San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in Washington State’s Salish Sea, between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island. The island group is known for rocky shores, maritime communities, and a complex U.S.–Canada boundary.

Salish Sea: The Salish Sea is a network of coastal waterways in British Columbia and Washington, including the Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound. The islands occupy its northern waters between Washington’s mainland and Vancouver Island.
Washington State Ferries: Washington State Ferries is a public ferry system connecting communities and islands across Puget Sound and nearby waters. Its routes link Anacortes and several inhabited islands in the archipelago.
Coast Salish peoples: Coast Salish peoples are Indigenous nations and communities whose homelands span the inland coastal region of British Columbia and Washington. Indigenous communities lived throughout the archipelago long before European exploration.
Orcas Island: Orcas Island is the largest island in Washington’s San Juan archipelago by land area. Its villages, forests, and Mount Constitution illustrate the group’s range of landscapes.
San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge: The San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a group of protected rocks and small islands in Washington State managed for wildlife. It safeguards nesting and resting habitat among the archipelago’s many offshore islets.
Strait of Georgia: The Strait of Georgia is a Pacific inlet between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. It lies north of the archipelago, across the international boundary.
Anacortes: Anacortes is a city on Fidalgo Island in Washington State and a major gateway to the San Juan Islands. The state ferry system’s island-bound routes depart from its terminal.
Charles Wilkes: Charles Wilkes was a United States Navy officer who led the United States Exploring Expedition from 1838 to 1842. His expedition gave many islands English names that remain in use.
Lopez Island: Lopez Island is an inhabited island in Washington’s San Juan archipelago, southeast of San Juan Island. Its farms and relatively gentle terrain give it a distinct rural character.
Southern Resident killer whales: Southern Resident killer whales are a small, endangered population of orcas that inhabits the coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia. Their presence links the islands’ tourism and conservation concerns to a wider regional population decline.

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