The San Juan Islands, Washington

The San Juan Islands are located in the very north western corner of the contiguous United States and

nestle in between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, over the border in Canada. This archipelago

belongs to the state of Washington and is around 65 miles to the north of Seattle. Interestingly, while

Seattle is famous for its rain, the San Juan islands receive a lot less precipitation that that city to the south

because they are in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains which dominate the landscape to their

south west.

However, the weather here is by no means balmy. Snow is infrequent in winter, especially at lower

elevations, and yet there is often a bitter wind which can lead to brief periods of freezing conditions and

Arctic-like wind chill. Still, especially in the summer months these islands are a popular tourist

destination and temperatures will average around 21 degrees Celsius, allowing the many people who visit

this beautiful part of the world to enjoy outdoors recreation.

There are actually over 400 islands and rocky islets in the archipelago, though only 128 of these are

named. Most people who visit these islands will take the Washington State Ferries and end up on Lopez

Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island or San Juan Island. Islands served by cruise charter services include

also Eliza Island, Sinclair Island and Blakely Island. You can get to all the other San Juan Islands if you

feel so inclined by taking a high speed water taxi offered by private businesses. Small planes also fly to

several of the San Juan Islands.

Most of the San Juan islands are quite hilly and offer a varied and undulating landscape and rugged

shorelines which are of much interest to nature lovers, wildlife watchers, artists and photographers. The

tallest peak on the archipelago is Mount Constitution which you will find on Orcas Island. The diverse

coastline of the islands offers sandy beaches and rocky ones, calm, deep harbours and shallow, reef-

strewn bays. Inland, much of the islands is densely forested with evergreen trees such as fir and pine as

well as the beautiful ochre-barked madrona trees.

Amongst the varied wildlife to be found on the islands and around them is a famous resident pod of orcas,

just one of the many marine species to be admired in this location. Amongst a rich and varied bird

population, the islands are home to the highest concentration of bald eagles anywhere in the continental

United States. There are plenty of wildlife spectacles to see here both on land and above and below the

water.

For adventure seekers, the San Juan islands are ripe for exploration. Sea kayaking is just one of the

popular active outdoor pursuits that are enjoyed here. You could also go hiking or biking, or perhaps take

in the beautiful scenery from the back of a horse. There is also plenty for those interested in history, and

you can discover much about early Coast Salish settlements and the continuing development of the

culture and character of the islands. Eat local food, have fun and relax on a visit to the wonderful San

Juan Islands. TraveleZe