Notable Campgrounds
- Best for RVs: Northend Campground has multiple spaces that will fit even the longest campers.
- Best for boaters: Midway Campground has a boat ramp for easy accessibility.
- Best for views: Southend Campground has views across the lake and up to Mount Constitution.
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
- Campsite reservations can be made up to nine months in advance.
- The Midway and Mountain Lake campgrounds are open November 1 to April 1 on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Twelve hiker-biker sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis year-round.
- A site in the Southend Campground is reserved for ADA-permitted users (the campground also has an ADA-accessible bathroom).
- A vacation house (for groups up to 8) can be reserved through the Washington State Park Reservation System.
When to Go
Moran State Park is open year-round. Summer weekends are typically the most popular--anyone wanting to visit during these times are strongly encouraged to make reservations in advance. Forty-foot Cascade Falls is at its peak in the late spring (as is the fishing for the lake of the same name), while the mild autumns and winters of the San Juans offer plenty of rewards for campers seeking solitude. Mountain bikers should plan to visit between September 15 and May 15, when 25 miles of trails are open for that purpose.
Know Before You Go
- Orcas Island is only accessible via ferry from Anacortes (80 miles north of Seattle), which fills up fast during the summer. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for RVs over 22 feet in length.
- A snack bar and boat rentals (paddle boats and rowboats) are available Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
- Two-pole fishing is allowed in the park with a permit.
- While four of the park’s bathrooms have coin-operated showers, there are no electrical hookups available for RVs.
Moran State Park
Relax by a picturesque mountain lake in the heart of the San Juan Islands.
In the middle of verdant Orcas Island, Moran State Park offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation, from boating across Cascade Lake or Mountain Lake to climbing the 1930s-era watchtower at the top of 2,398-foot Mount Constitution (with front-row views of Mount Baker on the mainland) to forays out to the Salish Sea for low-tide exploration. Locals know that getting here is half the fun—watch for orcas in the summer months as you take the ferry from Anacortes to the island. After you’ve pitched your tent, take a hike to look for blacktail deer, river otters, and bald eagles, or kick back to fish for coastal cutthroat trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, and rainbow trout.
In the middle of verdant Orcas Island, Moran State Park offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation, from boating across Cascade Lake or Mountain Lake to climbing the 1930s-era watchtower at the top of 2,398-foot Mount Constitution (with front-row views of Mount Baker on the mainland) to forays out to the Salish Sea for low-tide exploration. Locals know that getting here is half the fun—watch for orcas in the summer months as you take the ferry from Anacortes to the island. After you’ve pitched your tent, take a hike to look for blacktail deer, river otters, and bald eagles, or kick back to fish for coastal cutthroat trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, and rainbow trout.
Activities in the park
5 campgrounds in Moran State Park
Not all of us can afford a lake house, but Mountain Lake camp in Moran State Park will let you fake it for the weekend. The camp is just one mile up Mount Constitution Road on the shores of Mountain Lake, the largest lake in the park; there are also 15 primitive campsites for bikers and walkers. Soak up panoramic views of surrounding islands and c Read more...
Southend camp area is the most popular kid in Moran State Park, and it’s for good reason. With almost all of its sites located right at the Cascade Lake shoreline, Southend is the ideal spot for a midnight (skinny)dip. There’s also endless boating, fishing and hiking around the park and breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains and surrounding i Read more...
Life’s better on top. Or at least on top of Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juan islands. A section of Moran State Park’s 5,579-acre camping park, Northend Park is closest to the entrance, just across the road from the swimming beach, but also offering good privacy. Adventure and views run wild in the park—and observation tower re Read more...
We get it—when you hit the top of Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juan islands, it’s hard to keep your cool. Sleep Midway Camp, the sites closest to the boat launch in Moran State Park’s 5,579-acre camping park, and paradise is just outside your tent. Beyond boating and fishing, the park offers more than 10 miles of hiking, biking Read more...
If camping in Moran State Park wasn’t cool enough, snagging a primitive spot gets you bonus cool points. 14 sites sit smack dab in the middle (while still feeling removed) from all that massive Moran State Park has to offer. Located just near Constitution Road--hopping in your very non-primitive car is easy if you want to bump in any direction to Read more...
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Notable Campgrounds
Notable Campgrounds
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
When to Go
Moran State Park is open year-round. Summer weekends are typically the most popular--anyone wanting to visit during these times are strongly encouraged to make reservations in advance. Forty-foot Cascade Falls is at its peak in the late spring (as is the fishing for the lake of the same name), while the mild autumns and winters of the San Juans offer plenty of rewards for campers seeking solitude. Mountain bikers should plan to visit between September 15 and May 15, when 25 miles of trails are open for that purpose.
Know Before You Go
Public campgrounds (book externally) —