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Welcome
to the San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands -- emerald isles dotting sparkling waterways -- are often called the jewels of the Pacific Northwest. Treasured for their scenery and wildlife and tranquility, the San Juans have attracted visitors for more than a century.
Visitors who take the trouble to fly or boat to the San Juan Islands' are rarely disappointed with the islands' bountiful wildlife, diverse landscapes and mild climate. The morning sun highlights Mount Baker to the east; cows, sheep, horses, even alpacas, bask in warm mid-day rays; spools of hay cast long shadows in the late afternoon; Western evening skies glow every hue of purple.
History buffs will enjoy the many ways the islands colorful
history has been preserved.
Orcas, or killer whales, and other marine mammals swim along the San Juan County's 375 miles of saltwater shoreline. That's the most saltwater coastline of any county in the United States and provides ample strolling and beachcombing opportunities.
Many visitors ask, "How many islands are there?" They become puzzled when islanders respond: "It changes several times a day."
Actually, the land mass of the San Juans Archipelago -- which includes the Gulf Islands of British Columbia -- increases as the tide goes out and decreases as it comes in. When the tide's out, more than 780 islands reefs can be seen. When the tide is in, that number drops to less than 460.
About 175 islands were deemed big enough for a names, which include Orcas, San Juan, Lopez, Shaw, Flat Top, Battleship, Yellow, Sucia.
The islands are as diverse as their names: sandy and pebbly beaches give way to imposing, rocky cliffs; tracts of towering fir and cedar shadow a green blanket salal, moss and ferns; wild-flower sprinkled prairies that turn mauve at dusk; white-blossomed orchards abut sheep-dotted pastures.
Mt. Constitution -- the islands' highest peak at 2,409 feet -- rises above it all on Orcas Island. The land, carved by glaciers thousands of years ago, plunges from the water's edge up to 1,000 feet down. That depth contributes to temperatures that barely break 50 degrees in the summer and chill to 45 degrees or below in the winter.
Pristine water and plentiful habitat attract furry and feathered visitors to the islands. Bald eagles, fox, deer, rabbits, river otters, turkeys, rabbits and hawks, are a few of the animals residing in the islands. In addition to the killer whales, the county's marine residents include harbor seals, porpoise, minke whales, sea stars, urchins, and anemones cabezon.
Many species of water-dependent birds -- cormorants, kingfishers, great blue heron -- roost throughout the year here. Others -- trumpeter swans, osprey, Harlequin ducks, buffleheads -- winter in the islands.
Like its wildlife, the San Juan Islands' human population comes and goes with the season. Approximately 14,000 people live in San Juan County and they're as varied as the land they inhabit. Islanders -- carpenters, grocery store clerks, painters, sheep farmers, loggers, fishermen, Web designers, bakers, waiters, sculptors, house cleaners -- contribute to the islands' cherished charm.
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