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Have you given up on the San Juan Islands because of the ferries, the crowds and the steep overnight lodging rates? Not so fast. If you haven’t visited in a while, let me assure you: Lopez Island has not suddenly transformed into Nantucket.
Our gorgeous San Juans are as laid-back and charming as ever, especially if you know when to go and where to find the best deals.
My budget-conscious family boards a ferry to the San Juans about once a year, a pilgrimage to emerald isles that immerses our son in Northwest nature and gently nudges him to slow down to the pace of “island time.”
Even the one-hour ferry crossing (which you can reserve) is an adventure for kids as you can spot many different types of sea life, from cormorants to orcas to harbor seals. Once on the islands, pebbly beaches invite our son to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes: skipping rocks. And clear, dark skies away from city lights are perfect for stargazing.
At the end of this article, find our tips for saving money and skipping the hassle on your jaunt to the kid-friendly San Juan Islands.
Orcas Island
The largest of the San Juan Islands, Orcas is about 60 square miles, but you can cover the main roads by car in just a few hours. That is, unless you’re like me and pull over every time you see a sign that reads “berries” or “pottery.”
This pastoral island is patchworked with swatches of farmland, pockets of forest and small island villages. Orcas Island falls short on public beach access, though this con is made up for by a very big pro: massive Moran State Park, with its two freshwater lakes and very own mountain. Hike (or drive) to the top of Mount Constitution to get a view of the surrounding straits. You have to see it to believe it.
Things to do on Orcas Island
Ramble up a lush forested hill on Turtleback Mountain, or circle Mountain Lake at Moran State Park (a Discover Pass is required to park). Much of the island is made up of small family-run farms, and you’ll find that many of them are open (with alpacas to pet) on weekends, selling eggs, fruit and pottery (see the list of local farms).
All these farms convene at the Orcas Island Farmers Market on summer Saturdays, May–September. The Funhouse Commons (30 Pea Patch Ln.) is an activity center for kids and families; check the website for current programs.
Lodging on Orcas Island
A longtime favorite place to lodge is Doe Bay Resort, on the island’s far eastern shore. No longer the hippie haven it once was, Doe Bay still has plenty of counterculture vibe and organic charm (yes, those famous clothing-optional hot tubs). Accommodations include cabins with kitchenettes, off-the-grid yurts and campsites. The seasonal menu served by the on-site Doe Bay Café is tasty enough for foodies, yet accommodating for small picky eaters.
After the acquisition of a neighboring inn, Rosario Resort has more affordable accommodation options, with harborside rooms, kitchen suites (a major bonus for my family) and spacious decks, located right on the shores of Cascade Bay. Outlook Inn, in downtown Eastsound, offers a variety of choices for families, from suites with harbor views to European-style rooms with shared bathrooms.
Nearby Moran State Park boasts the cheapest sleeps on Orcas: lakefront campsites just steps from a swimming beach and hiking trails.
Restaurants on Orcas Island
You’ll find a small selection of restaurants in Eastsound with options to suit all families. We love the New Leaf Café at Outlook Inn for its French-inspired breakfast and the perfect cup of coffee, followed by a morning spent browsing Darvill’s Bookstore and its wonderful collection of children’s books across the street. For a quick espresso drink and artisan-baked croissant, hit up Brown Bear Baking.
San Juan Island
San Juan Island is the easiest of the islands to visit without a car, thanks to the tourist-friendly town of Friday Harbor. Disembark from the ferry and you’re smack-dab in the middle of bustling restaurants, good hotels and indie boutiques. Bring your car if you wish to explore the island’s unique rural beauty beyond Friday Harbor, including bucolic alpaca farms, some awesome coastal parks, and a cool sculpture park home to 150 unique outdoor art creations by world-renowned sculptors. Alternatively, you can get around via San Juan Transit, where an all-day pass will cost you $30 (kids 5 and ride younger).
Things to do on San Juan Island
Take a hike! Kids will love exploring the tide pools and interpretive nature trails at San Juan Island National Historical Park. On the island’s west shore, Lime Kiln Point State Park is known as a great spot to watch for passing orcas — more plentiful in summer — and it also boasts 1.6 miles of hiking trails through a hillside forested with madrone trees. Kids can learn all about amazing orcas at The Whale Museum.
On the south end of San Juan Island sits my family’s favorite spot: a bluff-top prairie called American Camp — the former home of U.S. soldiers during the U.S./British occupation of the mid-1800s. The visitor center is open Thursday–Tuesday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The center has books and guides to island history and wildlife, and offers nature and history walks (on weekends, June through August) led by local rangers. Keep an eye out for the special wildlife that calls these grasslands home, such as the red fox, European hare and vesper sparrow.
Lodging on San Juan Island
The best value for families is to book a hotel-style room at Discovery Inn. For a bit of modernist flair, book a room or suite with a kitchenette at Earthbox Inn & Spa in downtown Friday Harbor, a refurbished motor inn with an on-site spa and indoor pool.
For a splurge, the cute historic cottages at Roche Harbor Resort hail from the 1890s and sit right on the harbor shore. On a recent stay here, we loved having two nice-sized bedrooms and a full kitchen stocked with all the necessary cooking supplies, saving us cash from eating out. The best seat in the house is on the cottage’s front porch for morning coffee and watching the evening sun set over the water.
Lakedale Resort offers a family glamping option: wood-floored canvas tent cabins scattered in the woods along a freshwater lake, fully furnished to sleep four. Public campsites are scarce on San Juan Island, but if you’re lucky, you can reserve one with a killer view at San Juan County Park.
Restaurants on San Juan Island
Pick up some gourmet picnic fare at The Market Chef, maker of artisan sandwiches and healthy salads. Stop in at Van Go’s Pizza for delicious thin-crust pizzas the whole family will love, from good ol’ pepperoni to prosciutto and pear.
Lopez Island
Just a 45-minute ferry ride from Anacortes you’ll find the quiet coves and driftwood-strewn beaches of friendly Lopez Island. The flattest of the main islands, Lopez features quiet country roads that crisscross family farms and peaceful pastureland; they seem made for riding — bicycles, that is. Got a whole family of pedal pushers? You can even walk your bikes onto the ferry in Anacortes and leave the family car behind, or rent them at Village Cycles. The island’s only settlement is tiny Lopez Village, comprising a few short streets lined with cafés and a grocery store. Most of the berry farms, public beaches and restaurants are scattered throughout the island.
Things to do on Lopez Island
Explore tide pools on the island’s west shore at Shark Reef Sanctuary. A 10-minute hike through beautiful woods leads to a rocky outcrop dotted with twisted madrone trees and the most incredible view of the Salish Sea. On a visit at low tide, we were serenaded by boisterous barking from the rocks just offshore as dozens of seals were sunning themselves, as seals do. My son enjoyed the wind on his face as he counted the seals through binoculars, and watched as pups competed for prime real estate on the rocks.
Rent kayaks or take a guided paddle around a sheltered bay with Lopez Island Sea Kayak, located on Fisherman Bay.
Lodging on Lopez Island
Lopez has just a few lodging options. Lopez Islander Resort is a no-frills place tailor-made for families on vacation, with basic rooms that look out to the marina and sheltered bay, perfect for a child’s first kayak paddle. There’s also an on-site restaurant with local fare like steamed clams and pan-fried oysters, and a swimming pool.
Families with tents will love both the forested and waterfront campsites at Spencer Spit State Park. Another find is Odlin County Park, located a mile from the ferry terminal and featuring waterfront campsites and beach access. Reserve ahead of time.
Restaurants on Lopez Island
Get your caffeine fix where the locals get theirs — at the funky shack known as Isabel’s Espresso (308 Lopez Rd.). You can take in the view while sipping your mocha (or hot chocolate for the kiddos) from a wraparound porch.
Haven Kitchen & Bar (9 Old Post Rd.) offers casual sophistication in the heart of Lopez Island. It serves locally grown, delicious food (with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options) in a casual, welcoming atmosphere. Kids will love the cozy patio and the Tater Tots!
When you need a sweet treat, next door is the Lopez Island Creamery, featuring all-natural gourmet ice cream. Pick up a pint, an ice cream sandwich or a chocolate-dipped cone, then take your treats to the public beach access down the stairs at the end of the parking lot. (Pro tip: You can also visit the new Lopez Island Creamery factory store in Anacortes!)
Be sure to stop by the Lopez Island Farmers Market on Saturdays (10 a.m.–2 p.m., May–September in Lopez Village) to stock up on fixings for your picnic on the beach at Odlin County Park.
Guemes Island
Haven’t heard of Guemes Island? Neither have most travelers bound for the San Juans, and that’s exactly why this small, quiet escape might just be the perfect choice. Pack all the food you’ll need, sturdy shoes for beachcombing, and ingredients to make s’mores over a bonfire, and you’re all set. Aside from leisurely walks on pebble beaches and playing board games on the cabin porch, there’s not much to do on this rural island, and that’s the point. Bring the bikes, though, for the island’s quiet roads are perfect for family bike rides.
Getting to Guemes
The island is accessible only by boat, but there is a ferry. The Guemes Island Ferry (operated by Skagit County) leaves from Anacortes and crosses the water in just five minutes. There are several departures each day, and the boat carries both passengers and vehicles. Long ferry lines are rare. An adult ticket is $8.50, youth 18 and younger ride free — much cheaper than the ferry to the larger islands.
Things to do on Guemes
Hike up the 1-mile trail to the top of Guemes Mountain for incredible views of nearby islands, ocean straits, the Skagit River delta and the jagged peaks of the North Cascades. Got your app ready? Guemes is a Pokémon Go hot spot. The Guemes Island Resort has kayaks available for guests, and on calm days you can’t beat a gentle paddle across the bay to Jack Island and back (2 miles round trip).
Lodging on Guemes
Your lodging choices are limited but good. Stay at the island’s only resort or rent a vacation home.
The family-friendly Guemes Island Resort (on the island’s northeast side, adjacent to Hunts Park) was built in the 1940s and affords a stunning view across Samish Bay to snowcapped Mount Baker. The resort features a row of rustic waterfront cabins, each with a river-rock fireplace and all awash in nostalgia. There are also more modern and spacious cabins with steam showers and hot tubs tucked away in the woods. The resort’s most affordable option, though, is “glamping” in one of its five furnished and heated yurts. Pets are welcome.
Another budget-conscious option is to stay in affordable digs near Anacortes and make a day trip to Guemes Island.
Where to eat on Guemes
Plan to do most of your own cooking. Guemes Island General Store is located at the ferry dock and is an essential stop for supplies, groceries, ice cream and cold beverages. It also houses the island’s only restaurant/pub, which serves salads, soups, burgers and great kids fare.
Lummi Island
Skipped by most guidebooks, Lummi is a secret getaway for locals who are passionate about, well, all things local. So, what’s in it for kids? An immersion in the eat-what-you-grow, free-range lifestyle, if only for a weekend.
Are you a locavore? That’s someone who eats locally: foods that are organically and sustainably grown and produced close to home, from seed to plate. Lummi is a locavore’s paradise. Introducing the locavore way of eating to your kids helps deepen their own roots into the soil that feeds them.
Shaped like a peanut that’s nine miles in length, Lummi is hilly and green on the south end, and flat up north where most of the full-time residents live. In my experience, the pace of “island time” is even slower on Lummi than the other islands. Plan a casual drive or bike ride to tour the island’s sustainable farms, artist studios and hike-able land preserves.
Getting to Lummi
Visitors arrive on a Whatcom County ferry that has room for 22 cars and departs about every 30 minutes from the tip of the Lummi Peninsula near Bellingham. Fare for a car and driver is $24.
Things to do on Lummi
Bring along bikes for a scenic, country-road ride on the island’s uncongested roads. Take your time stopping at each farm and art gallery that piques your interest. Kids can stretch their legs on a hike up the Baker Preserve Trail on an 80-acre pristine parcel of land owned by the Lummi Island Heritage Trust. The 3-mile round-trip hike switchbacks its way up to a west-facing viewpoint above Rosario Strait.
Lodging on Lummi
Consider a stay at Nettles Farm to dig into local food. Their kitchens are fully stocked for cooking and they provide ingredients straight from their chickens, pastures and reef nets for you to whip up your own all-local breakfast.
Another fun option is The Loft at Full Bloom Farm, which sleeps as many as four with a comfy queen bed and a foldout couch. Please note that kids must be at least 10 years old to stay at The Loft. With a pond, fruit orchard, flock of chickens (fresh eggs!), veggie garden and award-winning flower gardens spread across its 14 acres, this farm stay experience is truly memorable.
Restaurants on Lummi
Located a block from the ferry landing, the Beach Store Café is ensconced in a simple house that faces Mount Baker. Check the website for variable offerings and hours. This spot serves kid-friendly fare, such as burgers and fish and chips, alongside foraged field greens. Our favorite way to eat here is on the beach — grab picnic supplies at the Lummi Island Farmers Market on Saturdays, or stop in at The Islander Store, the community general store.
Tips for saving hassles and money on a San Juan Islands vacation
- The ferry crossing is expensive, so consider options that allow you to leave your car behind (passenger-only fares are much cheaper). If you are taking a car, take advantage of the Washington State Ferries San Juan Islands reservation system. Reserved spots are available on all westbound sailings from Anacortes and eastbound sailings from Friday Harbor and Orcas Island. Snag your spot as early as two months in advance, and as late as two days prior to your trip.
- If you are going to stop at multiple islands, go west first to San Juan Island, then stop at Orcas and Lopez on the return trip. (You’re only charged when you go west.)
- Weekends in July and August are the most expensive and busiest times to visit. They also happen to be the most gorgeous.
- Book accommodations that include a kitchen so that you can cook your own meals with fresh, local ingredients.
- Pack fixings for picnics to stretch your dollars. Dine with a view from an ocean bluff.
- Consider visiting during the off-season (October–April) for incredible deals on lodging.
- Travel with another family and rent a vacation house.
- If you are staying at the same place for three or more nights, ask for a discount.
- And, of course, the cheapest place to sleep is in your camping tent.
Handy links with more information on visiting the San Juan Islands:
More island adventures for families:
Editor’s note: Originally published several years ago, this article was updated and fact-checked most recently on June 16, 2026 by ParentMap’s content editor Kari Hanson — because the San Juans remain a must-visit destination.
