Private Islands
Print
Email
Save to Favorites
The rest of the San Juan Islands are home to a few hundred individuals. Some islands have only a single home, others a few dozen residences occupied seasonally. None have more than 80 or so people. Privacy is closely guarded on most of these islands, and visitors are not appreciated.
As the state ferry heads west from Anacortes to the San Juans, it threads its way between two privately owned islands, Blakely and Decatur. Blakely Island has a public marina with a store, post office, fuel, laundry, and showers on the north end, but the rest of the island is private and off-limits.
Waldron Island, northwest of Orcas, is nearly all private land, and much of the island is flat and marshy, though the south end rises to 600 feet at Disney Mountain. Over 400 acres along Cowlitz Bay and Disney Mountain are lands managed by the Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org/washington) and San Juan Preservation Trust (www.sjpt.org), with public access for day use only.
© Ericka Chickowski from Moon Washington, 8th edition
Buy Moon Travel Guides
Search
Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.