Northwestern Washington & the San Juan Islands - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 232

If you're not biking, the Orcas Island Shuttle ( www.orcasislandshuttle.com ) can meet most
of your transport needs, arranging car rental (from $60), 24-hour taxis and a May-to-
September public bus (one way $6).
THE OUTLYING ISLANDS
Stand on the clamorous ferry dock at Anacortes during the halcyon summer
months and you'll quickly realize you're not the only one with designs on the San
Juans' beauty. But don't get dragged down by the crowds. Ninety-nine per cent of
these vociferous vacationers are heading to one of the big four - San Juan, Orcas,
Lopez or Shaw. A quick bit of mental arithmetic will reveal that this leaves approx-
imately 168 islands largely tourist free. Granted, many of the lesser San Juans are
privately owned and/or hard to reach, but with a bit of furtive planning, genuine
Robinson Crusoe experiences are possible, especially in the spring and fall. Here's
a quick rundown of the options.
Other Inhabited Islands
The fourth-largest San Juan, Cypress Island (population 40) has a salmon hatch-
ery, 25 miles of trails and is a popular kayaking destination, while Waldron Island
(population 104) - perhaps the quirkiest island of all - is inhabited by a feisty con-
tingent of back-to-the-landers who live without electricity or landline phones and
are well known for their self-sufficiency. Two of the more visited 'populated' islands
are Stuart Island (population 40) and Sucia Island (population 4). Stuart, the last
landfall before Canada, has a schoolhouse, a light station, 3.5 miles of trails, 18
campsites and an unstaffed 'honesty store' where you can buy souvenir T-shirts.
Sucia (whose name means 'dirty' in Spanish, though it's anything but) is easily ac-
cessed by a March-to-November private ferry from Orcas and has a large state
park, 60 campsites, access to drinking water and 10 miles of hiking trails.
Uninhabited Islands & Marine State Parks
Remoter still are the uninhabited islands, many of which are designated state
parks or earmarked as pit stops on the Cascadia Marine Trail. Recommended are:
Matia Island (145 acres) With six campsites and a short loop trail that between
1892 and 1921 was home to US Civil War veteran Elvin A Smith, aka the 'Hermit of
Matia Island.'
Patos Island (207 acres) Seven campsites and a light station.
Jones Island (188 acres) Has 24 campsites and a herd of resident black-tail deer.
James Island (113 acres) Has 13 campsites, great for crabbing.