From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Orcas

Location of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands
Geography
Orcas Island (Washington)
Location	Pacific Northwest
Coordinates	48°38′44″N 122°57′57″W / 48.64566°N 122.96574°W / 48.64566; -122.96574Coordinates: 48°38′44″N 122°57′57″W / 48.64566°N 122.96574°W / 48.64566; -122.96574
Archipelago	San Juan Islands
Area	57.3 sq mi (148 km2)
Highest point	Mount Constitution (2,409 feet (734 m))
Country
United States
State	Washington
County	San Juan County
Largest city	Eastsound
Demographics
Population	4,453 (as of 2000)
Density	30.09 /km2 (77.9 /sq mi)

Orcas Island Ferry Landing

View eastwards from Mount Constitution over the Rosario Strait with Mount Baker visible

Orcas Island (pronounced /ˈɔrkəs/, not /ˈɔrkəz/) is the largest of the San Juan Islands, which are located in the northwestern corner of Washington state in San Juan County, Washington. Orcas Island is accessible by air or water. The Washington State Ferry route serving the San Juans from the mainland terminal at Anacortes, Washington stops at Orcas Island. Air service to Eastsound Airport is provided by Kenmore Air (from Boeing Field with shuttle to SeaTac) and San Juan Air (from Bellingham). Kenmore Air also provides seaplane service from Lake Union in Seattle to three points on Orcas Island: Rosario, West Sound and Deer Harbor. During the summer season, there is an island shuttle that runs from the ferry landing to Eastsound and other points.

Geography

With a land area of 57.3 square miles (148.4 km²) and a population of 4,453 (2000 census), Orcas Island is slightly larger, but less populous, than neighboring San Juan Island. Orcas is shaped like a pair of saddlebags, separated by fjord-like East Sound, with Massacre Bay on the south side, and tiny Skull Island just off the coast. At the northern end of the island is the village of Eastsound, the largest town on Orcas and the second largest in San Juan County. In 1989 the Lummi Nation regained a village and burial site on Orcas Island's Madrona Point near Eastsound, and now operates it as Madrona Point Park, a private preserve characterized by hundreds of twisting madrona trees sprouting from the rocky shoreline.

Other, smaller towns - or hamlets - on the island include Orcas (where the inter-island/mainland ferry lands), West Sound (technically part of Eastsound), Deer Harbor, Rosario (technically part of Eastsound), Olga and Doe Bay. There are overnight accommodations for visitors in each. Of these Olga and Doe Bay are on the less-populated and generally quieter east side of the island. At Olga, there is a popular cafe and art gallery in a former strawberry-barreling plant, where local artists sell their work, and studios for pottery and glass art. Doe Bay is known primarily for a rustic resort of the same name.

Moran State Park

Mount Constitution (elevation 2409 feet - 734 meters) is the highest point in the San Juan islands and is a prime tourist attraction. The drive to the top takes about 15 minutes (except in the worst winter weather when park rangers close the road) and provides a dramatic 360-degree marine view. The mountain is part of Moran State Park, the most popular attraction in the San Juan Islands and the largest public recreation area in the San Juan Islands. Moran State Park encompasses over 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of woodland and has several lakes, used for swimming, fishing and non-motorized boating, especially kayaking. There are numerous waterfalls, as well as miles of walking, hiking, biking trails, and a campground.

State Ferry to Orcas Island Landing

Moran State Park rangers manage Obstruction Pass State Park, a marine park three miles (5 km) past Moran State Park that is used for hike-in or boat-in camping. The Obstruction Pass Park has a half mile trail leading to a public beach and campground area. There are 11 campsites and 3 mooring buoys at the park. There is a public boat launch on Orcas Island, with a small loading/off-loading public dock, trash dumpster and compost toilet, located a mile past the trailhead road on Obstruction Pass Road. Lieber Haven Resort and Marina located a short distance from this public boat launch also has a guest dock with short term boat moorage (often the public dock is full) and a sandy beach area designated for passing kayakers to land. The resort is a WiFi hotspot, enabling boaters to get internet access. There is a small visitor information center on the dock and next to the nearby grocery store, which includes a public phone.

Historic camps and museums

Orcas Island is also home to three historic camps: Camp Orkila, Four Winds Westward Ho and Camp Indralaya. Camp Orkila, operated by the Greater Seattle area YMCA, is located on the island's northwest shoulder. In operation since 1906, Orkila caters to families, schools, and other organizations during the school year, and during the summer operates an overnight camp for boys and girls entering grades 3-12. Four Winds, located on the southwest corner of Orcas Island in Four Winds Bay, is a non-profit summer camp founded in 1927 which offers activities such as sailing, canoeing, horseback riding, arts and crafts and landsports to 7-18 year olds. Camp Indralaya was founded in 1927 by the Theosophical Society as an experiment in theosophical living. It operates year-round with a program season from April to October.

The Orcas Island Historical Museum is located down town Eastsound and is the only object-based, interpretive heritage facility for the island, with a permanent collection containing approximately 6000 objects, paper documents and photographs.

Name

The name "Orcas" (pronounced /ˈɔrkəs/, like Orcus, not */ˈɔrkəz/ like the plural of orca) is a shortened form of Horcasitas, or Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the Viceroy of Mexico who sent an exploration expedition under Francisco de Eliza to the Pacific Northwest in 1791. During the voyage, Eliza explored part of the San Juan Islands. He did not apply the name Orcas specifically to Orcas Island, but rather to part of the archipelago. In 1847 Henry Kellett assigned the name Orcas to Orcas Island during his reorganization of the British Admiralty charts. It was this work of Kellett's that eliminated the patriotically American names that Charles Wilkes had given to many features of the San Juans during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838-1842. Wilkes had named Orcas Island "Hull Island", after Commodore Isaac Hull. Other features of Orcas Island named by Wilkes include "Ironsides Inlet" for East Sound, and "Guerrier Bay" for West Sound. One of the names Wilkes gave remains, that of Mount Constitution. Wilkes' names follow a pattern: Isaac Hull was the commander of "Old Ironsides" (the USS Constitution) and won fame after capturing the British warship Guerriere in the War of 1812.^[1]

Notes

References

• YMCA Camp Orkila
• Four Winds Westward Ho Summer Camp
• Camp Indralaya
• Moran Outdoor School

External links

• Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce (Orcas Island)
• Orcas Island Historical Museum
• Orcas Island at the Open Directory Project

From Wikitravel

Orcas Island is located off the northern coast of Washington State. It is the largest island of the San Juan Islands. Orcas is about 57 square miles, and takes the shape of a horse shoe. Population of the island is 4,453.

Get in

From Anacortes you can take a Ferry, but when planning to do so look at schedules ahead of time considering they change repeatedly. If you can't take a ferry then you have the choice of a seaplane or airplane from Seattle or Portland, Oregon.

• Washington State Ferries, 1-888-808-7977, 2901 Third Avenue Suite 500, Seattle WA 98121-3014 [1]
  
• Kenmore Air, seaplane airlines, 866-435-9524, 6321 NE 175th, Kenmore, WA 98028-0064 [2]
  

Get around

The most pleasant way to get around the island, especially if you aren't in a hurry, is by bicycle. You can bring your own bike on the ferry, or rent one at various outlets around the island. You can also bring your car on the ferry (but car passage is more expensive than foot passage). There are also bus and car rental services on the island.

• Orcas Island Shuttle, ☎ +1-(360) 376-RIDE (email@orcasislandshuttle.com), [3]. May 26-28 and June 23-September 16, 08:25h-19:25h. This shuttle runs five round-trips a day during the summer, along a three-pronged course that traces the southern peninsulas of the island. Stops at Rosario Resort, Cascade Harbor Inn / Discovery House, Moran State Park, Country Corner / Inn At Ship Bay, Airport, Eastsound / Outlook Inn, Golf Course, West Sound, Deer Harbor, Ferry dock. $5 one-way, $10 day pass..  edit
• Orcas Island Taxi, ☎ +1-(360) 376-TAXI (8294) (dan@orcastaxi.com), [4]. 24 hours/day. Alternate phones: +1-(800) 942-1926; mobile +1-(360) 472-0364. Example fare: Eastsound to Ferry dock $18.00. $5.50 pickup + $1.50/mile.  edit
• Orcas Island rental car, (Car delivered at time and location you specify.), ☎ +1-(360) 376-RIDE (email@orcasislandshuttle.com), [5]. Used but clean cars. When you are done with the car, just lock the keys in it and leave; they come pick it up. 4-door midsize car 59.95 + tax, convertible 99.95 + tax.  edit
• M & W Car rentals, (at Orcas Moped, Orcas Village), ☎ +1-360-376-5266, [6]. May 15 - Oct 15 only. This Orcas Island branch of a Friday Harbor-based business usually has just one size of car available (though a van may be available on request) and only during peak season. $59.95/day.  edit

Do

The island provides many attractions to see and do.

Eastsound at daybreak

• Atop Mt. Constitution there is a near 360 degree view from a stone tower built by the public works of the Roosevelt era (television broadcast tower for KVOS TV makes it less than 360 degrees, but still worth it).
• the Magic Air tour allows you to see the entire island from a bird's-eye view.
• Moran State Park consists of 5,252 acres of camping park with five freshwater lakes and over 30 miles of hiking trails as well as going to the Obstruction Pass State Park.
• Go to the farmers markets and see what the vendors have to sell.
• Orcas Island Historical Museum.
• Go sea kayaking with biologist guides in the prime orca whale watching waters. Abundant seals, eagles, and other marine wildlife are seen on day tours or camping trips from 2, 3 or 5 days to the smaller islands. 360-378-5767 or 888-589-4253, whales@sea-quest-kayak.com. Kayaking with Whales in the San Juan Islands
• Go bird-watching with local bird book author/biologist Mark Lewis anywhere in the San Juan Islands, home to 300+ species of birds. Tour lengths from half-day to full day to multi-days. 360-378-5767 or 888-589-4253. Birding Tours in the San Juan Islands

Eat

Orcas Island provides a variety of restaurants. From fine dining to just relaxing in a cozy cottage. Serving American dishes, Mexican dishes, southwestern and Latin cuisines not to forget about the fresh seafood.

Drink

From your typically bottle of water to fresh squeezed lime margaritas.

Darvill's Bookstore: A great place for a cup of afternoon tea or the perfect place to enjoy a double espresso while staring out at the bay.

Sleep

With a variety of Inns you are able to pick what suits you the most. From new to vintage, small cottages to your traditional Inns, as well as resorts and hotels.

The Outlook Inn: This Inn is a perfect location for a relaxing retreat. The location places it in the middle of the island. All of your outdoor sights and sounds are easily accessible. Best of all, the setting is idyllic.