If you have the opportunity to do this, I highly recommend it. it was a very short walk down to the whale viewing area, and then another short hike/walk to the light house, a little rougher terrain and a scary drop onto the rocky shore if you aren't careful, but it wasn't very strenuous by any means. The view is to DIE FOR, and you can go inside the light house and talk to the researchers about whale migration and activity in the area. We were very bummed not to see any whales, but good luck to anyone else that gives it a shot!!

Lime Kiln Park has always been a favorite of mine. I remember as child running down the trail to the look out area. This was many years before they put in the nice path down to the same place. It is a very easy hike down to the water now. The hike over to the lighthouse has a few more bumps and rocks on the path so just watch your feet :). It's a great place to have lunch or even dinner in the summer! It is also an amazing place to see the Orcas if you are lucky enough to have them pass while you are there.

Took the Friday Harbor ferry from Anacortes to try to see some Orcas at the park. Be warned that the ferry over is pretty pricy--we traveled with 2 adults and 4 kids and our usual cost of about $20 for a one-way ferry ride was increased to $100 for a round trip. It could have been a holiday (Labor Day) cost increase, but I was shocked nonetheless. The park is surprisingly beautiful--big meadows interspersed with gorgeous evergreens and madrona trees, rocky bluffs, and pebbly beaches scattered with driftwood. There is an info center where you can purchase a day or annual Discover Pass with a credit card. I don't recall what its hours are, but if it's closed there is a self-service station where you can get a day pass for exact change (cash only, possibly checks, too). There is a large loop trail that takes you just outside of the park and crosses the road and turns back into the park to loop to your starting point. There are many side trails that cut across various parts of the park, and a lighthouse to explore. I'd say there is much more than 1.5m of trail in the park. I took the kids down to Dead Man's Bay and my friend took them up to the lighthouse. It looks like there is a trail outside of the park, high across some meadows that face the water, but we didn't have time for more exploring in order to make our reserved return ferry trip. The Friday Harbor ferry is quite busy, apparently, and reservations are encouraged. I would suggest giving yourself as much time as possible because there is much to explore in the park, on land outside of the park, and in Friday Harbor--a whale museum and lots of shops and restaurants. Almost forgot to add--wasps were a major annoyance, as they seem to have been all summer, everywhere I've been. My son was stung three times on one finger while exploring the rocks below our picnic table where we were planted to watch for whales. While the sun was out, the wasps were incessant, and when the sun was clouded and it cooled off the wasps stayed away. I cannot tell you how sick to death I am of wasps this year.

Hiked at sunset - scored some great orca views while sitting by the lighthouse.

This is a short and pleasant that winds through the woods above the rocky western side of San Juan Island. It passes the ruins of two historic lime kilns and returns to the coast at Lime Kiln Lighthouse. The lighthouse sits on Lime Kiln Point, a rocky outcrop overlooking Dead Man’s Bay on San Juan Island, the largest island in the San Juan archipelago. It guides ships through the Haro straights. The lighthouse was established in 1914 and named for the commercial lime kilns that operated on this side of the island in the 1860’s. In 1962 the lighthouse was automated by the Coast Guard turn on at dusk and off at dawn. The lighthouse is part of Lime Kiln Point State Park. On a clear day you can see the Canadian Vancouver Island and if you’re in peak whale watching season, June through July, you’ll see plenty of Orcas as this is one of the prime spots in the world for Orca watching. I took a 360 virtual reality panorama of the Lime Kiln Lighthouse and then drove to the southeastern tip of San Juan Island and took another pano of Cattle Point Lighthouse which is just a short hike from the road. If you want an immersive experience, check them both out. Here is the link to view them in a pano viewer at 360cities.net. Be sure to click the full screen icon as you roll over the upper right of the photo for best viewing. Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island, WA State https://www.360cities.net/image/lime-kiln-lighthouse-san-juan-island-wa-state-usa Cattle Point Lighthouse, San Juan Island, WA State https://www.360cities.net/image/cattle-point-lighthouse-san-juan-island-wa-state-usa