Lime Kiln Point State Park - A Day Trip to the San Juan Islands
Useful links and information at the end of this post
I recently took a day trip to Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island. I had been to the island before, but only to Friday Harbor, the most popular destination and one of the harbors of call of the state ferry that leaves from Anacortes, Washington.
This time I was alone, and I opted to take the quaint round trip trolley that circles the island, hitting most of its other attractions outside of Friday Harbor. This included Roche Harbor, a pretty and well inhabited little village with no shortage of fancy boats. It also included the hiking area around English Camp, the San Juan County Park, and Lime Kiln Point State Park, a well known killer whale (orca) watching location and probably the second most visited spot on the island for tourists.
Lime Kiln was my primary destination on this trip, so I simply stayed on the trolley to see from afar until it arrived here. I hopped off the trolley and went to survey the area, which included Whale Watch Point, Deadman Bay, the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, and the lime kiln itself, which I did not see.
After getting my bearings I settled in for a late lunch at a little cove at Deadman Bay, shown below.
Deadman Bay, San Juan Island
I was lucky to have this spot mostly to myself, having gone on a weekday. I only saw about a dozen people take this part of the trail while I ate lunch down by the rocks.
Of course, the primary attraction of the park is the lighthouse, and I enjoyed the next couple of hours trying to photograph it. There are several short trails (walks, really) that lead to the lighthouse from the parking area, and the most enjoyable is simply the trail along the rocks from Deadman Bay and the whale watching observation point.
The rocky shoreline along the trail make for excellent foreground elements in photos of the lighthouse, and the closer you can get your camera to those rocks, the more dramatic the photos.
Here are a few that I am happy with.
Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island
Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island
Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island
Personally I like images that showcase a lot of the landscape rather than just a lighthouse. Showing the rugged rocks and cold water around the lighthouse gives it a better sense of space and belonging - a complete picture, if you will.
As I had to return to Friday Harbor to catch the ferry home, I was unable to stay for the sunset. But undoubtedly a sunset would add a new element to these photos and you can find many sunset photos from here online. Baring my first photo of the lighthouse above, the other images would be enhanced with a more interesting background, such as a sunset. But I am quite pleased with what I was able to capture.
I caught the last trolley ride from the park at about 5:45 PM and made it back to Friday Harbor just as the ferry was loading (a bit of a close shave). Overall I am very pleased that I left my car in Anacortes and walked onto the ferry. A car would have been useful, but as it costs $80 a vehicle and I was travelling alone, it was actually quite liberating to rely on public transit.
All I had to worry about was my camera and some food. Choosing one destination (Lime Kiln Point) to enjoy most of the my time also meant that I got the most out of that one location rather than only having 15 minutes there.
San Juan Island is a very peaceful place. The drive around the island takes you past countless farms, forests, and beautiful coastline views. It would be a great place for a day trip if you are considering it, and an even better place for an overnight or multi day stay.
If you do visit in summer, you can get away with shorts and a t-shirt, but if any rain is on the forecast, some lightweight hiking pants and a rain jacket are recommended. I found it quite chilly at times down by the water with the sea breeze, and surprisingly the trolley ride was pretty cold too because of its open design at the back of the vehicle. Personally I’ll be wearing a light long sleeve top next time.
Useful links & information:
Seattle to Anacortes drive = 1.5 hours
Anacortes Ferry to Friday Harbor = 1 hour (roughly)
Jolly Trolley loop around San Juan Island = 1.5 hours (roughly)
The Anacortes-Friday Harbor ferry schedule is here:
https://www.wsdot.com/Ferries/Schedule/scheduledetail.aspx?tripdate=20230810&departingterm=1&arrivingterm=10&roundtrip=true
Friday Harbor Jolly Trolley:
https://www.fridayharborjollytrolley.com/
You can find more information on Lime Kiln Point State Park here:
https://www.parks.wa.gov/540/Lime-Kiln-Point