West Beach Resort

General: West Beach Resort offers a variety of accommodations from tent sites to water/electric sites to tent cabins to regular cabins. It is situated right on the water where you can enjoy ice cream, cocktails, and popcorn (popcorn is free) at sunset during the summer. Much about this resort is nice but at almost $80 per night for a campsite (water and electric), it is pricier than we are used to paying. However, there are limited options for camping on the island and it was high season when we were there. While Moran State Park is nice, there are no hookups, further reducing your options. 

Site Quality: The water and electric sites have rock/gravel driveways. Some have trees separating them from others, but many do not have any separation/privacy between sites. All can accommodate a vehicle and RV and/or tent. Site 47 was nice as it had only tent sites on one side and a good amount of space on the other. You should be aware that for many of the sites (not 47), the hookups are on the “wrong” side, necessitating driving your RV in rather than backing in. This makes it challenging when it comes time to unhook and then re-hook when leaving the site, especially for larger rigs. The other challenge is that there is no dump station or sewer hookups. This was not an issue for us in our camper van but people in RVs should be aware of this. 

Bathhouse: The women’s bathhouse was reasonable with three stalls, three sinks, and two showers. There was a bench at one end. Lighting was not quite sufficient, especially in the showers as I discovered when I took one at 8 pm one night! Also, the showers cost $.50 for 90 seconds. With the price of the campsite, it would have been nice to not have to pay extra for the showers. 

Activities: Many activities are available, but all are on the pricey side (ex: a SUP rental for one hour is $25; kayak and whale watching and kayak tours cost over$100). You can bring your own toys and also fish from the dock. There is a small shop with gifts and sundries. There is a hot tub, but it comes with an extra cost. There is a small beach but not suitable for beach walks. Be aware that the ferry terminal if you want to explore other islands is about a 20-minute drive and the town of Eastsound is about three miles away. We rented bikes in town and rode back and forth but be aware that there are hills and sections of the road with narrow or no shoulder. Orcas Island Pottery is less than a mile(an easy walk) and a definite not-miss (closed on Mondays). 

This was our fifth time in the San Juan Islands, and we enjoy the area very much. While we enjoyed our time at West Beach, considering the price, the extras costing additional, and some of the less desirable sites, it merited three instead of four stars in my opinion.