Things to Do in Anacortes, Washington

This 220-acre city park fills a peninsula at the west end of Fidalgo Island. A paved 2.2-mile loop road winds through forest and meadows with views of the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountains. There’s a campground, a boat launch and picnic shelters near Sunset Beach.

★ Good to know The loop is open to walkers from 6 a.m. and to cars from 10 a.m., so come early if you want it on foot.

At 1,273 feet, Mount Erie is the highest point on Fidalgo Island, and a road runs to the top of the 160-acre park. Around it, the Anacortes Community Forest Lands cover more than 2,950 acres with over 50 miles of trails past lakes, wetlands and meadows. The cliffs on Mount Erie’s south and west faces are popular with rock climbers.

★ Good to know Dogs must stay on a leash in the forest lands, and trail maps are sold at City Hall and the visitor center.

The W.T. Preston was the last sternwheeler working on Puget Sound, pulling snags and debris from rivers and harbors until the Army Corps retired it in 1981. The city hauled it onto dry land beside the old Great Northern depot in 1983, and it became a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The free Maritime Heritage Center next door has an exhibit on 1936 Olympic rowing champion Don Hume, an Anacortes High graduate.

★ Good to know The Preston opens for tours on a seasonal schedule, weekends only in fall, so check the museum’s hours first.

The city’s history museum is in the old Carnegie Library at 1305 8th Street, and admission is free. It covers Anacortes history and local Coast Salish history, with changing exhibits.

★ Good to know It’s open Wednesday through Saturday, so plan around a Sunday-to-Tuesday visit.

This 37-acre forested headland on the east edge of town is mostly one big viewpoint. From the top you look over Cap Sante Marina, downtown, Fidalgo Bay, March Point and the Cascades. Interpretive panels along the trail tell the history of the waterfront.

★ Good to know The chamber of commerce recommends it for sunsets.

Several operators run whale and wildlife cruises from Anacortes, including Island Adventures from Seafarer’s Way and Blue Kingdom Whale and Wildlife Tours and Outer Island Excursions from Skyline Way. Trips head into the San Juan Islands and the waters around them.

★ Good to know The chamber lists whale watching as a spring highlight, and summer is the busiest season, so book ahead.

Just south of town, this park spans Fidalgo and Whidbey islands, joined by the Deception Pass bridges. At Rosario Beach, a yellow rope trail guides you through tide pools, and the Maiden of Deception Pass story pole tells a Samish legend. The Civilian Conservation Corps Interpretive Center at Bowman Bay is free and open April to September.

★ Good to know You need a Discover Pass, and check park alerts before you go, since storm damage has closed the Bowman Bay pier.

The market sets up at the Depot Arts Center, 611 R Avenue, every Saturday from May through October. It also runs winter markets on the second Saturday from January to April and a holiday market the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

★ Good to know Pair it with a walk on the Tommy Thompson Trail, which follows the shoreline from 22nd Street.