Sightseeing Around the San Juan Islands
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San Juan Island is well known for splendid vistas, saltwater shore, quiet woodlands and orca whales. But it was also here in 1859 that the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over a dead pig.

Atop the 2,409-foot-high Mt. Constitution, the highest point on the San Juan Islands, there stands a stone observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. The tower offers panoramic views of the surrounding islands, the Cascade Mountains and a variety of Canadian and American cities.

San Juan Island offers the most organized and developed visitor facilities, as well as the town and historic port of Friday Harbor. Come enjoy our islands and visit any of our ten parks located on San Juan, Lopez, Orcas and Shaw Island.

Lopez Island, historically the agricultural island, is relatively flat, open and pastoral, with four County day parks and one County camping park

Your exploration of Orcas Island may take you to the quaint hamlets of Deer Harbor, Westsound, Orcas and Olga. The commercial center of the island is Eastsound Village, on the north end of the island. The population is clustered in tiny havens where you'll find hand-crafted works of art created by island artisans, small restaurants, and espresso stands featuring locally roasted coffee.

In the Gallery of Whales you'll learn about the natural history of marine mammals, with a special focus on the orcas of J, K and L pods living in the waters of the San Juan Islands.

The San Juan Islands, located in the northwest corner of Washington State, are breathtaking gems on a gentle sea. Lime Kiln lighthouse is located on the west side of San Juan Island, the largest island of the archipelago. The lighthouse gets its name from the limekilns built nearby in the 1860s. Their remains can still be seen today, just north of the lighthouse. Lime Kiln tenderly watches over the whales and waterways of the entrance to Haro Strait, a major shipping route to Vancouver, British Columbia.

The first navigational aid on the point was a lens lantern established in 1888. A local contract keeper was hired to trim the wick and change the fuel tank weekly. Several five-gallon barrels of kerosene were brought to nearby Griffin Bay every couple of months by a lighthouse tender. The modern thirty-four-foot, octagonal, concrete tower on Cattle Point was erected in 1935. The lighthouse is located within the Cattle Point Interpretive Area.

The purpose of the San Juan Historical Society and its museum is to share and interpret the story of the peoples of San Juan Island. The Historical Society will assemble, collect, preserve, exhibit and make available for future generations historical data, information and artifacts which illustrate the heritage of San Juan Island. Collections, programs and publications will provide for the enjoyment and education of residents and visitors.

The trails throughout the Reserve are interspersed with interpretative displays about nature and a rotating exhibit of over 100 sculptures, creating an outdoor museum for all ages. Sculptures include works in bronze, stone, wood, metal, glass and ceramic by noted artists from the Pacific Northwest.

Hikes in and around San Juan Islands.