The resort has a volleyball court, bocce ball pitch, life-sized chess board, and a stunning art installation, along with free bicycles to roam the island. Free kayaks, fishing poles, and stand-up paddleboards are also available for use on the property’s spring-fed lakes.

Camping on Orcas Island

The largest of the San Juans, Orcas Island is also its most camper-friendly. Not only does it have the largest selection of campsites, Orcas is where you’ll find some of the best hiking and kayaking in the San Juan Islands. Its main town, Eastsound, has all the amenities you could need, along with a vibrant farmers market and loads of events during the summer months.

Orcas Island is U-shaped, with the ferry terminal on the southern end of the west arm, most of the campgrounds on the eastern arm, and Eastsound right in the middle. Be sure you’ve got all the essentials before heading out, because learning you forgot the burger buns once you’re at camp will result in a bit of a hassle.

Moran State Park

About twenty minutes from the ferry terminal and seven minutes from Eastsound, Moran State Park is the crown jewel of camping in the San Juan Islands. It’s absolutely massive, covering over 5,000 acres and offering four campgrounds to choose from, all of them with lake access. With more than 120 sites, Moran is also where you’re most likely to pick up a last-minute cancellation.

While the park’s campgrounds are fairly developed, with amenities like hot showers and communal kitchen shelters, it’s not necessarily geared toward RVs. It doesn’t have any electrical, water, or sewage hook-ups. and there’s only a handful of pull-thru sites across the four campgrounds, with just one dump station near the park’s entrance at Cascade Lake.

Moran State Park is an outdoor lover’s paradise, though. An extensive network of hiking trails, totalling nearly 40 miles, fans out from the campgrounds. Some of them ascend nearby Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juans (though there’s also a road to the top, so don’t be surprised to see throngs of tourists after you’ve climbed 1,700 feet).

The park also boasts five pristine lakes to swim and paddle in. Orcas Adventures rents kayaks for use on both Cascade Lake (first-come, first-served) and Mountain Lake (reservable). During the summer, there’s also a concession stand called the Sugar Shack that sells ice cream, sandwiches, and hot dogs on the edge of Cascade Lake.

Obstruction Pass State Park

Compared to Moran, Obstruction Pass State Park is tiny, and that’s why many campers want to come here. With just a handful of  sites, you won’t be hearing your neighbors snoring throughout the night.

All of the sites are walk-ins, requiring about 15 minutes of hiking from the parking lot. This limits how much gear anyone can bring and strips the experience down to the bare essentials. There aren’t many amenities to speak of, and you’ll even have to pack in your own drinking water. No surprise, Obstruction Pass is one of the cheapest campgrounds in the San Juan Islands.

All the sites here are first-come, first-served. That means you won’t need to worry about booking months in advance, but you will have to worry about snatching one up as soon as it’s vacated by the previous campers. Should you end up without a place to camp, you’ll be paying out the nose for a last-minute hotel or Airbnb in Eastsound.

With those limitations in mind, Obstruction Pass is the place to go for peace and quiet. It’s an incredibly beautiful space, with a gorgeous gravel beach overlooking the island’s East Sound. While there’s a relatively steep descent of over half a mile to reach the water, we definitely recommend bringing your kayaks or paddleboards  to enjoy the calm waters and picturesque shoreline.

Doe Bay Resort & Retreat

Orcas Island’s best-known private camping option, Doe Bay Resort provides an upscale camping experience not available at the public campgrounds. It’s located about 35 minutes from the ferry and 20 minutes from Eastsound, on the eastern shore of Orca’s eastern arm. This area has a long and colorful history as a hippie haven and holistic therapy center, and it’s an icon in the PNW.

In addition to its cabins, yurts, and domes, Doe Bay offers a mix of drive-in and walk-in sites, and most are on the waterfront or in the forest just back from it. Each site is different, so check the descriptions on their website before booking. They’re also considerably more expensive than at the public campgrounds, but you get access to excellent amenities including saltwater soaking tubs, sauna, live music, yoga classes, and their “seed-to-table” cafe.

West Beach Resort

Only a five-minute drive from Eastsound and with an abundance of amenities, West Beach Resort is the perfect campground for visitors looking for a more all-inclusive camping experience. It’s also the only campground on Orcas Island with RV hook-ups (although you’ll have to head over to Moran State Park to use the dump station).

Sites are split equally between RV and tent sites, all tucked into a grove of shady trees just a few minutes’ walk from the beach. The campground is open year-round, but the shower house closes from November to early March, which is also where the flush toilets, dish washing station, and drinking water are located. In the winter, only vault toilets are available.

There’s never a dull moment at West Beach, with volleyball and badminton courts, ping-pong tables, kayaks, clamming on the beach, boat rentals for fishing and crabbing experiences, and complimentary beach bon-fire setups. Kayak tours leave right from the resort, and there’s a community bonfire every night. For only a few dollars, you can also buy a pass to soak in their hot tubs.

Camping on Lopez Island

Nicknamed the “Friendly Island,” residents on Lopez are considerably less jaded with tourists (certainly due to the fact that it gets a tiny fraction of the visitors as Orcas or San Juan Island) and will actually wave hello when you pass.

It doesn’t have as many attractions, but if you’re looking for a laid-back experience, camping on Lopez Island is where it’s at. It’s also quite a bit flatter than the other islands, making it a great choice if you want to cycle the San Juans.

Tiny Lopez Village is really the only commercial area on the island. Fortunately, it’s just a five-minute drive from either of the public campgrounds if you’re in need of supplies.

Odlin County Park

If you’re dreaming of beach camping on the San Juan Islands, Odlin County Park is one of your best options. Its 35 sites are strewn across Lopez Island’s north coast, just a mile from the ferry terminal and three miles from Lopez Village. About a third of the sites sit directly on the beach, and the others still have easy access to the water.

The park’s boat ramp is also a good point-in point for some excellent kayaking routes. From Odlin, the paddle to Flat Point is just a mile or so to the west, and Canoe Island and Shaw Island are about another mile farther across a narrow channel. There’s also about two miles of hiking trails to enjoy within the park.

There are, unfortunately, no showers here; to rinse off after a beach excursion, stop by the coin-op showers in the park across from the Lopez Village Market.

Spencer Spit State Park

Spencer Spit State Park is also on the north end of the island, about eight minutes from Lopez Village or the ferry terminal. It offers a few more amenities than nearby Odlin County Park (though still doesn’t have showers), including the only dump station on the island.

The park’s namesake spit is a large triangular sandbar that forms a saltwater lagoon surrounded by driftwood-laden beaches. The tip of the sandbar is only a few hundred feet from nearby Frost Island, which makes it a good put-in point for kayakers.

The Outdoor Adventure Center rents bicycles, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards at the park, and runs tours during the summer. If you’re bringing the kids along, there’s also a junior ranger program from the beginning of July until Labor Day with fun interpretive programs.

Lopez Islander Resort & Marina

This private campground is just one mile south of Lopez Village, making for an easy walk to the stores and restaurants in town. It’s also across the street from Fisherman’s Bay, the island’s protected harbor, offering an easy put-in and comfortable paddle for kayakers of any level. The resort rents both kayaks and bikes if you’re not traveling with yours.

In addition to the hotel rooms and vacation rentals at the resort, accommodations are a mix of tent and RV sites.It’s the only campground on the island to offer RV hook-ups (although you’ll have to go up to Spencer Spit State Park if you need the dump station). Reservations aren’t required for the unpowered tent sites, but it’s still a good idea to call and make one – there aren’t that many places to stay on Lopez Island, and you definitely don’t want to end up looking for last-minute accommodations.

What sets the resort apart from the public campgrounds on Lopez Island are its amenities. A heated swimming pool, bar, restaurant, and laundry facilities, along with showers and flush toilets, make this a good option if you want to ensure a stress-free experience.

Lopez Farm Cottages

Another private campground, Lopez Farm Cottages is just a short drive south of Odlin County Park and a few minutes north of Lopez Village. Most of the farm’s accommodations would be classified as a glamping experience, like cozy cottages and luxurious walled tents.

However, there are several basic sites for tent campers – no RVs allowed. Most of the sites are walk-in, but they provide a wagon for schlepping gear to the tent pad. A few others are drive-in and made to accommodate truck and van campers with no need for hook-ups.

However, tent and truck campers can get a taste of the farm’s luxury accommodations at the communal kitchenette, which has hot water, sinks, a microwave, and a wood-burning fireplace – not to mention open-air hot showers and flush toilets. There’s even a bocce ball where you might make some new friends.

The one slight downside of this charming spot is that it’s the only campground on Lopez Island that isn’t waterfront. But it’s just a couple minutes from Odlin County Park, where you can enjoy the beach, go swimming, or launch your kayak.

Camping on Shaw Island

By far the smallest and least developed of the ferry- accessible San Juan Islands, Shaw sees far fewer tourists than even nearby Lopez Island, and only around 200 residents live there full-time. Visitors come to Shaw for one reason, and one reason only: to get away from everyone else.

There’s no town to speak of, and the only business is a small general store near the ferry terminal; the rest of the island is private homes. So unless you have a friend here, you’re going to be camping on Shaw Island – there’s not even one quaint hotel or a single quirky Airbnb to book.

Shaw County Park

The county park is the only campground on Shaw Island, and be aware that it only allows trailers up to 20 feet. The campground is about a five-minute drive from the ferry terminal on the island’s south shore. Before heading over, though, be sure to stop at the Shaw General Store, as this is the only place to pick up supplies on the island.

The campground is fairly basic, with its only amenities being a couple of vault toilets, picnic tables, and drinking water during the summer. There are no public showers and no dump station anywhere else on Shaw Island, either. That simplicity is what draws campers to this little-visited island, though; not much else to do but lay on the beach a few feet from your campsite and take in the blissful solitude.

If you’re feeling adventurous and have your own kayak, Indian Cove is moderately-sheltered and a good paddle for those with some sea kayaking experience. Canoe Island is also only a short paddle away, though it’s privately-owned, so you aren’t allowed to land there.

More Camping in the San Juans Islands

There are literally hundreds of other islands in the San Juans, but San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw are the only ones accessible via the Washington State Ferry. To camp out on any of the others, you’ll need to go in your own boat or kayak, take a water taxi, or if you’re really feeling fancy, hop in a seaplane.

There are also no public facilities on these islands, which means packing all your food, firewood, and other necessities, possibly including drinking water and a camp toilet. Needless to say, it’s a more challenging camping experience.

However, if you’re an experienced kayaker, I strongly suggest checking out the Cascadia Marine Trail. The trail features dozens of free or low-cost campsites across many islands in the San Juans, which are only available to those arriving via their own maritime transportation. No reservations are needed, and paddlers cannot be turned away.

Map of San Juan Islands Campgrounds

Get a better idea of where each of the campgrounds on San Juan Island, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw are located, including in relation to the major towns and ferry terminals.

Click here for an interactive version of the map!

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