Took advantage of some great weather and state parks' fee free day on the first of the year and visited this wonderful little state park on San Juan Island. 

I did come to visit Lime Kiln the day before, too, hoping to see some whales at this spot which is famous for whale spotting, thanks to the steep walls of the Haro Strait, just a few hundred feet from where you stand overlooking the water. But no luck that night, and no luck today either. 

On the other hand, I got quite a nice little walk out of it. First I headed to Deadman Bay via an up-and-down trail along the shoreline. I hit the beach and turned back toward the state park (Deadman Cove is SJ Land Bank property). On the way back, I spotted a perfect little cove for polar plunging, so took my opportunity to do so while no one was around, and then continued on my way back towards the main viewing area. 

I dinked around at the whale watching area until I heard voices of other hikers, and then continued on my way to the lighthouse. Snapped some pictures there and listened to the hydrophone, but there was nothing going on, unfortunately. 

I turned uphill then, and headed for the restored lime kiln. This is surprisingly well-restored, and surprisingly accessible. You can walk right up to it and look into where they heated the rock. 

After looking at that for a bit, I went back to the parking area via the upland trail. I went back out to the overlook to see if any whales had shown up, and soaked up a little sun before leaving around noon. 

Hot and hazy today but we stayed comfortable with the breeze off the water. 

Over the years we’ve had many whale sightings here. Just a couple of porpoises today. 

Love this little trail!

Very easy walk to beautiful views of the strait off the west coast of the island. My grandparents (80+) were able to walk this fine. The viewpoints are very accessible and have decent room. Definitely stop by here if you are driving around the island.

Please note: This review is for Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island, not the Lime Kiln Trail (near Granite Falls).

It could not have been a more beautiful day to explore Lime Kiln State Park. Very easy to find, plenty of parking, short and easy trails for all ages and abilities. The flies and bees made themselves known; nothing too bothersome, but we occasionally had to swat away giant bugs from our jackets.

Plenty of picnic tables to choose from, all with stellar views of the water, the Olympics, Canada, and even Mt. Rainier is visible on a clear day.

No whale sightings on this outing, but we did happen upon a seal that was wading very close to the shore near the lighthouse, and plenty of avian friends to admire, too.

Binoculars are highly recommended!