San Juan County Park accommodates visitors with pets throughout its waterfront sites. The park features clean tent and RV sites with picnic tables and fire pits where pets are welcome on leash. Many campsites offer scenic water views with excellent opportunities to spot marine wildlife while camping with dogs. Lakedale Resort provides another pet-friendly option on San Juan Island with accommodations ranging from basic tent sites to canvas cabins, yurts, and log cabins that accept pets. Bathroom facilities at both locations are well-maintained and accessible for campers with animals. Sites get booked quickly during summer months, especially those with premium water views, as reservation windows open 90 days prior to arrival for non-island residents.
The campgrounds provide convenient access to pet-friendly activities around the island. San Juan County Park's beach area allows controlled water access for dogs, though owners should be mindful of property boundaries to avoid straying onto private land. The grassy bluff areas provide excellent space for exercising dogs while offering views of the Haro Strait where orcas are frequently spotted. Island weather conditions remain moderate year-round, making it comfortable for pets, though summer temperatures can warrant extra water supplies. Most sites have minimal privacy between neighbors, so proper pet management is essential for maintaining positive experiences for all campers. Cell service varies throughout the island with Verizon coverage being limited in some camping areas, so downloading maps or pet service information in advance is recommended.
$12 - $40 / night
"Close to water. Close to beach. Lots of hiking trails good for all ages. ADA friendly and pets allowed while on leashes."
"If you look at the map, you can pick some spots with privacy (tent and rv spots) Great trails in the area. For training, hiking, or just casual walking; you can do all of the above."
"Friday Harbor is famous for whale watching and views of Olympic National Park and Vancouver."
"San Juan Island Washington Is THE Emerald Gem of this state!! If you ever want to find heaven on earth this is it!!"
"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!"
"The campground has a great location and is easily accessible from all that the San Juan Island has to offer."
$12 - $45 / night
"We enjoyed our stay at this campsite, but do note it is on the opposite side of the island from the ferry terminal, so you need to drive there."
"I was able to snag one of the amazing sites on the lake. It sits down from the road and an embankment so there is a level of privacy from the road, but not your neighboring sites."
"Like all of the sites in the Washington Marine Island state park system, this spot has toilets and well maintained sites."
"The majority of the campsites are up a steep hill away from the water and the precious few sites along the water fill up fast (like 6 months in advance)."
$12 / night
"We camped there doing a guided kayak 3 days trip from Friday Harbor in June of 2022."
"I have seen orcas 300 feet away from the fire ring fishing off the eddylines. Seals often gather here to feed and play in the eddy."
"Watmough Beach on the southern end of the island is a 300 yard flat hike/walk to stunning cliff views and a great Cell coverage was spotty throughout the camp. AT&T was mostly available but slow."
"There are plenty of beach sites, a few are “walk-in” – which just means that you can’t park your car there. There are lots of forested sites which offer more privacy than the beach."
"There are great hikes all around, we walked around the lake and plopped our canoe in right from the site to go explore around."
"Situated on a small peninsula on gorgeous mountain lake. Great fishing and kayaking. Hiking trail right outside you your campsite. Put toilet only, no room for RV’s or campers."
"Lots of the spots have huge forested areas behind them. Was easy walking distance to the lake where you can rent kayaks and paddle boards or lounge on the beach."
"Its tucked away in the woods. There are usually deer in the morning. So be sure to pack away food. The bathrooms are well maintained. It is well worth the hike to the lookout on the mountain."
"Just across the Channel from Lopez, the park located in Indian Cover makes a great stopping point between Odlin or Spencer's Spit and Turn Island/Friday Harbor."
"We spent a lovely night at this park and enjoyed playing with our dogs on the public beach."
RangerWe camped there doing a guided kayak 3 days trip from Friday Harbor in June of 2022. Weather had been iffy the prior few days but we end up being lucky and had close to perfect weather for our short trip. We camped on the north east side of the island, next the marina, to be protected from the heavy wind that was coming from the west that weekend.
ScoutWe made a last minute decision to stay here, when our ferry from Friday Harbor was delayed by several hours. Very quiet campground, with lots of trees. Bathrooms do have showers as well. And despite details on this site, RV sites do have electric hook up as well. It was absolutely everything that we could have hoped for, for a very good price.
LegendThis island is just east of San Juan Island and about 3.5 miles from Friday Harbor. It offers two beaches for camping. The north beach has at least 4 mooring buoys for sailing or motor vessels, in addition to nice beach sites. The west beach is better for sea kayak landing or small boat haul up, with about 12 or so sites. Great for sunset or sunrise.
No water or power is available at this island, however the composting toilets are kept clean, and the island is extremely cute. Be forewarned the raccoon situation is serious, they know how to get into your food. All food should be in hard sided containers, or boat hatches. We flipped our boats over on the beach after witnessing 2 big fellas trying to pull at the hatch covers.
Cost: $12 /night
RangerWe headed to here from Friday Harbor at the San Juan County launch. We came in through Reid Harbor and stayed on the left side in site 12 I believe. Whichever is the first site over there. You do have service for ATT, not strong everywhere but pretty good! They have pit toilets and potable water. We hiked to the schoolhouse and the lighthouse. It was about 5-5.5 miles round trip. Weather was pretty chilly at night but not unbearable. Raccoons are really bad! Put up all your food. Saw several deer while here too. Lots of wildlife… 2 harbor seals stayed in the harbor the whole weekend. Saw several bald eagles. Saw a river otter and several raccoons.
LegendWe have been on the road for a few weeks and luckily, we can work remotely but we need good WiFi and they have it. You can even stream if you want to. The campground is very well maintained and the staff is super friendly and helpful. Bathrooms were clean and so was the laundry facility. The laundry facility could use an update in terms of the washers and dryers and allowing people to use their cards to pay...but you can get quarters at the office/store so no big deal! There is a creek that goes by the campground and it makes it for a nice walk with dogs or without dogs :) There are a lot of trees there, which provide shade for part of the day, which is great. They are close to Chuckanut Drive, which is amazing, a must do when there, you finish the drive in Bellingham! Go for a walk at the park, which is by the water and get a burger at Zane after that...so worth it! Lots of local coffee shops around too. We also went on the cascade scenic drive - we did it in 12 hours...but people do it in a few days as they stop and stay along the way. We didn’t visit the San Juan islands this time around but make time to go to Friday Harbor and Orcas island; spend at least day in each and explore around. You can take a bus tour in Friday Harbor but we recommend renting a car for Orcas island. We will stay at this campground again when we go back to the area.
LegendRaccoons. Turn Island is just outside of Friday Harbor which makes for fun boat watching but also can mean considerable traffic. There are a few sites on the island, my favorites are to the western side. I’ve visited both via small sailboat and kayak. There are composting toilets available and a short trail around the island.
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.
GuideWe enjoyed our stay at this campsite, but do note it is on the opposite side of the island from the ferry terminal, so you need to drive there. We stayed in our tent and got to explore the island from the campground. There is lots to do in the campground including kayaking and hiking. I recommend going into town to explore the shops and taking a day trip to Friday Harbor!
GuideThis was a great site for a big party there were 22 of us - 8 kids. We were right in the center but felt like we had our own area. The kids were able to ride their bikes around and there was a huge grassy area just down the path they loved to go play at. We took the ferry over to Friday Harbor for lunch for a day trip. The kids also loved going down to the beach.
Water and facilities were easily accessed. Clean campgrounds. It was a great spot.
It was super easy to get to and I didn't feel like a wasted a day getting there or home.
Camping options span multiple islands near Friday Harbor, where temperatures typically range from 40-70°F year-round. The San Juan Islands receive less rainfall than mainland Washington due to the Olympic Mountain rain shadow, averaging only 29 inches annually. This creates favorable conditions for outdoor recreation with minimal mosquito activity compared to inland campgrounds.
Wildlife viewing from shore: At San Juan County Park, campers regularly spot marine wildlife without leaving land. "Great place to launch your kayak. I adventured into the campground area to check it out. Some spots were right on the water from where we put in at... Great views and can spot orcas from here when they pass through," notes Taylor C.
Kayaking multi-day trips: Jones Island Marine State Park provides excellent stopping points for paddlers exploring multiple islands. "Jones Island is about a mile west of the south shore of Orcas Island. It is a very popular island to camp on because it can facilitate large groups, so there are often kayaking companies out with their clients," explains Shari G., who recommends site 16 for its views and proximity to water access.
Lake activities: Fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities exist beyond saltwater. "The park features a lake with boat rentals and a swimming area. There is a big bathroom in the middle of the campground with three free showers for each gender," shares Delaney M. about facilities at Lakedale Resort.
Island solitude: Shaw Island County Park offers a quieter experience than busier islands. "Shaw Island itself is the smallest of the ferry served islands in the area which makes it much quieter than neighboring bigger islands," notes Kelsey M., who also mentions "the beach become mud flats as the tide goes out so be careful not to get beached."
Waterfront access: Pet-friendly camping with water views ranks high among visitor priorities. "We had a spot right on the water with a very shallow area for about 20 yards out. My 2 year old spent the entire weekend wading around the shallows," reports C.M. about Southend Campground at Moran State Park, which features sites with private water access.
Variety of accommodations: Options range from basic tent sites to upscale glamping experiences. "Lakedale resort is my favorite campground by far. There are plenty of private lakefront sites for everyone. They are really good about accommodating large groups as well," writes Delaney M., highlighting the diverse camping options available beyond standard sites.
Reservation timing: Campgrounds fill extremely quickly, especially during summer. "The only issue I have ever had with this campground is that because it's popular they instituted a rule that if you are an Island Country Resident you get first dibs. If you are not you have to wait until 90 days before your trip to book which can sometimes back fire," explains Emily S. about San Juan County Park.
Ferry planning: Allow ample time for ferry travel and make reservations when possible. "To get to Moran State Park or anywhere on Orcas Island, you need to take a ferry. I had read that you should get a reservation but I ignored it, thinking it would be no problem. Luckily we were the second to last car to get on," warns Sarah S.
Limited facilities: Odlin County Park and other dog-friendly campgrounds near Friday Harbor often have basic amenities. "Boat launch, water, clean pit-toilets, great recycling and trash are all available here, but no showers or electric outlets. However, Lopez Village has some of the best showers which you can use for the suggested donation of $2," advises Shari G.
Look for multiple activity options: Sites with varied recreation possibilities keep children engaged. "We rented a paddle boat one day and a row boat a different day. We had an amazing time and would do it again, in fact my daughter asks frequently when we will go to Lakedale next," shares Russel about their family visit to Lakedale Resort.
Consider wildlife encounters: Wildlife viewing opportunities abound but require proper preparation. "Always a great time! There's lots of beaches to walk and trails to hike. The little store right outside the camp has amazing salmon," notes Kaila R. about Deception Pass State Park, though park-specific wildlife varies across the islands.
Choose protected swim areas: Several pet-friendly camping areas near Friday Harbor feature shallow swimming zones. "There is a great kayaking launch and many companies use this area to start their trips. The views of Haro Strait are breath taking and make up for the cramped quarters. Orcas are often seen just off shore before high tide," explains Shari G. about San Juan County Park.
Limited hookup availability: Most island campgrounds offer minimal RV services. "We stayed in our RV in site without hook-ups. Fighter jet noise on a Monday morning during our stay. Be prepared for rain," advises Leonard H. about facilities at Deception Pass State Park Campground, highlighting the need to plan for self-sufficiency.
Size restrictions: Many island roads and campgrounds have tight turns and limited space. "Most of RV sites looked great & we loved ours. Read reviews that complain about low flying jets causing a racket. Happy to say we only encountered a couple jet making racket so our stay was relatively quiet," shares Rose M., noting that October weekdays tend to be quieter for RV camping.
Consider all-season options: "The only campground open in the winter at Deception Pass State Park is the Quarry Pond area. And even though the weather was wet and cold the campground was far from empty during our stay," reports Erica G., pointing out that some pet-friendly campgrounds operate year-round despite seasonal limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Friday Harbor, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Friday Harbor, WA is Deception Pass State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 109 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 139 dog-friendly camping locations near Friday Harbor, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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