San Juan Islands
Plan Your Visit
Island Wonder — Scattered pearls in a sparkling sea, the San Juan Islands nurture layers of life. Black oystercatchers scold kayakers as harbor seals lounge on sandy beaches and sea stars stalk the water’s edge.
The rocks, reefs and islands of the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge were set aside in 1960 to provide important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Black oystercatchers, Double-crested and Pelagic cormorants, rhinoceros auklets, and pigeon guillemots are among the bird species that nest on Refuge islands. Harbor and elephant seals regularly use the shorelines to rest, molt and give birth to pups. Additionally, the untrammeled islands are home several rare plants including brittle prickly-pear cactus, bear’s foot sanicle, and California buttercup.
Select opportunities to explore the Refuge islands may be found by foot, boat, and car. Most of the Refuge consists of small, wilderness islands whose fragile habitats are closed to human activities, enforced by a 200 yard off-shore buffer zone. Two refuge islands, Turn and Matia, have overnight campgrounds operated by Washington State Parks and short hiking trails for adventurous visitors. The Refuge is within the bounds of the Cascadia Marine Trail, a premiere water trail for non-motorized boaters. For those travelling by car, the Washington State Ferry routes from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands wend past several refuge islands.
What you need to know before you go:
While most islands in the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge are closed to protect sensitive habitat, two are open to the visiting public. Turn and Matia Islands offer visitors both daytime and overnight opportunites to experience the Refuge's unique environments.
Campgrounds on Turn and Matia Island are managed by cooperative agreement with Washington State Parks. Turn and Matia Island State Parks are open to camping and moorage year round. Day use is allowed from 6:30 a.m. to dusk in the summer and from 8 a.m. to dusk in the winter. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. No generators may operate between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Pets are not allowed anywhere on either the island. The Refuge does not charge fees, however both State Parks charge moorage and camping fees.
All other rocks, reefs, and islands within San Juan Islands NWR are closed to visitation. A 200-yard buffer zone is enforced around them to protect nesting, resting, and feeding birds. Consult the Refuge map for a general overview of the islands within the Refuge. "Rocks, Reefs, and Islands within San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge" gives a detailed description of the lands administered by the Refuge. Maps of Turn and Matia Islands give an overview of available camping and hiking opportunities.
Getting There
San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is located in Northern Puget Sound. Best access to the islands is by boat from Anacortes or Friday Harbor. Several of the Refuge islands can be viewed from Washington State Ferries that traverse the area.
Matia Island is reachable only by boat. It is located 2.5 miles north of Orcas Island and 1.5 miles east of Sucia Island. The closest launch sites are in Blaine, Obstruction Pass on Orcas Island, Squallicum Harbor in Bellingham, and in Anacortes.
Turn Island is also reachable only by boat. The closest access point is Jackson Beach on San Juan Island. The closest "mainland" access is Washington Park in Anacortes.
The refuge does not charge fees, however both State Parks (Turn and Matia Islands) charge moorage and camping fees.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
From its start in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has owed its very existence to concerned citizens eager to protect America's natural resources. More than 200 nonprofit Refuge Friends organizations support national wildlife refuges, whether they work with a single refuge, a refuge complex or an entire state. Friends members are crucial to conserving and protecting our nation’s wildlife and teaching millions of Americans that their actions today determine the conservation legacy of tomorrow.
More than 42,000 people volunteer their time and ideas each year to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Whether they work on the land, in a visitor center or with youth, they contribute to the conservation mission that reaches back more than a century. Become a volunteer or Refuge Friend to contribute your strength on behalf of America’s natural resources.
Volunteering
Due to the remote nature of San Juan Islands NWR, on-refuge volunteer opportunities are very limited. However, several organizations offer volunteer programs that directly benefit the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Services
"The Refuge System will be fully engaged in the effort to conserve America’s great outdoors, leading when we can, and following when we should."
- Conserving the Future, Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation, 2011
Management and Conservation
Refuge Planning Comprehensive Conservation Plan
The primary planning document for a refuge is called a "comprehensive conservation plan" or CCP. Under the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1997 each refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System is required to periodically complete a CCP to guide management over a fifteen-year period. Each refuge must be managed to fulfill the NWRS mission and the specific purposes for which that refuge was established.
The CCP includes the goals, objectives, and strategies for improving refuge conditions including the types of habitat provided, partnership opportunities, and management actions needed to achieve desired conditions. The Service’s preferred alternative for managing the refuge and its effects on the human environment are described in the CCP as well. Additionally, during the CCP writing process the public is encouraged to participate in planning meetings and to submit comments within a specified time frame.
Learn about the Comprehensive Conservation Plan that will guide the Refuge into the future.
About
San Juan Wilderness
In October of 1976 the San Juan Wilderness was established, which added the purposes of the Wilderness Act (Sept. 3, 1964) including “. . . to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness” to all units of the refuge except for Smith, Minor, Turn, Jones Islands, and a small portion of Matia Island.
Note: Bold language is from the original establishing legislation.
The San Juan Wilderness designation includes 80 of the 83 units of the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. These wilderness islands total 353 acres and include:Aleck Rocks, Bare Island, Barren Island, Battleship Island, Bird Rock, Black Rock, Boulder Island, Brown Rock, Buck Island, Castle Island, Center Reef, Clements Reef, Colville Island, Crab Island, Davidson Rock, Eliza Rock, Flattop Island, Flower Island, Fortress Island, Four Bird Rocks, Gull Reef, Gull Rock, Half Tide Rock, Hall Island, Harbor Rock, Lawson Rock, Little Sister Island, two named Low Island, Matia Island (with the exception of the five acres camping area managed by the Washington State Parks), Mouatt Reef, Mummy Rocks, Nob Island, North Pacific Rock, North Peapod Rocks, Parker Reef, Peapod Rocks, Pointer Island, Puffin Island, Rim and Rum Islands, Ripple Island, Secar Rock, Sentinel Island, Shag Rock, Shark Reef, Skipjack Island, Skull Island, Small Island, South Peapod Rocks, Swirl Island, The Sisters, Three Williamson Rocks, Tift Rocks, Turn Rock, Viti Rocks, White Rocks, and Willow Island, along with various unnamed rocks, reefs, and islands.
Aids To Navigation
Under executive orders since the mid to late 1800s, and in the Refuge's establishing documents, it was stated that some islands which are now units of the San Juan Islands NWR retain “lighthouse purposes.” These “lighthouse purposes” today translate into a variety of navigation aids which are maintained under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard.
What We Do
Resource Management
The islands that make up San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge are managed for a variety of purposes, including as a preserve for native birds, as a breeding ground for migratory birds, and to preserve the unique wilderness island character found in the San Juan Islands. Management activities on the Refuge include surveys and monitoring of wildlife, invasive species management, and reduction of human-caused wildlife disturbance. In keeping with the primary goals of managing the Refuge for the benefit of wildlife, most of the islands are closed to human use. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages Turn and Matia Island in conjunction with Washington State Parks to provide visitors an opportunity to experience the wild nature of the islands.
Our Organization
Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex
San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is managed as one of six refuges in the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex. A Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas or other conservation areas that are primarily managed from a central location. Refuges are grouped into a complex structure because they occur in a similar ecological region, such as a watershed or specific habitat type, and have a related purpose and management needs. Typically, a project leader or complex manager oversees the general management of all refuges within the complex while refuge managers may be responsible for operations at specific refuges. Supporting staff are generally, but not always, centrally located and support all refuges within the complex.
The Washington Maritime Complex is headquartered at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge near Sequim, WA.
