San Juan Islands
★ Featured Anchorage
Reid Harbor — Stuart Island
Holding: Good
Shelter: Excellent
18 mooring buoys
Shore access
Anchorage Pacific Northwest
About This Anchorage
Reid Harbor cuts deep into the southern shore of Stuart Island, offering excellent all-weather protection in a narrow fjord-like inlet. Stuart Island State Marine Park maintains both mooring buoys and a primitive campsite with composting toilets. The 2.5-mile trail to Turn Point Lighthouse — the westernmost lighthouse in Washington — rewards the effort with sweeping views toward the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.
Highlights
- Trail to historic Turn Point Lighthouse (2.5 miles each way)
- Island accessible only by boat — true wilderness feeling
- Excellent crabbing in season off the dock
- Wildlife viewing: harbor seals, otters, and eagles common
- Washington State Parks dock with water (seasonal)
Cautions & Notes
- Canadian waters less than 2nm away — carry passports
- Current can rip through the harbor entrance on large tidal exchanges
- Prevost Harbor on north side of island is more exposed
- Limited cell service; VHF channel 16 is your lifeline