• Discover boat-in spots from Sucia’s anchorages to the trails of Stuart and Jones Island
• Experience the Islands
• Visit bustling Friday and Roche Harbors
• Find serene, secret coves • Your adventure begins now!
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What are the best anchorages, marinas, and places to visit when cruising the San Juan Islands?
This cruising guide to the San Juan Islands highlights popular anchorages, marinas, and public docks for visiting boaters. Stops include Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor, Deer Harbor, and smaller public docks throughout the islands. The guide also points to hiking trails, shore activities, and planning resources to help boaters choose destinations for a relaxed San Juan Islands cruise.
Planning a boating trip to the San Juan Islands?
Whether you're sailing a trailerable sloop, motoring a
pocket trawler, paddling a kayak, or even pedaling a bicycle, this is a good time and place to start planning your next island outing.
Popular Harbors, moorages, and Stops in the San Juan Islands
Cruising the San Juan Islands usually includes a mix of lively harbors and quiet anchorages. Friday Harbor offers fuel, groceries, and restaurants, while Roche Harbor combines a marina with a historic resort setting. Smaller stops such as Deer Harbor and public docks around the islands provide quieter access to hiking trails, kayaking areas, and scenic coves.
What
are the best things to do in the San Juan Islands by boat?
San
Juan Islands boat activities offer
access to wildlife viewing, fishing, marine parks, scenic sailing, and shoreline
activities not reachable by car. This guide highlights top things to do,
including visiting Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor, and remote parks like Sucia, and Stuart Islands, plus kayaking, hiking, and exploring quiet coves.
The best way to experience the San Juan Islands by boat is to chart your own course.
The Islands are a world apart, yet remarkably
accessible. When you're pulling into a moorage aboard your boat, or arriving via
a Washington State Ferry, the islands welcome you and offer something for every
explorer. From charming towns and marine
parks to farmers' markets and whale watching,there’s no shortage of
memorable experiences.A San Juan Islands vacation is a true gem and rich
with adventure.
Must-See San Juan Islands Highlights
(and There’s More Waiting)
You’ll find dozens more ideas throughout this website.
What is a good nine-day itinerary for cruising the San Juan Islands?
A good nine-day San Juan Islands itinerary includes a mix of marine
parks, scenic anchorages, and moorages such as Friday Harbor and Roche
Harbor.Matia Island, Sucia Island, and Jones Island are popular stops.
This extended cruising plan allows time for hiking, exploring, and adjusting
routes based on weather and currents rather than rushing between destinations.
Suggested Itineraries for a first-time boat trip to the
San Juan Islands
(Updated (2014) alternate itinerary with Echo Bay and Sucia Island as 1st stop)
Friday Harbor is just one of many places where cruisers can access towns and shore amenities. For more options, see our list of public-use docks around the San Juan Islands.“public-use docks around the San Juan Islands”
How do you plan an unforgettable San Juan Islands cruise?
Planning an unforgettable San Juan Islands cruise is easier than most people think. It starts by setting a firm date, choosing a launch point, and keeping your itinerary flexible. Popular starting locations include Cornet Bay, Squalicum Harbor, and Washington Park, with routes shaped by tides, weather, and interests. Allow time for parks, harbors, and spontaneous stops to make the trip memorable.
Embarking on any adventure begins with making a firm decision to go and setting the date. Follow these easy steps for the boat trip of a lifetime.
Washington Park ramp
1.Setting
the Perfect Date:
Choosing the right time for your trip requires careful
consideration. We have traveled throughout the San Juans from early spring to
late fall, and each month offers a unique experience. July and August offer the
best weather and blooming flowers but also attract the most visitors. May and
June may bring cooler and wetter days, but they also offer excellent sailing
winds and the chance to see newborn fawns. September and October may bring
foggy days, especially near Deception Pass and the Strait of Juan De Fuca, but
you might be rewarded with fewer crowds and wonderful weather. Keep in mind
that early spring and late fall may find some businesses and parks closed or
partially operational. It's essential to make inquiries to ensure it doesn't
affect your plans.
2.Where
to Start:
The answer to this question varies for each boater, but there are a
few common options. If you're coming by boat from Seattle or the Puget Sound
area, you'll need to go around Whidbey Island through either Admiralty Inlet
and Port Townsend or Deception Pass. Many skippers prefer Deception Pass due to
calmer waters and no commercial shipping. The Deception Pass route also allows
for a visit to Cornet Bay or a detour through Swinomish Channel to explore La
Conner and Anacortes. Although Port Townsend is an option. Personally, I
recommend choosing La Conner or Cornet Bay.
3.Trailering
Boat Arrival Options:
Most boaters arrive with their boats on trailers. To find
suitable ramps for launching, you can refer to this comprehensive list: (http://www.sailingthesanjuans.com/p/taking-your-boat-for-camping-vacation.html).
However, only three ramps are typically preferred: Squalicum Harbor in
Bellingham, Cornet Bay at Deception Pass Park, and Washington Park in
Anacortes. Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes offers a travel lift hoist but no
ramp. Washington Park is the closest to the San Juans and allows for a quick
start, but parking may be limited during peak times. Parking at Cornet Bay and
Squalicum Harbor is always readily available. We have utilized all three ramps
multiple times, and our choice depends on our destination and who accompanies
us. Sometimes, dropping off children at Washington Park is convenient if they
need to return home early. Personally, I enjoy the Deception Pass area, so if
our agenda is clear, Cornet Bay is our preferred choice. Note: I do not
recommend taking a ferry to the islands with plans to launch at any of the
county ramps. The ramps are inferior, and most don't allow overnight parking.
An exception may be small skiffs or kayakers.
4.Rest
After Travel:
If you've traveled a long distance and then rigged and splashed
the boat, chances are you are exhausted, and it is getting late. It's advisable
to spend the first night at a nearby dock or location. Both Cornet Bay and
Squalicum Harbor offer transient docks next to the launch ramps. Note that
Washington Park only offers a launch dock and is not suitable for overnight
stays. Anchoring out front in exposed Guemes Channel, while very doable, will
not be much fun due to the many wakes. Nearby welcoming places like James's
Island, Cypress Head, or Saddlebag Island, located about four miles away, offer
great options depending on your route. Keep in mind that anchoring requires a
dinghy to reach the shore. Alternatively, last summer, we tried inflatable
paddleboards instead of a dinghy, but their usefulness as a full-time dinghy
substitute is still uncertain.
5.Planning
Your Itinerary:
Your itinerary doesn't have to be rigid, with specific stops
for each minute or day. It's more enjoyable to have a rough idea and a list of
preferred stops. For example, you might want to have a late lunch and buy ice
and groceries at Friday Harbor, but you can do the same at Lopez Village, Roche
Harbor, or Eastsound. Consider visiting stores when your ice melts on day two
or three and take the opportunity to enjoy a hot shower. Most villages and
marinas offer groceries, fuel, and shower facilities. Don't worry about being
turned away as ample anchorage is available throughout the islands. Consider
saving fuel and time by following a great circle route and avoiding
backtracking. Visit the outer points early while you still have ice and snacks,
and then recharge in the villages. Allowing seven days for your trip is ideal,
as anything less might feel rushed, while more time will be well spent.
6.Additional
Excursions:
Don't miss out on Butchart Gardens and Victoria; both can be
day-only overnight additions to your San Juan Islands trip. While
reservations aren't necessary, make sure to carry your passports for re-entry
into the US.
7.Easy Five Island - Ten Stopover Itinerary:
Day 1: Launch at Cornet Bay in Deception Pass Park, spend the night at the transient dock.
Day 2: Run to Jones Island, spend the night at anchor or dock.
Day 3: Run to English Camp, hike up Young Hill, have lunch at Roche Harbor, and return to Jones.
Day 4: Run to Friday Harbor, have lunch and showers, buy groceries, and return to Jones.
Day 5: Run to Stuart, hike to the lighthouse, and dock or anchor for the night.
Day 6: Run to Sucia, anchor or dock for the night in Fossil Bay, and hike to China Caves and Ewing Cove.
Day 7: Swing by Pelican Beach On Cypress and/or Saddlebag Island for a short hike.
Then run through Swinomish Channel, have lunch at La Conner, and arrive in time for a beautiful Sunset back at Deception Pass, spend the last night at the Cornet Bay dock.
By
following these guidelines, you'll be well-prepared to embark on an
unforgettable boat trip through the stunning San Juan Islands. Enjoy the
breathtaking beauty and create lasting memories. Most of all, you will
have fun.
If you really want to take advantage of tides and currents, consider this guide
Where are boat ramps, docks, and marine parks located in the San Juan Islands?
This San Juan Islands map shows the locations of key boat ramps, public docks, and marine parks used by cruisers. Ramps are primarily on the mainland at Washington Park, Deception Pass, and Squalicum Harbor, while docks and parks are spread throughout the islands, helping boaters quickly plan launch points, routes, and overnight stops. Most boaters launch from the mainland, not from within the islands.
Map of the San Juan Island Area
With selected Parks, Docks, and Trailer Boat Ramps
• Boat Ramps = Purple • Parks = Red• Docks = Green
How to Use This Map for Trip Planning
Boat ramps (purple), docks (green), and parks (red) are arranged to help visualize routes and stopovers. Most reliable launch ramps are on the mainland, while island locations focus on docking and anchoring. This layout allows boaters to plan efficient routes without backtracking or relying on limited island launch facilities.
Most docks (floats) are in parks, resorts, marinas and may be used for overnight camping.
Boat launching ramps have long-term parking. Parks without docks have anchor buoys or areas suitable for anchoring.
The facilities listed, are in my opinion, most useful for cruisers, which means lots of private resorts are not shown because they don't cater to transient boaters.
Click on the picture and then enlarge it to see dot colors better!
Note on trip planning:
I don't recommend taking your boat on a ferry and launching somewhere in the islands. However if you must, there are county ramps on all four islands served by the ferries except Shaw. Many private resorts have ramps but they are inferior at best, nonfunctional at worst. The one exception is Jackson Beach Park (Port of Friday Harbor) near Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Jackson has a good double ramp and float and you can park for free up to 72 hours.
The mainland ramps I recommend are Washington Park, Deception Pass Park or Squalicum Harbor (#1 choice most trips is Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham)
What is a good place to begin a boat trip to the parks of the San Juan Islands?
There are three choices for where to launch:
Cornet Bay in Deception Pass Park
Washington Park in Anacortes
Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham
Matia Island
This post is written to help new cruisers headed to the San Juan's needing the same simple answers we needed.
From time to time, I refresh my thinking and remember our first visit nearly thirty years ago. Specifically, what a pain it was not knowing the simplest answers to questions we take for granted today.
I define the San Juan cruising area not by county or even country, but rather by places we want to visit and spend some time. But that also means, places we have the capability to get to without too much effort or time. So that being stated, I think of Port Townsend and Deception Pass Park (Cornet Bay), and Swinomish Channel as our loosely defined southern boundary. I think of Vancouver BC and Nanaimo as our northern most point, and everything in between Vancouver Island and the mainland completing the east west box. Keep in mind, with a day or two extra, you can run down to Olympia or up to Princess Louisa Inlet.
For this discussion, we are sticking to the
core San Juan Island area and what you need to get there.
You need a boat, but you can rent a sail or powerboat in Anacortes or Bellingham if you prefer, and it doesn't take much experience to qualify.
Size matters? yes and no. Bigger is more comfy, costly and feels imminently safer in a storm. As size goes up, so do your skill requirements. Once past about thirty five feet you will find you don't fit at some docks and fuel burns at over twenty five gallons an hour. Smaller is better at times. Eighteen foot ski and fishing boats or day sailors are very easy to get in and out at virtually all places but with all your food and gear, you could be crowded on board. When packing and provisioning, be honest and admit you don't really need all that stuff you take car camping. Above all, don't let your lack of a perfect boat cause you not to go. Take what you have, you can make it work.
Bring a dinghy, even a two person inflatable kayak is okay. You need a way to get to shore where there are no docks. You don't have to carry the dinghy on board, you can tow it everywhere you go. Yes you can beach your runabout and let the tide leave you dry on a beach but bringing a dinghy is so much easier. (update 2025) Lately we have seen inflatable paddle boards used as dinghys and we have done it ourselves so we know they work.
Sleep on board, at anchor, at the dock, or in the many park campgrounds. (there are about twenty marine campgrounds, you can camp at a different park every night) If preferred, you can spend every night at a marina or resort and sleep on shore.
The best weather will be in July and August, but the shoulder seasons have less people and okay weather too.
I suggest you plan a week, but you can make a weekend work. If you have a comfortable all weather boat, spend the summer.
If you rent, don't forget you have to park your car(s) If you trailer, plan on a daily parking fee of around $12. (Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham is free, even long term) Call harbormaster for current rules.
See this posting for launch ramps. ---launch ramps with long term parking This is probably the only real planning decision you need to make before you go, but we have changed our planned take off point as we drove up the highway. Do not start your San Juan cruise down south in Olympia, Seattle or Everett or Port Townsend or Port Angeles. If you do you will spend much of your time motoring long distances (both ways) My advice is to start in Bellingham or Anacortes using one of the ramps from the list above.
You need with you on the boat, a chart, or you will get lost, count on it. You should have a list of parks, marinas and resources preferably marked on your navigation chart. Get this chart. Noaa # 18421 - We use noaa chart # 18421 you can see it by clicking here or anywhere charts are sold. Navigation charts do not show what's on shore, (roads, city's, marinas, parks, etc) so we carry a highway map as well.
Don't run out and buy an expensive chart plotter. At minimum, you need a paper chart, a portable GPS and a compass, your smart phone will probably do. All boats need a depth sounder or you are risking an expensive grounding.
Sample itinerary: #1. Begin at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham (open 24/7).
2. Head for Friday Harbor and get a slip for your first night or every night (they take reservations).
3. Use Friday Harbor as your base, returning every night to your own slip with power, water, restrooms, on shore restaurants and entertainment.
This plan will work for virtually all boaters regardless of gear, experience or creature comfort requirements. None of the Marine State Parks have reserve-able docks or anchor buoys, everything is first come first gets it. This means you should plan on anchoring and using your dinghy, it also means when someone pulls out you may grab the spot at the dock. Rafting is the term used when several boats tie together at anchor or the dock.
Sample itinerary: #2. Begin at Squalicum again but this time head for Matia or Sucia.
Tie up to the dock at Fossil Bay (Sucia) or anchor. Sleep on the boat or camp on shore.
Next, Jump over to Stuart, repeat and then Roche Harbor or Jones, then to Friday Harbor, then Fisherman Bay. This itinerary will make sure you have a shower and food store available (Roche and Friday) when you really need and want both.
Fuel is readily available but you should try to have a minimum range of seventy five miles just to be sure should you encounter adverse conditions.
How many days you spend at each park is up to you, your car and trailer will be waiting in the free parking lot when you circle back to Bellingham.
You can do exactly the same cruise, but begin at Washington Park or Deception Pass (Cornet Bay) and perhaps change the order.
Search this website for other suggested itineraries. The possibilities are endless.
Get my San Juan Islands Cruise Guide, it has all the parks,
marinas, fuel, resources, phone numbers.
The guide is written specifically for visitors coming by boat. The companion book, the San Juan Islands Travel Guide is written for visitors coming by car.
Don't be cheap, the books cost less than a meal and will pay for themselves in saved frustration, making your cruise a real success.
Lastly, I can't address everything you may want or need to know in a single post, so I suggest you search this site and read some more articles. There are several with detailed day by day itineraries. Next, after becoming more knowledgeable about what and where you want to go and do, set aside a week and go. It really is that easy. The central cruising area is small enough that you can completely change your plans on the fly. You don't need reservations, you don't need a plan, you don't even need to bring food, just grab your gear and boat and hit the road. OH - bring some cash or plastic for, fuel and park fees and that food I just said you don't need.
If you happen to see us on Kraken somewhere, please say hello. We hope to be anchored in Fisherman Bay for the Lopez Island 4th of July fireworks show.
Feel free to use the e-mail contact form with your questions
One of the reasons we go to the San Juan's is to see the Killer Whales.
Except more often than not we are in the wrong spot and only get to see snooty seals. Probably the same ones we see every year.
Fear not! You can get in plenty of trouble interfering with any marine mammal you choose.
So even if you miss out on the orca sighting of a lifetime, you still have a chance at getting a big fine levied on you for messing with their smaller cousins.
With just a little online research, I came up with these rules for whale watching.
Keep in mind that new regulations and changes to existing laws happen all the time, and my interpretation is likely flawed.
You know of course, that you are not allowed to bring your boat closer than 200 yards
(that's about the length of two football fields end to end) of a southern resident whale. Which begs the question, how does one know if it's a resident, let alone from the south? What I knew once, but forgot, was that you are required to put your transmission in neutral if you find your self inside the 200 yd limit.
You are not allowed to position your boat, (and this includes kayaks, rafts, dinghy's, etc.) so that you intersect with a whale coming towards you. The rule is 400 yards ( that's about a quarter mile )
So if I understand correctly, when whale watching,
you can hang around as long as you're two football fields away, but if they come at you because you cleverly set it up by getting in their way, you may get a $1,025 fine. Plus you may unwittingly get yourself in trouble for not putting the motor in neutral when they approach closer than 200 yards. So all you kayakers, lift your paddles I guess.
This means you are not supposed to turn tail and run away when you get too close, but stay put in neutral until the Orca has swam outside the 200 yard radius. This sounds silly at first, but I think the logic is that others may be nearby that you can't see, and your spinning prop is a danger to them.
Now for seals or any cute marine mammals:
It's not legal to feed, harass, handle, jeer, taunt, or make fun of them, and this includes lost or abandoned pups. Fines may reach $11,000, jail time, and losing the boat. Ouch.
My last words of warning:
Enforcement or compliance is a subjective thing, this means you might disagree with the grounds for your arrest or citation.
To be safe, keep back a fair distance, and don't feed the non-human animals that hang around your boat.
Happy whale watching!
And for gosh sake, have some fun!
BTW. We have seen large groups of Orcas in Rosario Strait off of James Island and in Haro Strait off of Lime Kiln, which tells me they circle the San Juan's.
Click below to see a satellite view of Whale Watch Park (Lime Kiln Park)
Who can resist a headline stating "Good News" or is it the bad news part that draws us in?
No matter. The good news is that anchoring is still free, the other news is that Washington State Park fees for boaters have gone up.
The reported new fee for using park buoys is $15 per night. Staying at the float has been increased to 70 cents per foot. So your 30' mega yacht is now $21 per night.
On this subject, you may remember an old post where I pondered float etiquette - Case #1 - a 30' boat hogs the middle of a 50' float leaving no room for other boats, should he pay for 50' or 30'? Case #2 - the same 30' boat scoots way down and hangs over the end leaving room for more boats, should he be rewarded and only pay for the 20' he uses? Case #3 - and we all know the answer to this one - do you include the bowsprit, swim step, and dinghy davits or go with the much smaller boat length stated by the boat builder, come on be honest, no one is watching.
Other thoughts on fees: Park fees are a very small part of our overall boating experience, and yet provide us with tremendous benefits. The Washington marine parks are top-notch. Why wouldn't you want to support them?
Click below for a satellite view of Blakely's and Peavine Pass
