Obstruction Pass State Park

The other state park on Orcas Island is Obstruction Pass State Park. (Don't confuse this with Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island). Obstruction Pass is much more un-developed. There is a parking area, hiking trails, a beach and lots of hike-in campsites in the woods above the beach. Surprisingly, the small beach is the largest public beach on Orcas Island. The beach is at the far end of the park so its around a half mile to hike to it. Another option is to reach it by kayak. The park is open year round and has 10 primitive campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis, including a few for the Cascadia Marine Trail. Obstruction Pass was formerly managed by the Department of Natural Resources but was transferred to the Washington State Parks in 2005. The trails occasionally have interpretive signs about the geology, ecology, and the cultural significance of Obstruction Pass and Orcas Island. Three mooring cans sit offshore if you are anchoring a boat.

San Juan Islands

From Moran State Park, follow Olga road toward Olga. Near Olga the road veers left onto Point Lawrence Road, which becomes Obstruction Pass Road. Follow Obstruction Pass Road until a right onto Trailhead Road. Follow to the end.

Once the trail starts at the parking lot, it splits in three directions. The center trail is the most direct. The left trail (Highlands Trail) is the longest, it climbs up to a highpoint before dropping down to the beach. The right trail is the most scenic as it immediately drops down to the water, then following it most of the way to the beach and camp area.