This is one of my favorite islands to stop, enjoy and hike. It's one of the most visited islands in the San Juans because of its beautiful beaches, bays, and resources (bathrooms, fresh water, camping sites, dock, mooring balls, and small event spaces). Hiking is easy and the rain forest is lush, filtering the light and the rain. We were lucky and saw an otter here--i haven't seen any in my previous trips here and in the other islands. Lots of eagles, osprey, and buzzards too. There are illustrated placards that offer history and note special geographical features of the island. The weather has mostly been calm when we've visited here (May-Oct), but the winds do rip through here, making camping and boating challenging. read more

I know what you're thinking: there's nothing interesting here. Why would I want to go out of my way to check out the park manager's residence? Well, I felt the same way until I actually took the (easy) hike over there from the main dock. Yes, it's brown like the usual ranger station. And technically, you can't go inside as it's not open to the public. But the reason to visit this special little cove on beautiful Sucia Island is its history and grounds. Built by the original family to settle on Sucia, the now publicly-owned residence sits amidst a grove of fruit trees planted by that original family, and there's also a huge marshy area that was cleared out for fields and so that the family's livestock would have a place to graze. Near the beach, rusty relics of old farming equipment are on display near a picnic table (which, by the way, is a great place to stop for a drink or a snack before you continue on your hike). Keep your eyes open for buried bricks under the trail. Yep, that pioneering family even laid their own road here, brick by brick. I wish the State Park would do more to illustrate and teach the history of this special spot. Because you can almost hear the children of those settlers playing in the orchard or on the beach, and wonder how magical it must have been to have been raised on that island. read more

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