Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in San Juan Island (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Lime Kiln Light, San Juan Safaris Whale Watching, and San Juan Island National Historical Park. Also, be sure to include Lime Kiln Point State Park in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in San Juan Island (Washington).
Table of Contents
Lime Kiln Light
Lighthouse in San Juan County, Washington. The Lime Kiln Light is a functioning navigational aid located on Lime Kiln Point overlooking Dead Man's Bay on the western side of San Juan Island, San Juan County, Washington, in the United States. It guides ships through the Haro Straits and is part of Lime Kiln Point State Park, which offers tours during summer months.[1]
San Juan Safaris Whale Watching
Boat tours, Nature and wildlife tours, Dolphin and whale watching, Private tours, Tours, Outdoor activities, Boat or ferry
Address: 10 Front St Ste 102, 98250-7976 San Juan Island
San Juan Island National Historical Park
National park in San Juan County, Washington. San Juan Island National Historical Park, also known as American and English Camps, San Juan Island, is a U.S. National Historical Park owned and operated by the National Park Service on San Juan Island in the state of Washington. The park is made up of the sites of the British and U.S. Army camps during the Pig War, a boundary dispute over the ownership of the island. The camp sites were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The park was created by an act of Congress in 1966 and expanded slightly in 2013.[2]
Lime Kiln Point State Park
State park in San Juan County, Washington. Lime Kiln Point State Park is a 42-acre Washington state park on the western shore of San Juan Island in the San Juan archipelago. The park is considered one of the best places in the world to view wild orcas from a land-based facility. Due to the unique bathymetric properties of the site, visitors on the shore can be within 20 feet of whales jumping out of the water. It houses one of Friday Harbor's two lighthouses along with a stone lookout with picnic tables. The park was the site of lime kilns beginning in 1860, and one kiln has been restored as a public exhibit.[3]
San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Wildlife refuge in San Juan County, Washington. The San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is in the San Juan Islands of the Salish Sea, north of Puget Sound, in the State of Washington. Created in 1976, it comprises 83 small, uninhabited islands, scattered throughout the San Juans, with a combined area of approximately 454 acres. The Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as one of six in the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
All but three of the islands are designated wilderness area in the San Juan Wilderness (353 acres (1.43 km2)), also established in 1976. Visitors are prohibited, and boaters must keep at least 200 yards from the shore to avoid disturbing the wildlife. Excluded are two state parks managed jointly with the Washington State Park System, five acres of Matia Island and Turn Island; Smith Island; and Minor Island.
The habitats of the various islands range from small rocks to larger grassy or forested islands, some with high cliffs that provide nesting sites for a large variety of marine birds.[4]