Midway Campground — Moran State Park

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. 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!

Great stay on the San Juans!

I've been to Orcas a few times now and have stayed in a variety of places - cabins, inns, and now camping in Moran State Park. And I can tell you, out of all of them, this is THE BEST way to really get "away from it all". 

If you are lucky (or reserve early) you can get a nice tent spot right on the lake. Each site comes with a firepit and picnic table. 

While there, make sure to do some hikes in the park, the best being to hike up to Mt Constitution. (note people drive up there but what fun is that!) You are also about 15 minute drive from the main part of Orcas for a dinner out as well. 

Few tips: 
Book early, especially in the summer months. Campsites go fast. 
If driving over on the ferry, arrive really early (at least 2 hours before) if you do not have a reservation. Or now there are reservations which can be worth the extra $$. 

Save your money and camp. Only way to sleep on Orcas Island

Visited Moran State park on Orcas Island because one of my friends had been before and thought it was pretty neat. The park itself is on the eastern half of Orcas island, part of the San Juan island archipelago. The island has a fun vibe, and is located in the rain shadow of the Olympics so we had great weather. We camped on a lake that had easy trailhead access to the peak of Mt. Constitution, a easy/moderate hike with excellent views. At the summit there is a tower with information on the natural and human history of the island. 
All in all a fun place with great variety - The sound, lakes, and peaks. 
The only problem is expense. The ferry ride over and back is gonna run you $80 per car. 

Island Mountain Merriment

Lakefront camping in the middle of orcas island. Just a beautiful spot to get away from it all but still be a short drive from incredible food! Jump off the bridge, midnight skinny dipping, star gazing galore, deer spotting or beach combing. This spot has everything you need!

Gorgeous spot on the lake! 

If there is one spot i'd recommend, out of all of the camping on the ferry-served san juan islands, it's Moran State Park, on Oracas Island. We stayed in the Mountain Lake section of the State Park, and it was amazing. Secluded. Quiet. Beautiful. This would be a tough spot to camp during a busy weekend however as the spots are super close, but it's worth it. We camped mid week in May and had the campground to ourselves. It was heavenly. The lake is placid and clear, there were NO mosquitos at all. FYI: Cell coverage is spotty, verizon's coverage was nonexistent, but the ranger had at&t and said she had some coverage. There is a pay phone just up the road in case of emergencies. The Cascades Lakes campground looks more suited to resort camping with showers, a lake with boat rentals, and a small store, but i much prefer the Mountain Lake section. Bring a paddle board, or a canoe, or your hiking shoes, and leave reality behind for a few days or weeks. : ) The hike that goes around mountain lake is spectacular. Moss, old growth trees, creeks to cross, wildflowers, and best of all, if the campground is empty, you'll have the hiking trail to yourself as well! 

Beautiful spot. What a gem! 

We stayed here in site 65. It was just fine, since we didn't book early enough to get a Southend site (we booked in Feb for end of August.) We would stay in the site again if we had our choice at midway. We had a view of the lake and it was more private than most sites (which isn't that private though), close to the bathrooms and the boat launch. 

Decent if you can't book the Southend

The midway campground is right off the road. There wasn't much privacy but there are showers and toilets. Close to lots of hikes and waterfalls. There is a place to rent boats and what not at the lake that is right across the street. Overall, it is a nice campground. I'm wondering if the north or south sections might be a little more private.

Midway Campground

It’s right above the main road and a freshwater lake. It’s pretty steep, sprained my ankle right before the trip. They were very helpful at the entrance and gave me a lower site. It was full but still seemed private. Close to town, trails, and oysters!

Steep

As of right now, only 2 of the 3 campgrounds were open due to Covid; however, they were using the Northend campground as overflow in case the 2 open campgrounds were full.  In addition, at this time, the State Parks have decided to keep the campgrounds open through October.

  

Midway camp is ok, though most of the sites are uphill and close together.  Each site has its own picnic table and fire ring, but there aren’t any hookups for RV/trailers.  I would say most of the sites in that loop would be pretty hard for longer rigs to back into.  Most of the sites would be great for tents, but so so for RV/trailers due to the incline and difficulty of getting into most of the sites.  Site 38 was probably the best site for an RV/Trailer.  They do have showers/restrooms and garbage, and the day use site at the north end of the lake is nice with boat rentals during the summer. 

  

Our camp host was excellent and very friendly!  There also is a free dump for campers at the north end just before you head back out.  The southend site is better than this site as all the campground is near the lake.  Midway has a handful of tent sites on the lake side of the road, with the majority of sites on the mountain side of the road.  This road does get pretty busy with people going up to hike and bike down Mt. Constitution.  There is a great little trail lake goes around Cascade Lake which makes for a great sunrise.  The gate to Mount Constitution opens at 6am for early risers.  The views up there are spectacular and an easy drive from Midway Camp.  You can also just hike out the back of your campground and hit numerous trails.

Cheap campground close to the water and easy access to Mount Constitution

Phenomenal park with lots to do. 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. Nor does it shelter you from the road noise that continues throughout the night. The road that goes through the park is actually a main arterial on the island. It's not super loud, but it pulls away from the magic of the place and is often enough to be distracting. I bet you wouldn't even notice during the summer when the campground is full though. That was my only complaint about this otherwise perfect place. If road noise doesn't bother you, grab a lakeside site. Otherwise, try a site set a little further back. Sweet firewood vending machine. Wood was wet, but fun for the novelty. Great hiking trails all over. Nice day areas and lake activities, including boat rentals.

Gorgeous view - Busy(ish) road

This weekend was our first time visiting Orcas Island. Moran State Park was wonderful! So many things to do: hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking to start. The campsite location is close to all these areas. Unfortunately all the campsites are close to each other too. A group of mountain bikers had two sites and stayed up until midnight playing music and talking. Be aware there isn’t too much privacy or space and the main road is noisy. By Monday, most of the campsites were empty and not as many people were on the island. Overall, we enjoyed our time. This island is amazing! 

Great for first visit

We had a reservation at site 21 for a 3 day weekend in early October. Gorgeous and so much to do - mountain biking, kayaking. Great in all seasons 