Moon San Juan Islands: Best Hikes, Local Spots, Weekend Getaways

by Don Pitcher, Moon Travel Guides

Overview

'Island time' isn't just for the tropics: Escape to evergreen forests, rocky shorelines, and the glittering sea with Moon San Juan Islands. Inside you'll find:

• Flexible itineraries like a 10-day best of the islands and a weeklong family camping trip, with coverage of gateway towns such as Anacortes, Whidbey Island, and Bellingham, plus nearby Seattle
• Unique experiences and can't-miss sights: Picnic on cliffs overlooking the ocean or paddleboard on a tranquil lake. Visit local farms filled with fragrant lavender or fluffy alpacas and sip wine or cider at island vineyards. Savor the flavors of the Pacific Northwest at incredible farm-to-table restaurants, sample oysters fresh from the sea, or browse your way through quirky bookstores and funky antique shops
• The best outdoor adventures: Go sea kayaking or glide through glimmering nighttime waters during a bioluminescence tour. Marvel at the islands' marine life, including orcas, humpback whales, porpoises, and seals, during a whale-watching trip. Sail around the islands or fish for salmon, cod, and halibut. Take a forest hike, spot rare birds, or bike through rolling farm country and along the stunning shorelines
• Expert advice from former wilderness ranger Don Pitcher on when to go, how to get around, and where to stay, from romantic B&Bs to stunning campsites
• Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout
• Thorough information on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and history

With Moon's practical tips and local insight, you can experience the San Juan Islands your way.
 
Exploring more of the Pacific Northwest? Check out Moon Coastal Oregon or Moon Columbia River Gorge & Mount Hood.

About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you.

For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798886470048
Publisher:	Avalon Publishing
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Series:	Moon U.S. Travel Guide
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	328
Sales rank:	436,981
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Perhaps Don Pitcher's love of travel came about because he moved so much as a child; by age 15 he had lived in six states and two dozen East Coast and Midwestern towns. He moved west for college, receiving a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where his thesis examined wildfires in high elevation forests of Sequoia National Park.

Don landed what seemed the coolest job on the planet shortly after grad school: being flown around Alaska's massive Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in a helicopter while conducting fire research. Wild places continued to beckon, and over the next fifteen years Don built backcountry trails, worked as a wilderness ranger, mapped grizzly habitat, and operated salmon weirs: anything to avoid an office job. After that first season in Alaska, he spent three months in the South Pacific, and quickly found himself addicted to travel. His explorations eventually took him to thirty-five countries and all fifty states.

Don is the author of Moon Anchorage, Denali & the Kenai Peninsula and Moon San Juan Islands. He served as editor for Best Places Alaska and is a contributor to Triporati.com and other websites. Don's photos have appeared in a multitude of publications and advertisements, and his fine art prints are sold in many Alaska and Washington galleries.

Don lives in Homer, Alaska with his wife, Karen Shemet, and their children, Aziza and Rio. When not busy on other projects, he also works as a wedding photographer and volunteer radio DJ. Visit donpitcherphotography.com to read his blog and learn more about his writing and photography projects.

Editorial Reviews

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From the Publisher