How do I get from island to island on the ferry?
Take the Inter-island ferry! The Washington State Ferries Vehicle Reservations Page doesn't show any inter-island connections or provide the option to book travel between islands. This is because inter-island reservations are not available on the inter-island ferry. There are, however, inter-island ferries that run between the islands on a daily basis. Inter-island ferries are loaded on a first-come basis for vehicles.
Inter-island ferry schedule
To plan a trip to another island, you will need to find the inter-island ferry sailings on the main schedule. The inter-island ferry sailing times are highlighted in gray.
For example, the schedule to the right is showing the westbound sailings. If you wanted to travel west from Orcas to San Juan on the first inter-island ferry available, you would need to catch the 7:20 a.m. sailing. That ferry stops at Shaw Island first, arriving at Friday Harbor at 8:10 a.m.
Find the Current Westbound & Eastbound Sailing Schedules HERE
There are westbound sailings and eastbound sailings. Plan on arriving 30-45 minutes (45-60 in summer) ahead of your departure to get in line. Inter-island ferries are loaded on a first come first serve basis.
Inter-island ferry fees
Walk-on passengers ride free on inter-island ferries, but vehicles are charged a fee if traveling westbound from each island (example: Lopez to Orcas Island or Friday Harbor and Orcas Island to Friday Harbor). Eastbound sailings between the islands are free for both walk-on passengers and vehicles (example: Friday Harbor to Lopez Island and Orcas Island or Orcas Island to Lopez Island).
Calculate your inter-island fee HERE.
