Orcas Island Parks & Shorelines

Moran State Park

At Moran State Park, you can sample nature in all its facets—forest, five freshwater lakes, waterfalls, wildflowers, birds (eagles, ravens, woodland birds), and more than 38 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. And Mt. Constitution, the highest peak in the San Juans at 2,409 feet, towers above it all, topped by a stone observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. Dotted throughout the park you’ll find interpretive displays, more than 50 day-use sites, and restrooms. All the lakes allow fishing and swimming; Cascade Lake has a swimming beach and a designated swimming area. The park has two boat launch areas and two boat docks, and rents paddle boats, row boats, canoes, kayaks and small fishing boats with electric motors. Five camping areas are scattered through the park’s 5,252 acres, with 150 camp sites between them (including 15 primitive bicycle sites), some beside the water, five restrooms, and ten showers (one restroom and two showers are wheelchair accessible).

Obstruction Pass State Park

Your visit to secluded Obstruction Pass State Park, named for nearby Obstruction Island, takes you to not only the longest beach on Orcas but also one of the San Juans’ most unusual—a crescent of ocean-smoothed, marble-sized pebbles in rainbow colors. Hike in half a mile to one of the 80-acre park’s 11 first-come, first-served primitive campsites, land your kayak on Pebble Beach, or anchor out at one of three moorings. Many campsites overlook the water; vault toilets and fire pits.