Our campsite at Odlin Park had plenty to offer however we did manage to drag ourselves away to enjoy some of the highlights around Lopez Island. It’s pretty small – only about fifteen miles long and maybe seven miles wide. That doesn’t leave much space for public lands and trails. There are several nice beaches and some require a healthy walk so that limits how many folks get out to them each day. Vistas from high bluffs have views from the Olympics to Vancouver Island to Mount Rainier and Mount Baker.
Lopez is one of the San Juan Islands. There are many tiny islands in this archipelago but only four of them – Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and San Juan – have ferry service. They exist in a rain shadow meaning they get very little precipitation, just sixteen inches per year. Water is a scarce resource on the islands so most folks don’t have green lawns and trails are dry. Weather is mostly quite pleasant.