Whidbey Island Voyage Tips and guide

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Whidbey Island was once inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit, Swinomish, Suquamish, Snohomish and other Native American tribes. The first known European sighting of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimper and Gonzalo López de Haro on the Princesa Real. The island was fully explored in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver. In May of that year, Royal Navy officers and members of Vancouver's expedition, Joseph Whidbey and Peter Puget, began to map and explore the areas of what would later be named Puget Sound. After Whidbey circumnavigated the island in June 1792, Vancouver named the island in his honor.

Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, commander of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842, sailed the USS Vincennes into Penn Cove in 1841. There he found the largest Native settlement on Puget Sound[citation needed] and noted that a Catholic mission had been started with a 2-acre (8,100 m2) fenced garden. Wilkes named the lower cove Holmes Harbor, after his assistant surgeon, Silas Holmes.

In 1850, Colonel Isaac N. Ebey became the first permanent white settler on Whidbey Island, claiming a square mile (2.6 km²) of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet. Even though he was farming potatoes and wheat on his land, he was also the postmaster for Port Townsend, Washington and rowed a boat daily across the inlet in order to work at the post office there. On August 11, 1857, Colonel Ebey was murdered and beheaded by Haida who traveled from the Queen Charlotte Islands when he was 39 years old. Ebey was slain in proxy-retaliation for the killing of a Haida chief at Port Gamble. Fort Ebey, named for the Colonel, was established in 1942 on the west side of the central part of the island, just northwest of Coupeville.

About 80,000 people live on Whidbey Island.

Map of Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is mostly residences and farmlands, interspersed with a few small towns.

• 47.97611-122.356111 Clinton - A small town on the southern tip of Whidbey Island, with a ferry terminal to Mukilteo.
• 48.2183-122.6842 Coupeville - County seat of Island County, with a ferry terminal to Port Townsend.
• 48.01556-122.533613 Freeland - Named after the original socialist colony.
• 48.0981-122.5724 Greenbank - Known for its community farm.
• 48.036922-122.40855 Langley - Small city overlooking Saratoga Passage. Known as The Village by the Sea.
• 48.295-122.6586116 Oak Harbor - Largest city on the island, with a popular marina. Home to Naval Air Station - Whidbey.

• 48.2183-122.6841 Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve – preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation in the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850s.

• Washington State Ferries, ☏ +1 206-464-6400, toll-free: +1-800-843-3779. (updated Sep 2022) Ferries terminals on Whidbey Island:
  • 48.1593-122.67271 Coupeville ferry terminal - Ferries from Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. The small ferries required by Coupeville's narrow harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Make guaranteed reservations in advance online or by calling 5-1-1, and are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays. Pedestrians and bicyclists will never have a problem boarding the ferry. 35 minutes one way; departures every 1½ hours.
  • 47.9749-122.35132 Clinton ferry terminal - Ferries from Mukilteo on the mainland north of Seattle. This run is popular with commuters and should be avoided at peak commuting times if possible. 20 minutes one way; departures every 30 minutes.

Whidbey Island is connected to the mainland via WA-20 across the Deception Pass Bridge, on the northern end of the island. WA-20 and WA-525 serve as a continuous north-south thoroughfare through Whidbey Island, connecting to each ferry terminal.

From Interstate 5, access Whidbey Island from WA-20 in Burlington (exit 230), or WA-525 north of Lynnwood (exit 182) via the Mulkiteo-Clinton ferry.

Whidbey Island is a nice stopping point when traveling between Seattle and the San Juan Islands.

• Oak Harbor City Marina, 1401 SE Catalina Dr, Oak Harbor (between Seattle and the San Juan Islands), ☏ +1 360 279-4575. The marina has 420 slips and ample guest moorage with limited side-tie moorage. They offer showers, restrooms, laundry room, ice machine, picnic tables in park and on guest dock, a playground and waste oil bins. The facility is located about one mile from most retail services, including motels and restaurants in Oak Harbor. 
• Coupeville Wharf, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Penn Cove in Island County.
• Langley Marina, in Langley.

• Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle, ☏ +1 360-679-4003. Provides direct shuttle transportation service between communities on Whidbey and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA ^IATA) 
  

Alternatively there are additional general aviation airports for private pilots to fly into Whidbey Island with their own aircraft with limited services:

• Langley, Whidbey Airpark ((FAA LID: W10)), (airport office) 5247 Crawford Rd, Langley. Whidbey Airpark is uncontrolled & unattended. 
• DeLaurentis Airport (formerly A.J. Eisenberg Airport (ODW  ^IATA)), (airport office) 1140 N Monroe Landing Rd, Oak Harbor. 
• Lynk Air, 1140 Monroe Landing Road, Oak Harbor. (updated Oct 2024)

Community Transit, Everett Transit, Jefferson Transit and Skagit Transit have buses connecting Whidbey Island to Seattle, Everett, Port Townsend, Anacortes and other nearby places. Except Skagit Transit, their buses stop at the ferry terminals where ferries from Whidbey Island arrive into their respective counties. Nearest transfer point to Skagit Transit is March's Point Park & Ride north of Deception Pass, near Anacortes:

• Community Transit, ☏ +1 425-353-7433, toll-free: +1-800-562-1375. From the Mulkiteo Ferry Terminal (updated Jun 2023):

• 117 connects Mukilteo with Lynnwood via Mukilteo Speedway and Alderwood Mall Blvd. Passengers transfer to the Link Light Rail 1 Line train to go towards the airport through Northgate, the U-District and Downtown Seattle. This route operates daily throughout the day and on weekends.

• Everett Transit, ☏ +1 425-257-7777. Operates buses within the city of Everett. From Mukilteo Ferry Terminal: (updated Jun 2023)

• 18 travels between Everett Station and Mukilteo Station.

• Skagit Transit, March's Point P&R, ☏ +1 360 757-4333. From March's Point P&R. (updated Jun 2023)

• 40X travels between March's Point P&R and Mt Vernon via WA-20 & WA-536.
• 410 serves as a local connection from March's Point P&R to Anacortes, Guemes Ferry Terminal and the San Juan Ferry Terminal
• 615 connects March's Point P&R with Mt Vernon through La Conner.
• Island Transit 411W connects Whidbey Island to March's Point P&R via Deception Pass.

• Jefferson Transit, ☏ +1 360-385-4777, toll-free: +1-800-371-0497. Bus stops are in front Port Townsend Plaza which is next door to the ferry terminal. One across the street from the other: 

• 11A/B loops around Uptown and Downtown from Haines Park & Ride. Actually two routes, in opposite directions: #11A is counter-clockwise, and #11B is clockwise. Take the 11A bus to go into town from the stop in front of Port Townsend Plaza or the 11B going the opposite direction, from across the street (Water Ave) to get to Haines Park & Ride and transfer to other Jefferson Transit buses.

Nearest transfer points to Amtrak, Greyhound and Flixbus are in Mt Vernon and Everett. Connections to additional intercity bus companies and public transit buses are in Seattle.

Whidbey Island is very long and best navigated by car. It is well served by highways WA-20 and WA-525, which runs its entire length and connects all the ferry terminals.

• Island Transit, ☏ +1 360-678-7771. Scheduled bus services on Whidbey Island and Camano Island. Service on Whidbey Island includes to Clinton, Coupeville, Freeland, Greenbank, Langley, Oak Harbor with off island connections to Anacortes. Service on Camano Island includes off island connections to Everett and Mount Vernon. Free. (updated Jun 2023)

• The Rock Taxi Cab, ☏ +1 360-914-3250. (updated Jun 2023)

The section of Puget Sound east of Whidbey is known as the Whidbey Basin and usually provides calmer water than traveling on the open sound.

• ^{[dead link]} Admiralty Head Lighthouse, 1280 Engle Road, Coupeville (on the grounds of Fort Casey State Park), ☏ +1 360 240-5584. In 1858 the United States purchased 10 acres (40,000 m²) of land costing $400 for the location of the lighthouse. The original lighthouse was completed during the months just prior to the Civil War and was among the West's earliest navigational aids. It had a fourth order Fresnel lens, and the light could be seen sixteen miles away. This light welcomed Puget Sound marine traffic to Admiralty Inlet. In 1890, with construction of the fort to protect Admiralty Inlet, the light was relocated, relinquishing the building and site to the U.S. Army. The original Red Bluff wooden lighthouse was demolished to make room for soldiers and guns in Fort Casey. The replacement lighthouse, constructed of brick and stucco, was built in 1903 but was discontinued in 1922. It was the last brick lighthouse designed by renowned German architect Carl Leick. During its later occupancy by the Army, the lighthouse was used as a training facility for the K-9 dog program. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1922, and the lantern moved to the New Dungeness Lighthouse in 1927. The 30 foot (9 m) tall lighthouse has since been restored by the Washington State Parks and is sponsored by the "Lighthouse Environmental Program"(LEP), a collaborative function between Washington State University's Extension Office and local environmental programs. Admiralty Head Lighthouse is open to the public throughout the year. 

Deception Pass State Park has over 4,100 acres (17 km2) of forest, beaches, campsites, trails, and scenic vistas of the San Juan Islands, Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Mount Baker, and Fidalgo Island.

Deception Pass is the waterway between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, where the tidal flow between Skagit Bay and the Straight of Juan de Fuca moves quickly, making the passage dangerous for watercraft. During low tides, the swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies. This swift current phenomenon can be viewed from the twin bridges' pedestrian walkways, or from the trail leading below the larger south bridge on the Whidbey Island side. Boats can be seen waiting on either side of the pass for the current to stop or change direction before going through. Thrill-seeking kayakers go there during large tide changes to surf the standing waves and brave the class 2 and 3 rapid conditions. This area is for experienced boaters only.

• 48.4061-122.64481 Deception Pass Bridge. A National Historic Monument since 1982, is actually two spans that link Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor to Fidalgo Island over Canoe Pass and Deception Pass. The bridge was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. (updated Oct 2024)
• Hope Island State Park. This 200-acre marine park is in Skagit Bay. The park offers several campsites, attractive beaches and a trail across the island. The island is forested with occasional meadows and rock outcroppings. The island is a natural area preserve to protect a rare Puget Sound ecosystem and accessible only both boat. 1.5 miles southeast of Hoypus Point, about two miles east then southeast on Cornet Bay boat launch. 5 moorage buoys available. 
• Skagit Island. Skagit Island State Park is a 24-acre marine camping park in Skagit Bay and is accessible only by boat. The island is forested with occasional meadows, rock outcroppings, attractive beaches and a land trail and has 2 mooring buoys. 

What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water, they more than make up for it in scenery, as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains scatter on the horizons. The island's many state and regional parks offer miles of beaches, from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are commonly spotted, and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.

Sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed. However the often rocky and wild shores are havens for beach glass, and anything man-made is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.

Shellfish are prized resources of the Puget Sound, the cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington State is the nation’s leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, geoduck, mussels and oysters) and Whidbey Island's public beach access and miles of coastline make it a popular place for individuals to find these elusive and sought after shellfish. Maps of public shellfishing areas and health warnings and updates can be found at the States Fish and Wildlife website.

As with all fishing in Puget Sound, permits are required and can be purchased online or from some sporting goods stores.

Like the rest of the Puget Sound area, seafood is a regional specialty. Look for seasonal specials and locally sourced ingredients. Dungeness crabs, clams, oysters, mussels and of course salmon can all be found in abundance

Look for fresh produce from local farms. The end of summer is blackberry season, and these local treats find their way onto dessert menus.

Whidbey is large enough to support several grocery stores and a couple dozen restaurants. See city listings for specific recommendations.

As expected in the Pacific Northwest, people on Whidbey Island take their coffee seriously. There are also several wineries and distilleries on Whidbey. See city listings for specific recommendations.

Keep wildlife wild. Though many of the animals in the Whidbey Island area are used to seeing humans, they are nonetheless wild and should not be disturbed.

• Do not feed wild animals.
• Regulations require boaters to stay 200 yards away from orcas and other marine mammals, and keep the path of the animals clear.
• Do not disturb seal pups. NOAA recommends at least a 100-yard buffer around seals. Seal pups 'haul out' to get much needed rest when they are young and are often alone for many hours. They are extremely vulnerable at this time and should be left alone. Only about 50% of Puget Sound seal pups make it through their first year, so please help to protect their health. Report harassment or sightings of injured/stranded marine mammals to the NOAA Fisheries hotline at (800) 853-1964.
• Deer are prevalent on Whidbey. Be careful driving around blind corners. They travel in herds; if you see one, there are more.

• Port Townsend is a popular tourist Victorian-themed town, easily accessible by ferry from Coupeville.
• Seattle and the rest of the mainland are accessible by ferry from Clinton.

• Anacortes, and onward to Guemes Island and the San Juan Islands.

Whidbey Island is on the North Cascade Loop itinerary.