5 Excellent San Juan Islands Campgrounds
If you want to experience quintessential Washington state camping, the San Juan Islands are the place to go. They are a string of islands situated in the Puget Sound, each covered in lush forest and calm ocean waters.
Getting to one of the many islands is a treat; you must take a ferry.
Wildlife abounds on the San Juan Islands. You might even get to see one of the many resident orca pods that frequent the area.
Today we’re sharing the best San Juan Island campgrounds. Camping is, in our opinion, the only way to experience the area.
About the San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands have a rich history dating back to the indigenous people. These islands provided local communities an abundance of seafood from salmon to crabs.
As explorers from Europe arrived and began building towns, the islands were quickly transformed.
Today, fishing is still a significant economic driver. Of course, tourism isn’t far behind!
There are great hiking and biking trails. Water activities, like kayaking, boating, and fishing, are also widely popular.
To get to the San Juan Islands, you have to take a car ferry.
For vehicles like a van below 22′ you can ride the ferry as any other car. Anything above 22′ should reserve your spot on the ferry in advance. It will be a pricier ride but well worth it for the solitude and relaxation the islands offer.
Here are the best places to pitch a tent or park an RV:
West Beach Resort
The West Beach Resort is a picturesque campground located on Orcas Island. Situated with the water views, you’re can easily take advantage of outdoor activities.
This campground offers space to fit all sizes of RV’s.
At $45 a night, there are 30 amp sites and water but no dump station. There is, however, a dump just outside the park.
West Beach Resort provides tables and firepits, bathrooms, and coin showers. Cell service is very spotty, making it a great place to unplug (or encourage you to travel with a cell booster).
Address: 190 Waterfront Way, Eastsound, WA 98245
San Juan Islands Campgrounds Vibe: 8.2/10
Odlin Park
Odlin Park is a waterfront campground located on Lopez Island. Three miles from Lopez Village, this is the perfect spot for tents and smaller campers.
Odlin Park campground is perfect for hiking, biking, kayaking, and relaxing. There is a boat launch and lots of beach to explore.
During peak season, an oceanfront camping site is $33, and during the off-season, it’s $18. There are no hookups, but the campsite does offer tables, firepits, and vault toilets.
This campground has little to no cell service.
Address: 148 Odlin Park Rd., Lopez Island, WA 98261
San Juan Islands Campgrounds Vibe: 8.1/10
Spencer Spit State Park
Located on Lopez Island, Spencer Spit State Park is the perfect getaway. The sites are well spaced out and provides plenty of solitude.
With access to the beach, it’s excellent for shellfishing and crabbing. There is even a place to rent kayaks.
This campground has 37 sites with an average price of $30 a night. The sites offer picnic tables, fire pits, and vault toilets.
Address: 521 Bakerview Rd., Lopez Island, WA 98261
San Juan Islands Campgrounds Vibe: 6.8/10
Lakedale Resort
The Lakedale Resort is located in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. This campground is a pricier spot at $55 a night, but for a good reason.
Lakedale Resort is a true glamping campground. It offers cabins, yurts, tent sites, and RV sites.
Providing bikes and kayaks, the resort encourages guests to explore!
RV sites include water and electric hookups.
Address: 4313 Roche Harbor Rd., Friday Harbor, WA 98250
San Juan Islands Campgrounds Vibe: 9.2/10
San Juan County Park
Located on San Juan Island, San Juan County Park is a reasonably priced, waterfront campground. This campground offers some great camping along with watersports like kayaking.
It’s a quiet campground in the trees, at $38, it’s well worth the price. The premium spots cost $54 nightly.
You will get amazing sunsets and views of the stars on clear nights. There are no hookups, but the sites come with tables, firepits, and a vault toilet.
Verizon does have some cell service.
Address: San Juan Park Rd., Friday Harbor, WA 98250
San Juan Islands Campgrounds Vibe: 7.7/10
Plan Your Trip To One of These San Juan Island Campgrounds
The San Juan Island campgrounds offer a unique experience and relaxing getaway. Because these islands are more primitive, it’s easy to feel like you’re back in time with the early settlers.
Camping on the San Juan Islands is the perfect way to experience this truly picturesque landscape.
If you’re traveling with an RV, trip planning to the San Juan Islands is essential.
With RV Trip Wizard you can get a much better understanding of what to expect for a travel day. After spending a big amount of money on an RV, you don’t want to run into a low hanging bridge!
We use RV Trip Wizard to route our cross country trips. With tools like budgeting, fuel planning, and avoiding bridges, we can easily travel safely through the USA.
Here’s how to sign up to RV Trip Wizard for free.
Discover the Best Free Camping in America
To be honest with you, we hate paying for camping. There are so many free campsites in America (with complete privacy).
You should give it a try!
As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours. Every time you pay federal taxes, you’re contributing to these lands.
Become a FREE CAMPING INSIDER and join the 100,000 campers that love to score the best site!
We’ll send you the 50 Best Free Campsites in the USA (one per state). Access the list by submitting your email below:
Reserve a camping spot before even making the trip out here! The county sites (Odlin and San Juan County Park) are limited in size and cannot guarantee camping sites during the busier summer months.
In fact, check the website of all of these parks and campsites to know what you’re getting into or you’re liable to spend all that money getting out here to sleep in your car or pay premium rates for any open hotel room in town (which is also never guaranteed).
Reservations on the ferry are recommended for all vehicles, regardless of size due to the limited runs and the fact that folks that live out here need to use them too. So if you don’t want to get stuck in Anacortes on standby during the “busy season” log onto the WA State Ferry website and follow the instructions on how to set up your reservation. Plan your trip thoroughly, especially getting out to the terminal at Anacortes, you miss the boat you pay a $10 no-show fee.
We value tourism up here in the islands but places to camp are limited, and the residents and the sheriff do not enjoy folks camping on private property or designated day parks.
Take your time and plan, plan, plan!
Also, T-mobile is your best bet cell-wise up here. Anytime you are on the West side of the island you will start pinging off of Canadian towers across the strait, T-mobile will let you know but the majority of their plans allow this without any extra roaming charges. Verizon’s decent, but make sure you understand your plan or maybe call them and explain where you’re headed. The cell companies will likely work with you if you’re unsure.