Don’t be startled on your first visit to Lopez Island when people wave to you from their cars. This is “the Friendly Isle”—15 miles long with 63 miles of shoreline and 2,500 year-round residents. The Lopez landscape blends forests with rolling farmlands, quiet bays and driftwood-strewn beaches with distant views of mountain ranges and snow-tipped Mount Baker. Lopez Village offers quaint cafes, farm-to-table restaurants, a bookstore, galleries, a historical museum, a library, and unique shops. Click here to view a printable Lopez Map
Lopez’s natural beauty and quality of life have attracted a variety of residents—artists, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, musicians, farmers, fishermen, and nature lovers. Scandinavian farmers arrived here in the 1850s, drawn by the island’s gentle topography, and Lopez Island farms today raise an eclectic range of products, from sheep to llamas, wine grapes to apples, and pears to kiwis.
Considering a day trip? Use this itinerary to find the must-visit stops for your day of exploring!
Let us acknowledge that we reside on the ancestral lands and waters of the Coast Salish people who have called this place home since time immemorial and let us honor inherent, aboriginal, and treaty rights that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Lopez is perfect for travelers looking to disconnect from the distractions of urban living. Leave the more common creature comforts at home and enjoy the simplicity of island life. You will find plenty of opportunities for beach walking, hiking, bird watching, kayaking, reading and relaxing. You won't find rental cars or public transportation, stoplights, mopeds, a movie theater or a shopping mall.
It's a quiet, peaceful life on Lopez - perfect for the self-directed visitor. Stroll through the beaches and trails of the State and County Parks or visit the nationally recognized library. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a day at Spencer Spit State Park - a 138-acre marine and camping park. Look back in history with a trip to the Historical Society Museum or the restored Port Stanley Schoolhouse. On Lopez, you can do as much or as little as you wish.
Lopez offers the easiest cycling of the three main San Juan Islands. Consider bringing your bike for a day or weekend of scenic cycling, or rent one from Lopez Bicycle Works or Village Cycles. (The interisland ferry from Orcas Island or San Juan Island is free for walk-on passengers and cyclists.) You may want to schedule your Lopez visit to coincide with one of the island’s special annual events—the Tour de Lopez bicycle tour each spring. Always scheduled for the last Saturday in April, Tour de Lopez is a non-competitive, rural road tour that offers short and long routes through the island’s varied landscape. You can also explore Lopez Island through a cycling or driving tour, paddle the rocky shoreline on a kayak tour, take a long walk on one of the islands many beaches, or hike the forest and byways of this tranquil island.
