I really enjoy visiting the San Juan Islands. Our favorite thing to do is to take the ferry and…read moreisland hop for a day. The Washington State Ferry is interisland and takes locals and visitors from one island to the next. The ferries run year-round and will take you to each of the four main islands - Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Shaw. We drive to Anacortes and start our day on the ferry there. Then we usually go to Orcas or San Juan and grab lunch at Friday Harbor. There are also snacks and drinks available to purchase on the ferry. I love the view of the islands from the ferry window or outside on the deck above. It is a nice relaxing ride. We like to play cards while we island hop. Sometimes you can catch some marine life in the waters. The San Juans are home to a variety of wildlife and one of the best places in the world to witness whales in the wild. I usually keep a paper schedule on me so that I can plan out my ferry route and make sure that I am at the dock for the next ferry out. Sometimes they run a little behind, but usually they are on time.

Comfortable boats, scenic views, decent facilities-- but always late. If you're on any kind of…read moreschedule and are bringing a car, I wouldn't count on getting to your destination within a reasonable time frame. Especially in the peak summer season without a reservation -- and even then, no guarantees.

The staff at the terminal in the lot were just horrible. A bunch of teenagers that had no type of…read morecustomer service. Was rude with any question you asked them. I am sure it's a stressful job but it's also a pretty simple job to do and they could have been a bit more educated in the process and things going on. Seemed unaware of their surroundings.

Busy ferry terminal & marina. Cars & boats are coming & going. Clean bathrooms, maps & boat…read moreschedules are posted here.

This was my first time riding the Washington State Ferry, and the Anacortes terminal made the…read moreexperience easy and enjoyable. The terminal itself isn't huge, but it's well-organized and has all the essentials. There are restrooms (note: the entrance is outside), a snack bar with some hot food made to order, grab-and-go snacks, and vending machines for quick bites or drinks. Inside, you'll also find travel brochures, maps, and multiple ticket counters where you can buy ferry tickets or ask questions. I was a walk-on passenger and found the process very straightforward. Parking is nearby--just a short walk from the terminal--and costs $13 for the day. You can either scan the QR code posted on signs or use the pay station machine. Just a tip: if you're walking on, stay in the far left lane when entering the terminal--all other lanes to the right are for vehicles boarding the ferry. Overall, everything was clearly marked and staff were helpful. It was a smooth first-time experience, and I'd definitely ride again!

I come up to San Juan's often because my dad lives on the island and I have to say, the workers in…read morethe booth when you pull up couldn't be any more unpleasant. The lady today with rainbow hair was beyond nasty with her tone and told me because I was 2 minutes late (was supposed to be here 30 minutes early for my reservation) that I'd be put in stand by. The ferry is already supposed to be 40 minutes late so I the whole thing is ridiculous. I REALLY wish this ferry terminal took hiring more seriously and hired normal / kind people instead of the nasty workers they currently have.

I have been to the Lopez Island Ferry Terminal/Dock a few times, both on my own and with my family…read more Part of why I enjoy this ferry terminal so much is because there is not much to do. It has less to do in the immediate surroundings than the other Washington State Department Of Transportation (WSDOT) ferry terminals in the San Juan Islands. On a recent day adventure on Lopez Island on the 29th of April 2020, I arrived a little under two hours in advance of the ferry to Anacortes. My phone had very little battery left and I didn't bring a book so I had to figure out something else to do. I looked over my paper Washington State map, stared at the trees for a while (I love tall trees), and then saw a small furry critter scamper across some cement blocks (the blocks kind of looked like stone guard rail pieces for reinforcement to keep dirt from falling). I grabbed my camera (not camera phone) and spent the rest of the time watching for this little furry critter and trying to get pictures of it. What was it? It was a chipmunk! It was running back and forth collecting food and other things. So cute, and filled me with joy. Then M/V Kitsap arrived to take us back to Anacortes and I thought I was going to burst with happiness (I love it when I get to ride the ferries built in Seattle). It was the perfect end to the day's Lopez Island adventure. There is a restroom if you need to go while you are waiting. The entrance is turned away from the holding lanes to provide maximum privacy while using. The Lopez Island Ferry Terminal is a good place to sit back and relax and take in your nature surroundings.

I take my rare opportunities for ferry travel very seriously, and that's why I appreciate it when…read morethere's a nice, big, sturdy dock to securely hold the big metal floating behemoth in place while my vehicle (and others) are loaded/unloaded. And I can safely say that the Lopez Island Ferry Dock does the job quite well. While it's been years since I visited Lopez, it was a stop on my recent superferry trip from Friday Harbor to Anacortes, and I found myself enthusiastically hurrying to the front (er, back?) of the ship to watch the vehicles pull out onto the island. Well, the one vehicle that was pulling out onto the island on this particular Sunday evening journey. Still, the ferry did its duty as the car left the boat and traveled over the oft-scary-sounding "kerplunk" ramp that serves as a temporary bridge between the vessel and land. And - aided by recently-upgraded pillars on both the port and starboard - the ferry stayed firmly in place while several cars loaded for their journey back to the mainland. My only complaint about the Lopez dock is that there are no services available. So make sure to bring a snack and some water if you think you'll be hungry. 'Cuz it's a long drive back to town (well, really only a few miles) if you forgot anything.

This was my second tour with San Juan Safari's. I can't begin to explain how lovely my experience…read morewas for both tours. I think the staff are all professional and knowledgeable. We got to see a pod of 8 orcas, sea lions, seals, deer, and eagles. I would highly recommend!

What a wonderful experience! We took the ferry service to Friday Harbor from Anacortes with our…read moreebike. Fantastic trip and crew. Thanks for a great adventure.

Great service to a local PNW Island Paradise for exploration and fun day trip out of dodge!…read more One of my wife's favorite places to explore and learn about the history and mystery of living alone, on a private island with very distant neighbors. We stayed at an amazing resort that was comfortable, cozy, with lots of interesting homes and beach front to explore. SFTS "Short funny true story." After we arrived and checked in I decided to take a short nap on the couch when I was suddenly awakened by a lady asking me..."what I was doing in her cabin?" What she didn't realize. was, she mistakenly thought she was in her cabin, right next to ours, and we had a laugh, and fireside chat later that evening. You know...you meet the most interesting people on the beach...and learn so much about the locals...what a fun anniversary getaway for anyone who likes to explore and have some quiet time/beach time, nap time!

This was our first trip to Guemes Island. We parked in the parking lot to the east of the Ferry…read moreterminal, which was nearly full of cars. We bikes on there ferry. There are no bathrooms that we could locate on the Anacortes ferry terminal, luckily the Guemes Island store has that covered. The attendant in the office was very helpful, and it's very simple to load and unload a bike from this very casual, and pleasant ferry. If you take a car on the weekend days, or Friday during the summer months be prepared to wait in line, the ferry is small and the line of cars on both sides was quite long. We really enjoyed Guemes Island, we will be returning soon.

A gorgeous Ferry Terminal adjacent to Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands. A perfect stop off on…read moreyour San Juan getaway, or destination for a quiet and peaceful escape!

I am writing to share my daughter's experience trying to get on the 12:45 sailing to Anacortes…read moretoday. She got to the landing over an hour early and was number 8 in line. Turns out that they did not load her nor did they load the number 7 car. So I guess you take your chances whether WSF chooses to overload at Orcus and screw the little island. We've been coming to Shaw for over 65 years and we think our WSF experience has reached a new low.

We had a Wonderful experience and the staff is friendly with great service! Would definitely…read morerecommend them!

Oh my! This ferry is just lovely! There is an adventurer area for kids, a gift shop filled w neat…read moreclothes and high end quality items. The ferry is upscale and very comfortable. Windows are easy to see out of. They have delis and bars, lots to choose from. Time flew as we enjoyed the boat...so sad to get off!

The Swartz Bay terminal is really well organized and labeled. I have used both the vehicle side and…read morethe walk-in side many many times. For walk-on, the waiting area is very close to the entrance to the terminal and so you can arrive quite late and still make it on to the ferry. There is a free luggage check-in service from Swartz Bay to Tsawassen that I use all the time. Just weigh the bag, attach a heavy tag if necessary and slide it down the baggage slide! I love it as I don't have to carry luggage onto the ferry. Luggage arriving from Vancouver get put on the carousel outside - it can sometimes take awhile to arrive. From the vehicle side, it's very easy to get on with a ferry reservation. If arriving early enough, there is very little lines to get in and service is very fast. There is a small cafe once in the waiting area to use the washroom and grab snacks. The terminal staff are all very nice and informative. Everything is well labeled so visitors won't get lost. It is also pretty clean considering how many people travel through each day. On holidays and weekends, it can be crowded. There are two bus lines that go to downtown which are very slow and get crowded quickly. Sometimes it won't even be able to fit everyone and people have to wait at least an hour for the next one. There are taxis that typically wait outside the terminal, but there are usually very few so be sure to get outside quickly.

Catching the ferry between Vancouver and Victoria was an educational experience!…read more There are different ferries at different ports and some of them go to different islands. Finding the correct one was the challenge! This is the one to get from Victoria to Vancouver. We didn't have a reservation. We missed the 7pm ferry; paid for the 9pm ferry (2 adults and one undersized vehicle less than 20 feet); and waited to board. We locked the car and used the restroom at the restaurant. There was an announcement that told passengers to get their vehicles ready to board. The process was very organized and the staff waved vehicles into the designated lanes and motioned vehicles to get closer to the car ahead of them. On board, we used the restroom, walked past the cafeteria and restaurant, browsed the gift shop where my niece purchased a magnet, and found seats to wait out the hour and a half trip. Overall, it was a pleasant experience! We probably will do this again some day!

If you need a ride on Orcas, Terry is your man. From our first steps onto the island to our last…read moresteps off, Terry was sure to get us where we needed to go on time. This man over delivers on customer service in every aspect. He learned our itinerary and was able to make ride plans for us in advance to ensure a perfect experience. He is very personable and genuinely cares about people. You will be happy that you met this person, as I'm sure everyone is. Seriously. Call Terry. I felt like we had a private driver for our entire stay. Contact: (360) 298-8414

Terry was very agreeable to all requests. Helped work out our timing, was prompt in arrival times,…read moreknowledgeable, skilled, etc. Can't go wrong with OISS. See photos for contact info.