San Juan Islands 6 Day Bike Tour

Explore Lopez Island today. Lopez is the flattest, most rural, and least populated of the three main San Juan Islands. It’s also considered the ‘bicyclist’s island’ for its quiet roads, gentle terrain, spectacular marine vistas, and friendly residents who wave as you bicycle past. Ride clockwise around the island, starting with Spencer Spit State Park, then south to Watmough Bay (watch for seals!). Listen to the sound of the waves gently stirring the rocks on the shore at Agate Beach. This is a great day for views of the Olympic Mountains and looking ahead to some of the places you will explore this week.

 Lopez Island Loop – 37.4 mi +2024 ft / -2022 ft

Take a short Washington State Ferry cruise to Orcas Island, the largest and most mountainous of the San Juans. Ride to Eastsound, explore the town and have lunch on your own. Back on the bicycle, pedal to Moran State Park and Cascade Lake. Hike through the last remaining old-growth forest in the islands up to the summit of Mt. Constitution, the literal high-point of the San Juans. Prefer to ride? Challenge the switchbacks on the road to the top of “Mt. C” instead of hiking the trail. It’s one for the books! Either way, your reward at the top is a marvelous view of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges and the emerald archipelago flung wide below. Instead of taking the ferry to San Juan Island, we'll board a 3-hour private whale and wildlife-watching cruise (included). After the excursion, the boat will drop you off in Friday Harbor, where the Earthbox Inn will be our home for the next three nights.

Orcas to Eastsound – 17.8 mi +1221 ft / -1220 ft

­

Kayak the calm waters of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea this morning. Our sister company, San Juan Kayak Expeditions, will provide two-person kayaks, guides, and instruction. Spend the morning watching and learning about the abundant bird and marine life along the rocky, tree-lined shore on the way to Turn Island for a picnic lunch and the opportunity for a nice 1 mile walk around the circumference of the island. After kayaking, stroll about Friday Harbor, visit the Whale Museum, or take in the Art Gallery. Enjoy dinner on your own tonight in Friday Harbor – there are a variety of great dining opportunities to choose from.

Bicycle the serene shores of San Juan Island today, enjoying open farmland and marine vistas from quiet country roads. Visit historic Roche Harbor and stop by American Camp – a national historic park that was once part of the “Pig War” between England and the United States. Have lunch at Lime Kiln State Park, one of the best orca ('killer') whale-watching spots in the country. Savor views of the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mt. Rainier – 125 miles! 

­ 

San Juan Island loop - 43.2 miles, +2,999 ft / -3,001 ft

­

After breakfast in Friday Harbor, pedal a casual loop around Pear Point, just outside of town. In the afternoon, bypass the infamous Seattle gridlock – on a Friday afternoon, no less! – and return to the “big city” in style via a chartered float plane. Marvel at birds-eye views of Puget Sound, the Cascade, and the Olympic Mountains as you soar over and past the traffic. Have a waterfront lunch on your own on the shores of Lake Union in downtown Seattle before meeting the van to take you to your flight or your hotel.

­ 

Pear Point: 6.2 miles (up to 10 mi) · +339 ft / -368 ft