Orcas boasts by far the largest park in the San Juans, as well as two county parks.
Moran State Park, like so much of Orcas, stands out! Five thousand acres of forest, sandy beaches, lakes and rock, make up this park, which was the gift of Robert Moran, Seattle’s mayor during the fire of 1889. Mr. Moran made a fortune building steamships (see History). Visitors can hike for hours on the 30 miles of trails, view ancient spruce and fir, swim in Cascade Lake, and check out pristine Cascade Falls, dropping 70 feet into a crystal pool. The park has four campgrounds and is one of the most popular in the northwest, second possibly only to Deception Pass on the northwest coast. Visitors can spend a week here and never leave the park!

The view from Mount Constitution, Orcas Island

The view from Mount Constitution, Orcas Island

Cascade Lake, Orcas Island

Cascade Lake, Orcas Island

 Obstruction Pass Campground, located on the island’s southeast tip, is a small site with 2 mooring buoys, hiking trails, and campsites with picnic tables and barbecues. Because it’s a half mile walk in to the site, the campground is quiet.
Parks and recreation areas:

  • Buck Recreation Area
  • Cascade Lake, in Moran State Park
  • Frank Richardson Wildlife Preserve
  • Killebrew Lake
  • Madrona Point Preserve
  • Moran State Park
  • Obstruction Pass County Park
  • Olga Marine State Park
  • Point Doughty Recreation Site
  • Twin Rocks State Park