Eastsound · RedAwning

Orcas Island57.3 sq mi saddlebag-shaped island, the largest in the San Juans — Mount Constitution at 2,409 ft is the highest point in the archipelago, all reached by Anacortes ferry

Orcas Island is the largest of the San Juan Islands at 57.3 square miles — a saddlebag-shaped island in the strait between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island, reached only by Washington State Ferries from Anacortes (about 65 minutes) or by floatplane from Seattle's Lake Union. Mount Constitution at 2,409 feet is the highest point in the archipelago and the centerpiece of 5,252-acre Moran State Park, the largest state park in the San Juans. Eastsound (population ~750) is the island's commercial hub at the head of the eastern fjord; the Orcas ferry landing on the south point is where every visit begins.

Hours todayOpen 24 hours – undefinedFriday hours
TicketsFrom $51Anacortes ferry — vehicle (driver included)
LocationEastsound, Washington8450 Orcas Road
Official sitevisitsanjuans.comPlan your visit

57.3 sq miArea
2,409 ftHighest point
5,400Population
AnacortesFerry from

Orcas Island sits in the heart of the San Juan archipelago between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island — 57.3 square miles, the largest of the San Juans by area, shaped like a pair of saddlebags joined at Eastsound. The name has nothing to do with whales: it shortens "Horcasitas" — Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, the Viceroy of New Spain who sent Francisco de Eliza's 1791 exploration up these waters. The island is administered by San Juan County (county seat: Friday Harbor on adjacent San Juan Island) and reachable only by Washington State Ferries from Anacortes or by Kenmore Air floatplane from Seattle's Lake Union — there is no bridge.

The island's defining feature is 2,409-foot Mount Constitution at the center of 5,252-acre Moran State Park. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the four-story stone observation tower at the summit in 1936 — the panorama from the top reaches Mount Baker (40 miles east), Mount Rainier (110 miles southeast), Vancouver Island (north), and the Olympic Mountains (south). The park itself was a gift from Robert Moran, the Seattle shipbuilder who launched the USS Nebraska here, retired to Orcas in 1905, built the Rosario mansion in 1909, and donated 2,700 acres in 1921 — the foundation of today's state park. Eastsound at the head of the eastern fjord is the commercial hub: a four-block downtown with the 1888 Outlook Inn, the Saturday farmers market, and Hogstone's Wood Oven (chef Jay Blackinton's tasting menu).

Plan three to five days. The standard Seattle approach: drive 90 minutes to Anacortes, take the 65-minute ferry to Orcas landing on the south tip, then drive twenty minutes north on Orcas Road to Eastsound. Most lodging is on the west arm (Deer Harbor, West Sound), the east arm (Olga, Doe Bay), or in Eastsound itself. Mount Constitution sunrise is the iconic experience — the road opens at 6:30 AM in summer. Beyond Moran, the highlights are Doe Bay Resort's clothing-optional hot tubs (day-pass available), Turtleback Mountain Preserve's 1,576-foot summit on the west side, kayaking from Deer Harbor, and the Orcas Island Pottery (the country's oldest, founded 1945) on West Beach Road.

Mount Constitution & the 1936 stone tower
The 2,409-foot summit of Mount Constitution is the highest point in the San Juan Islands and the centerpiece of Moran State Park. Drive up the 6.7-mile Mount Constitution Road or hike the 6.7-mile Cold Springs Trail (3,200 feet of gain). The CCC built the four-story stone observation tower in 1936 — modeled on a 12th-century Caucasus watchtower. From the top: Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, Vancouver Island, and on clear days the Coast Range above Vancouver, BC.
Moran State Park — 5,252 acres
The largest state park in the San Juans, a 1921 gift from Seattle shipbuilder Robert Moran. Five freshwater lakes (Cascade, Mountain, Twin, Summit, Cold Springs), 38 miles of hiking trails, 151 reservable campsites split across four campgrounds, and the 1916 Moran Mansion (now Rosario Resort & Spa). The 2.7-mile Cascade Falls Loop is the most-walked short hike — passes 75-foot Cascade Falls, the tallest in the San Juans.
Eastsound village
The commercial hub at the head of the East Sound fjord — a four-block downtown with the 1888 Outlook Inn, the 1904 Emmanuel Episcopal church, the Orcas Island Historical Museum (six early-1890s homestead cabins reassembled on Main Street), and Brown Bear Baking. The Saturday farmers market runs May through September on the village green. Hogstone's Wood Oven is chef Jay Blackinton's seasonal tasting menu — reserve four weeks ahead.
Doe Bay Resort & Retreat
A 38-acre cabin-and-yurt retreat on the southeast coast at Doe Bay — soaking pools fed by mountain spring water (clothing-optional, day-pass $25), a sauna, the Doe Bay Café (farm-to-table breakfast and dinner), and an annual three-day music festival the second weekend of August (the Doe Bay Fest, sold out within hours). The cabins are spartan; the location is unmatched. Open year-round; the soaking pools open at 8 AM.
Turtleback Mountain Preserve
A 1,576-acre preserve on the west arm of the island, donated to the San Juan County Land Bank in 2006. The 6.4-mile Turtleback Mountain Loop climbs to a 1,519-foot ridgeline with views down to Crow Valley and across President Channel to San Juan Island. Black-tailed deer and bald eagles regular; one of the only places on Orcas to spot the rare island marble butterfly. Trailheads at Wild Rose and Crow Valley Roads.
Whale watching from Deer Harbor
The Salish Sea is home to the Southern Resident orca pods (J, K, and L pods, currently 73 animals total) and a growing transient (Bigg's) orca population. Outer Island Excursions and Orcas Island Eclipse run 3.5-hour tours from Deer Harbor (~$130 per adult, May–September) — most trips encounter Bigg's orcas, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and minke whales. June–September is peak season; reserve 1–2 weeks ahead in summer.
Rosario Resort & Spa — Moran Mansion
Robert Moran's 1909 Arts & Crafts mansion on Cascade Bay — built with native-Washington timber as a retirement home, donated to the state in 1934, converted to a resort in 1960. The mansion houses the resort's spa, a fine-dining room, and the original 1913 Aeolian pipe organ played in twice-weekly summer recitals. The waterfront cabins are the better lodging choice; the mansion tour is free with a meal reservation.
Sea kayaking & Cascade Lake
Shearwater Adventures and Crescent Beach Kayaks run guided three-hour sea kayak tours from Eastsound and Deer Harbor (~$95 per person). Cascade Lake inside Moran State Park rents canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards from the boathouse Memorial Day through Labor Day ($25/hour) — the warmest swimmable water on the island and the easiest paddle for first-timers. Cascade Lake is also the only lake in the San Juans stocked with rainbow trout.

Open hours

The island is publicly accessible 24/7 — there's no gate. Washington State Ferries run from Anacortes to the Orcas landing 8–12 times daily; the schedule reduces in winter (October through mid-March) and reservations open 60 days ahead at takeaferry.com. Vehicle reservations are essential summer weekends; walk-on passengers always get a ride. Moran State Park's Mount Constitution Road closes nightly at dusk; the summit observation tower stays open later in summer for sunset.

MondayOpen 24 hours
TuesdayOpen 24 hours
WednesdayOpen 24 hours
ThursdayOpen 24 hours
FridayTodayOpen 24 hours
SaturdayOpen 24 hours
SundayOpen 24 hours

Note · Eastsound shops generally open 10 AM–6 PM with most closing earlier in winter. Mount Constitution Road is plowed but icy in January–February. Floatplane service from Kenmore Air ($199 one-way Seattle Lake Union → Orcas landing) is faster than the ferry and runs daily May–October, weather permitting.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Anacortes ferry — vehicle (driver included)$51Standard car under 22 ft, summer one-way to Orcas
Anacortes ferry — walk-on passenger$16Adult one-way; round-trip free returning from islands
Moran State Park — Discover Pass (annual)$35Required for parking at Moran trailheads
Moran State Park — Day Pass$12Single-day parking pass, sold at the entry kiosk
Kenmore Air floatplane (one-way Seattle)$199Seattle Lake Union → Orcas landing, ~50 minutes
Whale-watching tour (Orcas Island Eclipse)$1303.5-hour tour out of Deer Harbor, May–September

There is no admission fee for the island itself. Most island activities (hiking, cycling, beach access) are free; paid experiences are dominated by whale-watching ($130–145), kayak rentals from Outer Island Excursions ($65/half-day), and dinner reservations at Hogstone's, The Mansion at Rosario, or Inn at Ship Bay. Cash is rarely used; all major lodgings and most restaurants accept cards.

Reserve a ferry

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