Life is a journey, not a destination.
This quote couldn’t be more fitting when thinking about and reminiscing about traveling by ferry to Orcas Island, Washington. Yes, there are more logistics to worry about when ferries are a part of your travel itinerary. However, the hassle of reservations, arriving early, and waiting are worth the effort!
Especially with kids, I also breathe a huge sigh of relief.
We can get out of the car!
Stretch our legs!
And of course, take in the views. No matter the weather, they are always beautiful, and you just never know what you might see.
This month we traveled to Orcas Island for a long weekend. Depending on stops, sometimes the boat goes to other islands, the sailing is between 1-1.5 hours. Remember when I mentioned those logistics? Logistics definitely came into play for this trip. We’d timed the trek from Seattle to the Anacortes ferry terminal perfectly We had set times for picking the kids up from school, each staggered by about 15 minutes.
Then on our way to pick up the first child, I realized that I’d left my watch at home. Since I’m currently training for a half marathon, tracking my mileage on my watch has become pretty important to me. Just that little (tiny) set back, and we were already cutting it close with our timing. And to make things even more stressful, we also wanted to stop for gas just before the ferry departed. As you can imagine gas on the island is significantly more expensive.
Guess what happened when we arrived at our gas station of choice (planned out ahead of time, of course)? The gas station was completely shut down (out of gas?). We found another gas station, but the ordeal stole more of our precious minutes.
When we finally approached the ferry terminal, we were frustrated to see that the lines to get on the ferry were not short. Even on a Thursday. Even in the off season. We crossed our fingers. Although we had a reservation, the rule is to arrive 30 minutes before sailing. Technically we arrived on time, but the line to the ticket booth took about 8 minutes to get through.
Want to guess whether or not we made it on the ferry at our reserved time?
Watch here in our Orcas Island ferry video!
Or just scroll down to read the answer!
We made it!
Orcas Island Ferry Info to Know:
We are by no means experts, but here are a few things to keep in mind for riding to and from Orcas Island from Anacortes, Washington from our experience.
Reservations
Even in the off season, we recommend making ferry reservations for peace of mind. It is $10 to reserve a spot on the ferry, which is then credited to your ticket purchase once you arrive at the ferry terminal ticket booth.
Spots on the ferry are rolled out in 3 tiers:
- 30% of the spots on the boat can be reserved 2 months ahead of sailing day and time.
- 30% more of the spots on the boat can be reserved 2 weeks ahead of sailing day and time.
- 30% more are available 2 days before sailing day and time.
- 10% is reserved for day of ticket purchases.
Reservation space is released at 7am each morning. Set an alarm or alert for yourself!
Ferry Experience
- Galley (kitchen/cafe) hours vary by vessel, so make sure to pack a picnic or check ahead if you are traveling around mealtimes.
- Get out of the car, and explore! Our kids love finding puzzles to complete or add to while we sail. There are so many different areas and vantage points to take in the surrounding water and islands. You never know, you might see one of our resident Orca Whales!
- Depending on stops to other islands, the sailing takes 1 – 1.5 hours from Anacortes to Orcas Island.
- Bathrooms (with diaper changing) are available on board.
When to Arrive?
Now that we’ve cut it close, we really know what we are comfortable with! We recommend arriving 45-60 minutes before your reserved sailing. With a reservation, the rule is 30 minutes before, but we like to give ourselves a 15-30 minute cushion, just in case.
frederick M Wooding says
The ferry is constantly blare I understand its summer but it was only late once in a while but it’s always late we are getting charged summer prices on a winter schedule. I live on orcas I feel they either need more boats and staff htis is unacceptable I never had it this unorganized
Kate says
So sorry you are experiencing this—I know how frustrating that can be! All the best to you. -Kate