Pets allowed
Allowed
Guided tours
No
Backcountry camping
No
Lodging
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

On the west side of San Juan Island, Lime Kiln Point State Park looks out over the Haro Straight to Victoria and Olympic National Park. The location is regarded as one of the best places in the world to watch whales from land. This is thanks in part to the depth of the water right up to the shoreline, as the island was cut out by the movement of glaciers thousands of years ago. From Lime Kiln State Park, you have the opportunity to see a whale jump as close as a few dozen feet from shore.

The park received its name from the lime kilns that were used in the area as far back as the 1860s. Just north of the Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse, one of the original lime kilns has been restored for public viewing. In addition to the light house and lime kiln, the park offers hiking and ADA accessible trails, an interpretive center, public restrooms, and picnic areas.

Puget Sound Lighthouses

In total, the Puget Sound is home to 19 U.S. lighthouses still standing, not all of which are currently in use. Lighthouses and light stations include (from north to south):

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Washington Discovery Pass

Pros

Whale watching. Panoramic view. Lighthouse.

Cons

None.

Features

Historically significant
Flushing toilets
Lighthouse
Potable water
Picnic tables
Fishing
Bird watching
Wildlife
Whale watching
Wildlife

Location

Comments

06/05/2016
An amazingly scenic park to explore! Take your time here and wait for the whales to pass by.
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