Obstruction Pass State Park Campground

Was here with some good pals skating the local skatepark. Our campsite was private and excellently kept. Bathrooms were covered and clean. What more could you ask for. Also the hiking trails were awesome.

My twelve year old wanted to try backpacking, but not hike too far. My wife didn't want us to get eaten by bears. The solution? Obstruction Pass!

The hike is short, the campsites are good, and there is a pit toilet, unlike some other backpacking options. 

Also the views are priceless. Oh, and there are a bunch of fallen trees that are fun to walk on and see how far you can get before losing your balance. 

The hike in is fairly flat, with just moderate ups and downs. The trail also does a loop, which is fun to explore.

My recommendation is to check for burn bans (so you know if you should bring fire wood) and arrive early as these sites are first come first serve.

I kayaked in to this campground and though it's an awesome location it was a bit disappointing. WA State Parks did designate one of the campsites as a marine trails site (only for those coming in from the water), but the site wasn't clearly posted and was a tough hike from the beach with gear. I actually selected another site more accessible from the beach. All the other marine trails locations are clearly marked. The sites were also just filthy. Trash everywhere, fire pits full of trash and cigarette butts and I had to do significant cleaning of my entire site before I could even start to set up my tent. There were WA State employees there at the time so I mentioned it, but they said they didn't have the time to bother with trash pickup. Really? Isn't that sort of your job? On the plus side the composting toilet was great and the overall location couldn't have been better.

Obstruction Pass is a decent campground in the very crowded San Juan Islands. They just build a new self composting toilet that is amazing. The sites are large enough for good size kayak groups. The raccoons where minimal, which says a lot of this area. The sunsets where magical and the campground has 2 beach access points. The downside is it also has drive-in access. Therefore it is crowded and one of the noiser campgrounds in the San Juan area.

The campsite is walk-to, about a 1/2 mile, making it a backpacking kind of overnight for kids or friends who don’t want to be too far from a car and civilization. We bought fresh caught fish on the drive there and cooked it at the campground, great experience. There were lots of trees around campsite and lots to explore along the coasts. It was full in August but still felt very secluded and wilderness.

This park is on the south end of Orcas Island, just to the east of East Sound. Sites are walk or boat-in only which can make it a quiet and less frequented park. It is well protected from winds from just about any direction. The sites are just above the beach which makes for good schlepping of gear, and keeps the tents out of the high tide zones.

There are well maintained pit-toilets but no water at this campground. Also there is a house built very close to the park on private property so the beach doesn’t have the “out there” feeling of some of the other island camps throughout the San Juan group.

Cost: $12 /night