Whidbey Island, located in Puget Sound south of the San Juan Islands and north of Seattle, is the perfect setting for outdoor adventures and idyllic beachside escapes. Check out the quick itinerary below to get a taste of all the things to do on Whidbey Island.
Starting in Langley, you’ll find tightly knit downtown streets filled with bakeries and boutiques. Northward, along fir-flanked Highway 525, Whidbey’s vintners beckon. The maroon-hued Greenbank Farm features spiffy converted barns for wine-tastings and art shows.
Prairie, forest, and shoreline meet in 17,500 acres of scenic landscape at Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, south of Coupeville. Tour the reserve’s lighthouse, then explore Coupeville’s rows of false-front shops and its historic wharf.
North on Highway 20, Oak Harbor acts as a tidy gateway to the wildly popular Deception Pass State Park and Deception Pass Bridge. A windswept walk onto the bridge reveals views of ruby-barked Pacific madrones, whirlpools and the forested shoulders of Fidalgo Island.
After crossing from Fidalgo to the mainland, take country roads through rolling Skagit Valley farmland, following signs to Camano Island. Once there, a drive down Sunset Drive on the island’s west coast delivers you to Camano Island State Park, an ideal spot to watch the sun float low above Whidbey’s horizon like a sailboat on Crescent Harbor.
Learn more about visiting Whidbey Island.
—Lora Shinn
Photo Credit: Deception Pass/GettyImages/cpaulfell
