Decatur Island

Decatur Island is in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.

Understand
Decatur Island is located just east of Lopez Island across Lopez Sound and just south of Blakely Island across Thatcher Pass. Named by the Wilkes Expedition in 1841 for naval officer Stephen Decatur, it is 3.524 square miles (9.127 km²) in area.

There are no public facilities other than one public boat ramp on the north side of the island.

By boat
There is no Washington State Ferries service to Decatur; access is by private boat or plane. The airport on Decatur Island is private, for residents of the Decatur Shores community only. All other persons wishing to use the airport must obtain prior permission from the community.

By water taxi
Paraclete Charter Service and Island Express Charters provide passenger-only ferry service to Decatur from Anacortes. If you use the Decatur parking lot, you need to have a guest parking pass or a piece of paper with your host's name. Northwest Sky Ferry provides air service from Bellingham, Washington.

Get around
Cars are not allowed on Decatur Northwest except for golf carts and one or two trucks the owners have given an okay to. Outside of that, the island is open to cars (though it might be difficult to get yours up there). If you need it, you can ask the community center to use the truck or one of the golf carts.

See

 * Decatur itself has astonishing natural beauty, and even just hiking or walking around can provide entertainment for hours.
 * Decatur itself has astonishing natural beauty, and even just hiking or walking around can provide entertainment for hours.

Do

 * Decatur has a nine hole rustic golf course. The golf course is private but welcomes all players, furnishing clubs and balls for your use. A donation is suggested to help defray operating costs.
 * There are tennis and basketball courts located in Decatur Northwest (near the community gardens on Thatcher Pass), which are open to use, but are used by tennis camps in late July and early August.
 * The Bill Baker Lecture Series, which is held twice annually (July 4th and Labor Day weekend) and provides lectures on a variety of topics.
 * There's a model pirate ship you can climb on, located on Decatur Head road, past the schoolhouse.

Eat
Eline Saglik Cafe, which is located on 641 Decatur Head Dr, and has a lot of cinnamon rolls, lemonade, and lunch specials, is the only restaurant on the island.

Sleep
There are no hotels on the island (though as of July 2020 there are two Airbnbs, one of which is above Alma's Country Store) - if you're wanting to sleep, you might have to catch a ride to nearby Lopez Island, which has a lot of inns and cottages you can rent. Alternatively, you might want to come up with someone who lives there.

Connect
Cell service is definitely a little spotty and varies depending on where you are. The Country Store has wi-fi, but you might have to ask to get in.