Orcas Island Scenic Byway

Upon arriving on Orcas Island via ferry, you'll enter Orcas Village & Ferry Landing, a tiny hamlet with a few shops, a post office, historic hotel and grocery store. Although generally quiet, "the Landing," as it is called by locals, is a meeting place for travelers and commuters.

Just beyond Orcas Village and the ferry landing, a left turn leads to West Sound via Deer Harbor Rd. Surrounded by some of the island's best orchard land and overlooking a picturesque marina, West Sound is home to cozy inns and the Kingfish at West Sound, a favorite for locally sourced, farm-to-table dining with waterfront views.

Tucked between two peninsulas on Orcas Island's west side, Deer Harbor is a scenic 20-minute drive from the ferry landing where you’ll find one of the few sandy beaches in the Islands. At its heart lies the Deer Harbor Marina. In this tiny gem of a village, choose from a small but quality selection of lodging, from cozy B&B's to individual cabins overlooking the marina.

"Magical" is the best way to describe Orcas Island Pottery off of West Beach Road. The oldest pottery shop in the Pacific Northwest, this gem was established in 1945 and features the work of local pottery artists. This whimsical display of unique pottery placed throughout gardens, cabins, and picnic tables is a favorite destination for nature and art lovers visiting Orcas Island.

Eastsound is Orcas Island's largest village, and the hub of business and activity on this, the largest of the San Juan Islands. Grab a cup of coffee and wander the streets of this little burg any time of year, and you'll see galleries featuring local artists, farm-to-table restaurants, stylish boutiques, as well as excellent bakeries, a well-stocked bookstore and food co-op. 

The Orcas Island Historical Museum is the only object-based, interpretive heritage facility for Orcas Island, with a permanent collection comprised of approximately 6,000 objects, paper documents and photographs. In the 1950s and 1960s, various island families donated six original homestead cabins, built during the 1870s and the 1890s, to the Society. Volunteers disassembled the structures at their original sites, then moved, reconstructed and linked the structures together to create the museum.

Return to Olga Road, take a right, and continue to Moran State Park & Mt. Constitution. Donated by Robert Moran, the park now includes 5,252 acres, five freshwater lakes, over 38 miles of hiking trails, waterfalls and campsites. The highest point in the San Juan Islands is 2,409-foot-high Mt. Constitution, offering panoramic views of surrounding islands and the Cascade Mountains. Mt. Constitution is a must-see "side trip" off of the scenic byway.

A treasured Orcas Island destination for visitors and locals alike, Orcas Island Artworks in Olga offers one of the finest selections of local art and crafts in the San Juan Islands. This artist cooperative and gallery is housed in a 1936 strawberry packing plant and represents forty-five Orcas Island artists and craftspeople, working in pottery, sculpture, jewelry, glass, wood, paintings, prints, wearable art, fiber and more. As the gallery is owned and operated by the artists themselves, there is the unique opportunity to meet one or more of them on any given day.

At Obstruction Pass State Park, named for nearby Obstruction Island, you'll find 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.

Take a left turn out of the Orcas Island Artworks parking lot onto Point Lawrence Road and continue another ten minutes to Doe Bay Resort and Retreat. Doe Bay offers accommodations in a rustic, down-to-earth environment, with soaking tubs and sauna set over a waterfall, a one-acre organic garden, and an excellent restaurant. Whether you come for a personal retreat, a family gathering, or take part in an event, you will be touched by the magic and the beauty of Doe Bay.