The San Juan Islands are a chain of islands about 100 miles north of Seattle. Despite their proximity to the city, they are surprisingly remote.

I learned about the tourist destination a few years ago when I was looking through bicycle travel opportunities. Since then, I’ve been to the islands multiple times. The weather on the islands is about as opposite as one can find from my home in the Sonoran Desert.

The San Juans are an underrated and easily accessible destination from the Phoenix metropolitan area. It’s only a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Sky Harbor to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (commonly referred to as SeaTac). Then, it’s about a two-hour drive to Anacortes.

Most people get to the islands from Anacortes by ferry. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) provides regular ferry services to four of the islands every day. Most vessels can carry cars and trucks, along with passengers. The ferries can be easy to use, but you must be prepared.

It’s important to visit WSDOT’s website and read all of the information about riding the ferries. There is little room for error. Plus, things can change.

Ferry Reservations are Essential for Vehicles

If you’re planning to bring a vehicle onboard a ferry, you should have reservations. Technically, stand-by is offered, but I absolutely would not recommend it.

WSDOT opens the ferry schedules just ahead of the season. Drivers can create an account and easily book vehicle spots online through their website (Link: WA State Ferries Vehicle Reservations). During the reservation process, you select the length and height of your vehicle, as well as your scheduled sailing time.

Then, you pay a nominal deposit to reserve the space. The deposit also serves as a no-show fee. The fee you pay ahead of time is not the actual fare. 

Once you arrive for the reservation, an attendant at the fare booth will charge the actual amount. A friend and I just took the ferry last weekend. It was surprisingly expensive. Our round-trip fare to Lopez Island for a Toyota Corolla with 2 passengers was $73.35!

Another important consideration is that, in order to load your vehicle onto the ferry, you need to arrive 45-60 minutes before your scheduled sailing time. The WSDOT website says they can give away your reserved space 30 minutes before sailing. 

All of this is subject to change at any time so it’s important that you check their website for current information. 

Beware of First-Come-First-Serve Ferries

On my last trip, we sailed from Anacortes to Lopez Island on a Saturday morning. Since WSDOT does not offer reservations for the return trip to Anacortes, we assumed that ferry availability would not be an issue.

This was absolutely not the case. 

A solid line of cars was at the ferry terminal as we disembarked on Lopez Island. With the window down, we drove past a continuous line of automobiles which snaked up the wooded two-lane road.

A woman began honking and emerged from a vehicle headed the opposite direction. She began yelling at a young driver in a dark blue Mini Cooper convertible. The Mini had clearly tried to cut in line to get space on the ferry.

Defeated, the Mini driver turned the vehicle around and drove to the back of the line. Other drivers began congratulating the woman who confronted her.

It was not the “island vibe” that we expected. 

We casually explored the island’s backroads over the next hour before heading to grab lunch. Our plan was to get ramen or something else in the island’s quaint downtown. However, we somehow missed the downtown area completely and arrived at the ferry terminal.

Despite being hours away from the next ferry, it was obvious that the line of waiting vehicles already exceeded the next boat’s 20 vehicle allotment. People had set up picnics, games, and shade shelters next to vehicles. We watched as other people dropped off their vehicle in line, then got into another waiting vehicle to leave for lunch. 

Our Corolla was clearly not going to be on this next ferry back to Anacortes.

To make matters worse, my friend and I both had no cell service with Verizon on the island. Our phones were on “SOS” mode.

We wondered how late we would be stuck on the quiet island. Lopez Island has no services at the ferry terminal besides a vending machine, porta-potties, and a little shack for waiting in the wintertime. The entire island only has a few restaurants with limited hours. 

Fortunately, my friend realized there were two other ferry lanes which said payment was needed. These two lanes were not headed to Anacortes, but, rather, Friday Harbor. One of these vehicles was a tractor-trailer truck with a refrigerated trailer. This was a promising sign. 

We reviewed the printed ferry schedule and then chatted with the ferry attendant. He was helpful, but noncommittal on whether this alternate route would be better.

Ultimately, we decided to buy a new ferry pass to go to Friday Harbor, get food, and re-evaluate. This ended up being the correct decision.

Once we arrived at Friday Harbor, we had cellular service, and we were able to reserve a space on the late-night ferry from Friday Harbor to Anacortes. All the ferries until then were sold out, but at least we could book a spot on this boat. There were also things to do in Friday Harbor.

My takeaway from this ordeal was that, if you don’t have a reservation, assume you might not be able to board any particular ferry during the summer. 

Consider Leaving Your Car in Anacortes

If possible, leave the car on the mainland. The town of Friday Harbor is directly at the ferry terminal. There are plenty of restaurant options, as well as hotels and a grocery store. Walking onto the ferry limits your options on the island, but it dramatically simplifies the experience.

Bicyclists can also expect an easier trip abord the ferry. My wife and I had a great experience on a past trip when we rented an electric bicycle (eBike) from nearby Discovery Adventure Tours (Link: Discovery Adventure Tours). We used that eBike to explore the islands.

eBiking on Lopez Island dramatically reduced the amount of drama involved with taking the ferry.

It’s important to know that Orcas Island is very hilly, which can be challenging for bicyclists. Similarly, since Lopez Island has no services at the ferry terminal, this makes it tough for walk-on passengers. 

I have no experience with taxi or shuttle services on the islands, so I can’t speak about their availability. 

Are the ferries a logistical nightmare or a picturesque dreamscape?

Yes.

Riding the WSDOT ferries in the San Juan Islands can be an amazing experience. On my trips, I’ve seen wildlife, seaplanes, schooners, and picturesque islands. It’s hard to explain how a region so close to Seattle can feel so remote. 

In my opinion, it’s absolutely worth visiting the islands if you are willing to plan ahead. If you try to make it up as you go and do things at the last minute, this can easily become a horrible experience.