Looking for the perfect glamping experience near Friday Harbor? Camping has always been a favorite form of travel for many, but Friday Harbor, WA glamping is a new and unique way to do it. Glamping offers quick access to one or more of Friday Harbor's most popular destinations.
Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000-feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900-feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass.
The park has 167 tent sites, 143 utility spaces, five hiker / biker sites, two dump stations, 20 restrooms (four ADA), and ten showers (four ADA). Camping is located at three locations in the park, 18 tent sites and two utility sites are at Bowman Bay, seven tent sites and 54 utility sites at Quarry Pond, and 147 tent sites and 83 utility sites are at Cranberry Lake. Maximum site length is 60-feet (limited availability).
In addition there are four campsites on Hope Island north shore bay, the pay station is near the east campsite, a vault toilet is in the woods 100-feet south of the campsites. The rest of the island is a natural area preserve and off limits to recreational use. Standard primitive campsite rules apply.
$12 - $40 / night
Set in a blue cove between Bellingham and Blaine, Birch Bay State Park feels private and secluded without being far from urban life. Stroll along the rocky beach and take in dramatic views of the North Cascades Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands. Or head up the Terrell Marsh interpretive trail to a rare saltwater and freshwater estuary teeming with birds and wildlife, including great blue herons. Low tide reveals a wide mudflat with a treasure trove of clams and other shellfish that can be harvested in season. Bring out the pails, shovels, mud boots and licenses, and start digging! If you prefer to swim, Birch Bay is known for its relatively warm water, and if you'd rather be on the water, the park offers excellent crabbing, windsurfing, sailing and paddling. Staying overnight? Birch bay camping has a basketball court and environmental education programs in summer ensure fun for the whole family. If you're looking for a side trip, the U.S.- Canada border town of Blaine and the fascinating Peace Arch State Park are only 9 miles north, and the lively university city of Bellingham is 20 miles south. You can always spend an evening in town and return to the beachy bliss of Birch Bay.
Campers may enjoy this scenic and historic fort at two delightful campgrounds with 80 campsites that may be reserved up to 9 months in advance. Both campgrounds have restrooms with showers. Maximum site length is 75-feet (limited availability).
Beach campground features 50 full-hookup (water, electric, and sewer) sites tucked between the bluffs and the beaches of Point Wilson. The sites are level, spacious, and open. Most sites have an amazing view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Upper campground features 30 partial-hookup sites with water, electricity, and a sewer dump station nearby. The campsites are mostly forested, some with privacy. They are fairly level, and quite long. This campground offers easy access to miles of trails.
Campsites are popular and fill quickly year-round. Reservations are highly recommended.
Campgrounds convert to winter water after Thanksgiving until before Presidents' Day Weekend (subject to weather). Insulated winter water sources are available in each campground during this time.
Lakedale Resort features a variety of accommodation options, including a 10-room hotel, real log cabins, canvas cabins for a fabulous glamping experience, and camping. Lakedale Resort near Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor is also a great destination for workshops, meetings and retreats, providing you with an inspirational setting to have fun and achieve your goals! Your group will enjoy the many activities that Lakedale has to offer including swimming, fishing, and canoeing on one of our three lakes. Or imagine taking over the lodge for your wedding and having your ceremony on a point in the midst of Neva Lake! The Lakedale Campground is open from early May through September 30 and provides guests the opportunity to experience 82 acres of natural beauty outdoors while camping on San Juan Island. The Lakedale Campground is conveniently located four miles north of the ferry landing at Friday Harbor and four miles south of the Roche Harbor Marina.
San Juan County Parks provides beautiful shoreline parks on the ferry-served San Juan Islands. Campgrounds offer waterfront campsites, beach access & scenic views and accommodate tents and smaller RV's (no hook-ups; check for restrictions) for a unique "island” experience. Restrooms, picnic tables, fire-rings, picnic shelters, boat ramps. Odlin County Park is just one mile from the Lopez Island Ferry Landing, and three miles from Lopez Village. This 80-acre waterfront park features 8 campsites, a lovely sandy beach, a boat launch, hiking trails, a full-sized ball field and several picnic areas. Enjoy a hike or eat lunch in the picnic pavilion. There is also water, toilets, five mooring buoys and a day use dock.
This recreation area is part of Keystone Harbor
Close to Seattle but a world away, Camano Island Camping offers a mellow, less bustling, but equally friendly alternative to its busier neighbor, Cama Beach State Park.
Forest loop trails provide cool, tranquil hiking, while shoreline strolls offer birding, shell and rock exploration and sweeping views of Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier.
Are you happiest in or on the water? Go boating, crabbing, saltwater fishing and sailboarding in Saratoga Passage. Curious about the restored 1930's fishing resort at Cama Beach? Hike the 1-mile trail to check out this neighboring state park.
After a fun day exploring the trails or cavorting in the water, you will probably want to kick back in your forested cabin, pitch your tent or get cozy in your RV. There, you can cook up the delicious crab you have caught, or your dinner of choice, and enjoy a bit of sublime R and R before heading back to the world.
Traveler
We had Nevas Canvas Tent #6. It was amazing! Glamping at its finest! King size bed was super comfy. We had a huge deck overlooking one of the three lakes. Our tent also had a bathroom w/ a toilet and shower, an electrIc heater, a trundle bed/couch, and electrical outlets. They currently have 6 of these Nevas tents, 16 canvas tents (w/o water/restrooms/electricity), 6 huge log cabins, 7 yurts (w small kitchens), 37 or so camping sites, 4 RV sites, and an Airstream you can rent. There is also a traditional lodge (not sure how many rooms, but it looked nice). Canvas tents and lodge come w/ breakfast. We will for sure come back!
Legend
This campground is so high and remote. It's not glamping, by any means. Sites are nice, but there's very little in between them for privacy. Views are incredible. I've been going here since I was a kid.
LegendRight in the middle. About 10 minutes to Friday Harbor and 10 minutes to English Camp. Great spot on the lakes, lots of different options from tents, to hook ups to cabins to canvas tents etc. Hot showers for a price! But worth it.
Ranger
Partnering with Wanderlust, there are now glamping campsites in the south end of Moran State Park and they are amazing. We got to "peek in" and see them right when they launched and they look amazing. Unfortunately, there is a waitlist to obtain one of these 5 beauties.
Each site comes with a nice canvas tent, queen size bed, dresser, big chairs to sit by the firepit with basic amenities - coffee - water etc provided.
Note the tents are not on the lake like other sites but tucked in the woods with glimpses of the lake.
We are already planning our trip next summer - just need the waitlist to open soon!
(photo courtesy of wanderlust)
Ranger
Camp is very clean and quiet. Sites are private. There's RV sites tent sites and Glamping tents there's one with a king bed for couples and 1 with a king bed and a twin bed for families and 1 with 2 twin beds for friends they're all fully furnished with bedding and tables and chairs and a rug There's a general store right down the road and a laundry Mat you can take showers at Salt Creek which is just down the road and it's beautiful place to visit there's deer and elk that come through the camp 2 Porter potties and a wash Station with a sink so you can wash your hands and do dishes Firewood bundles are 3 times the size as the ones you buy stores or from people on the road. All in all good vibes
LegendI reserved a "family campsite" for tent camping with a friend this past week. The campground has a great location and is easily accessible from all that the San Juan Island has to offer. The sites are large and well appointed, ours was in a nice wooded area, had two picnic tables, a nice fire pit with grill and multiple flat spots for our tent. The sites don't offer a ton of privacy and we were surrounded by large groups of families, which was a bit noisy. We arrived at this campground after spending the 3 prior nights in the backcountry, so we were pretty excited to take advantage of the bathhouse and shower facilities. We may have just caught the campground at a bad time, but we were shocked to see how filthy the bathrooms and showers were. The showers were ice cold and looked like they hadn't been cleaned in weeks. The price was also rather steep ($66/night for the most basic camp site offered) but understandable considering the lack of availability for campsites during the high season on the island.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this campground to a family looking for fun activities for the kids while staying on the island. The resort also offers many other types of accommodations that I would be interested to try in the future including cabins, airstream trailers and "glamping" canvas tents!
Ranger
Take a hint from the name and bring a kayak! The coolest thing about the campground is the yurts. They’re modern and pretty close together if it’s just your family, but we were here for a scout event and it was just so neat staying in the yurts, especially in the colder months. Some bathrooms have water flush toilets. There’s a playground and the shore to keep the kids busy and fishing for us.
Ranger
This place is so magical and full of amenities. The cliffside yurts are amazing and the views are even better. Spent a few nights here with a book and had the best time! “On grid” yurts have electricity. No water so bring your own or grab at the market.
The market was really convenient. The spa is lovely and I highly recommend soaking and getting a massage if you have the time. Highly recommend renting kayaks for the day. Yoga classes available as well!
Cafe has good food. Brunch is a must.
Check out Buck Bay Shellfish Farm down the road if you want delicious seafood.
GuideOpps this is for the campground not the yurts. There's a fishing pier and boat ramp and great beach access. The sites are big, they just redid the utilities so each site now has water.
ScoutThe campground is up top and the day use area (beach and boat ramp and pier) is down below. During a previous trip in April we saw a whale feeding in the bay. We take our boat and crab. Its close to town but surprisingly few people are aware of the campground. There's yurts, but we stay in our trailer.
TravelerStayed for two nights at a tent site. It was lumpy and very unkept. It really needed some basic clean up landscaping. For the $100+ each night - I was hoping for something a lot nicer. Only almost filled portable toilets near the tents. Trash cans were overflowing.
The focus is more on the lodge, cabins, yurts, and rv sites. Those looked pretty nice.
We were told that because of a Jazz festival - the cost included admission and so higher - Surprise - it was free! and awful! Would have left but there are very few tenting campgrounds on the island.
Won't go there again - even at the other accommodations.
Really disappointed.
RangerCampground Review:
A two hour drive from Seattle will land you at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal where you'll be just a boat ride away from beautiful Orcas Island. The Doe Bay Resort & Retreat has several options for camping including cabins, yurts, space for campers and tents. You can camp out in the woods and see the local wildlife (lots of deer and otters!) and there are plenty of trees to hang your hammock. There's also a restaurant, and a concert hall on site. If you're lucky enough to be there during a show it is life changing. Don't forget you are in Wa. and it rains more often than not, so come prepared with tarps and rain gear. All in all this is an amazing spot to camp and I highly recommend checking it out.
......
Product Review:
During my camping trip at Doe Bay I used the Eno DoubleNest® Hammock and Atlas™ Straps for my relaxation in the woods. The Eno Hammock is super easy to set up (goes up in a matter of seconds), comfortable to nap, lounge, or sleep all night in, and doesn't swing too much if you tend to get sea sick! It comes in a variety of colors and there's a single nest option as well on Eno's website. The material is durable and comfortable to lay in by itself, or cozy up with a blanket! Give one a go if you're looking for a lightweight and comfortable way to lounge.
Ranger
Nothing beats camping at a historical Fort with breathtaking views and great motorcycle friendly activities.
Take your family this summer to enjoy hiking trails, explore the remains of Fort Casey, and visit the diving park at Washington’s Keystone.
Romantic sunsets and premium restaurants nearby make this a perfect lovers getaway just as much as a family fun trip.
Take your heart on a journey and Camp Washington State!
Guide
Great campground this was hands down one of our favorite thousand trails in Washington you will enjoy this campground Great location great campground would go back
Ranger
On out road trip we ended up in forks washington where the twilight flims are based off of. This town is close and the koa was wonderful
Traveler
Birch bay is a noce hidden gem on Washington's northwest coast. Lots of biking and hiking up and down the beach there is plenty to do locally. Birch bay has a wonderful assortment of gift shops and restraunts.
Guide
I love this place! Camping right at the water or off in the woods. Lots of biking and hiking. A small bar is on site with good food, craft beers, and cocktails. A pier into the sound. Crabbing, bouy anchors. Fort and battery tours. a real gem in Washington.
Guide
This is one of the most popular locations in Washington State and easy to see why. Both fresh and salt water experiences are within a few steps away with amazing sunsets and breathtaking views. Plenty to do for each family member. The only downside is the cramped feeling in most of the sites and the difficulty of monuverability for trailers and campers.
GuideThis was our first camping trip, as new Washington locals. While we do not normally do KOAs, this was a good call, as the campground does accept reservations, which is hard to find on the Olympic Peninsula. The campground was a great launching pad for all our explorations, including the Hoh rain forest and Victoria BC (a short ferrry ride away). I would recommend a stay here!
TravelerThis is our go-to family camping area for october-June trips. It is never too cold and it has a lot to offer. The campgrounds are within walking distance to a beautiful sandy beach complete with tide pools! We also like to hit up the local drive in movie theater for a little classic entertainment (Blue Fox Drive-in) and cheap greasy cheesy fry delicacies ;). Beautiful views and small hikes along the coastlines. Definitely an iconic Washington coastal camping area, but without the long drive to the penninsula.
Guide
These campsites were closed indefinitely due to flood damage, but man were they beautiful when open. The entire Washington area is beautiful. Even though the campsites are currently closed there is lodging available in the Port Angeles area. You can also stay inside the park at Lake Crescent. The area is still open for hiking. I definitely recommend making a stop here during your Olympic National Park visit.
GuideVisited on a beautiful spring day. No idea how I always get so lucky with washington weather. We went during the tulip festival at Anacortes nearby so that was a definite plus. The bridge is very scenic, so this is a great place to visit even if only for the day. I should've done some research into why they named it deception pass because it was exactly what I expected. There are multiple recreational water activities to do, but I didn't do any as I found the Springtime sound a little too cold for my liking.
Scout
Hello everyone, I recently traveled around Washington and our guide directed us to the Lira River. I took some beautiful photos and one long video. I can upload it to vimeo, but for that I will need to convert it from mts to mp4 format. A friend suggested this site to me, and I was able to convert the video.
LegendThis is one of two campgrounds at Fort Worden, which I prefer over the upper (Forest) campground. This is one of those campgrounds that gets big points for its location and views, and not so much for its privacy or beauty. It's a long, flat, open area along the beach and mixed in with the beach vegetation. The sites are pretty close together, so you don't get a lot of privacy. You do have the beach, lots of trails, a scenic lighthouse and that salt sea air. You do get lots of fog in the morning sometimes, and a pretty steady breeze off the water. You need a Discover Pass for day use. These are required at pretty much all county and state campgrounds in Washington State. They cost $30 per year.
GuideEven though I grew up on Orcas Island, Moran State Park remains to be my favorite state park in Washington.
It offers so many different things from miles of hiking trails to swimming holes, cliffs to jump from, fishing, boating spectacular views and so much more!
There are three loops you can choose from; North End, Midway, and South End. Every loop is well kept, and has its own perks. My favorite is the South End due to all of the sites being on the lake with private water access! But you truly can do no wrong with whatever site you end up with!
If you have a chance to explore Morans beauty, I highly recommend you do so.
Do remember before booking a site that there is an hour long ferry ride to Orcas from Anacortes. You will need reservations in the summer. The camp ground is about 40 minutes drive time from the ferry. No worries though, plenty of sites to see along the way.
Ranger
I was a volunteer camp host for this park for a month. It’s a busy place on the weekends especially. The system in Washington is sometimes showing how overwhelmed and understaffed they are, and this park is so severely understaffed it’s sad. Many folks do not understand how to cleanup and leave no trace. As volunteers, we learned a lot about the area, the fight with the Tulalip Tribe to have the land, the desecration of indian burial grounds, the full sale of the land by a private owner to the state because of a haunting and a family curse... there’s a ton of local drama in these lands. If you’re a ghost nut, this place is for you - ask the campground staff for the history.
RangerI said lovely in the summertime even though I was a bit chilly! Tropical girl in the north. Despite the cooler temperatures at night the weather was just wonderful when we stayed at Deception Pass. There were so many activities. Some trails walking distance from the campsite to gorgeous beaches while others we drove to get to other trails and scenic lookouts. I loved every minute staying there. We spent two nights at Bowman Bay right next to the beach. The facilities are nice and well maintained. I really appreciate the Washington state park system and their nice campgrounds. We walked across the Deception Pass bridge and hiked up Goose Rock which is the highest point in the park. Just a heads up for anyone afraid of heights, the bridge is super thrilling!! And the views! Even I felt butterflies walking across.
Another day we explored the tide pools at Rosario Beach and went paddle boarding close by. We saw seals and sea otters playing. Really one of the highlights of the trip!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Friday Harbor, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Friday Harbor, WA is Deception Pass State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 103 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Friday Harbor, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 glamping camping locations near Friday Harbor, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
