Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is the largest island in Puget Sound, Washington state.

Understand
Whidbey Island was once inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit, Swinomish, Suquamish, Snohomish and other Native American tribes. The first known European sighting of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimper and Gonzalo López de Haro on the Princesa Real. The island was fully explored in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver. In May of that year, Royal Navy officers and members of Vancouver's expedition, Joseph Whidbey and Peter Puget, began to map and explore the areas of what would later be named Puget Sound. After Whidbey circumnavigated the island in June 1792, Vancouver named the island in his honor. The first known overnight stay on Whidbey Island by a non-native American was made on May 26, 1840 by a Catholic missionary during travel across Puget Sound.

Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, commander of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842, sailed the USS Vincennes into Penn Cove in 1841. There he found the largest Native settlement on Puget Sound[citation needed] and noted that a Catholic mission had been started with a 2-acre (8,100 m2) fenced garden. Wilkes named the lower cove Holmes Harbor, after his assistant surgeon, Silas Holmes.

In 1850, Colonel Isaac N. Ebey became the first permanent white settler on Whidbey Island, claiming a square mile (2.6 km²) of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet. Even though he was farming potatoes and wheat on his land, he was also the postmaster for Port Townsend, Washington and rowed a boat daily across the inlet in order to work at the post office there. On August 11, 1857, Colonel Ebey was murdered and beheaded by Haida who traveled from the Queen Charlotte Islands when he was 39 years old. Ebey was slain in proxy-retaliation for the killing of a Haida chief at Port Gamble. Fort Ebey, named for the Colonel, was established in 1942 on the west side of the central part of the island, just northwest of Coupeville.

About 80,000 people live on Whidbey Island.

Cities
Whidbey Island is mostly residential and farmlands with a few small towns nicely spaced apart for the visiting traveler.
 * - A small town on the southern tip of Whidbey Island and has a ferry terminal to Mukilteo.
 * - County seat of Island County and home to a Washington State Ferry terminal to Port Townsend.
 * - Named after the original socialist colony.
 * - Known for its community farm.
 * - Small city overlooking Saratoga Passage. Known as The Village by the Sea.
 * - Largest city in Island County and popular marina. Home to Naval Air Station - Whidbey.

By ferry

 * Ferries terminals on Whidbey Island:
 * - Ferries from Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. The small ferries required by Coupeville's narrow harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Make guaranteed reservations in advance online or by calling 5-1-1, and are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays. Pedestrians and bicyclists will never have a problem boarding the ferry. 35 minutes one way; departures every 1&#xBD; hours.
 * - Ferries from Mukilteo on the mainland north of Seattle. This run is popular with commuters and should be avoided at peak commuting times if possible. 20 minutes one way; departures every 30 minutes.

By car
Whidbey Island is connected to the mainland on the northern end of the island via WA-20 and the Deception Pass Bridge to the Coupeville Ferry Terminal while WA-525 continues from its intersection with WA-20 in Keystone to the Clinton Ferry Terminal in the southern end of the island. WA-20 crosses over the Puget Sound towards Port Townsend on the Coupeville-Port Townsend Ferry while WA-525 continues from Clinton towards I-5 in Lynnwood via the Clinton-Mulkiteo Ferry. Both serve as a continuous north-south thoroughfare through Whidbey Island.

From the Interstate 5 corridor one can access Whidbey Island via WA-20 in Burlington (exit 230) or WA-525 north of Lynnwood (exit 182) via the Mulkiteo-Clinton ferry.

By boat

 * Coupeville Wharf, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Penn Cove in Island County.
 * Langley Marina, in Langley.
 * Langley Marina, in Langley.

By plane


Alternatively there are additional general aviation airports for private pilots to fly into Whidbey Island with their own aircraft with limited services:
 * Lynk Air 1140 Monroe Landing Road, Oak Harbor.
 * Lynk Air 1140 Monroe Landing Road, Oak Harbor.
 * Lynk Air 1140 Monroe Landing Road, Oak Harbor.

By bus
Community Transit, Everett Transit, Jefferson Transit and Skagit Transit have buses connecting Whidbey Island to Seattle, Everett, Port Townsend, Anacortes and other nearby places. Except Skagit Transit, their bus stops are at the ferry terminals where ferries from Whidbey Island arrive into their respective counties. Nearest transfer point to Skagit Transit is March's Point Park & Ride north of Deception Pass, near Anacortes:
 * 113 connects Mukilteo with Lynnwood. This route operates daily throughout the day and on weekends
 * 417 connects Mukilteo with downtown Seattle and bus route 880 connects with Northgate in north Seattle. These routes operate Monday to Friday, traveling only from Mukilteo Station during the morning rush hour and only to Mukilteo Station during the afternoon rush hour.
 * 417 connects Mukilteo with downtown Seattle and bus route 880 connects with Northgate in north Seattle. These routes operate Monday to Friday, traveling only from Mukilteo Station during the morning rush hour and only to Mukilteo Station during the afternoon rush hour.


 * 18 travels between Everett Station and Mukilteo Station.
 * 18 travels between Everett Station and Mukilteo Station.


 * 40X travels between March's Point P&R and Mt Vernon via WA-20 & WA-536.
 * 410 serves as a local connection from March's Point P&R to Anacortes, Guemes Ferry Terminal and the San Juan Ferry Terminal
 * 615 connects March's Point P&R with Mt Vernon through La Conner.
 * Island Transit 411W connects Whidbey Island to March's Point P&R via Deception Pass.
 * Island Transit 411W connects Whidbey Island to March's Point P&R via Deception Pass.


 * 11A/B loops around Uptown and Downtown from Haines Park & Ride. Actually two routes, in opposite directions: #11A is counter-clockwise, and #11B is clockwise. Take the 11A bus to go into town from the stop in front of Port Townsend Plaza or the 11B going the opposite direction, from across the street (Water Ave) to get to Haines Park & Ride and transfer to other Jefferson Transit buses.
 * 11A/B loops around Uptown and Downtown from Haines Park & Ride. Actually two routes, in opposite directions: #11A is counter-clockwise, and #11B is clockwise. Take the 11A bus to go into town from the stop in front of Port Townsend Plaza or the 11B going the opposite direction, from across the street (Water Ave) to get to Haines Park & Ride and transfer to other Jefferson Transit buses.

Nearest transfer points to Amtrak, Greyhound and Flixbus are in Mt Vernon and Everett. Connections to additional intercity bus companies and public transit buses are in Seattle.

Get around
Whidbey Island is very long and best navigated by car, but is well served by Highway-20 and Highway 525 which runs its entire length. It is a popular option to use the bridge on the northern end of the island and one of the ferry terminals as entrance and exit points when exploring the area. By boat it is a nice stopping point when traveling between Seattle and the San Juan Islands. The section of Puget Sound east of Whidbey is known as the Whidbey Basin and usually provides calmer water than traveling on the open sound. The following are options for travelers getting around without a car on Whidbey Island:

See

 * Deception Pass Bridge, a National Historic Monument since 1982, is actually two spans that link Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor to Fidalgo Island over Canoe Pass and Deception Pass. The bridge, one of the scenic wonders and destinations of the Pacific Northwest, was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Deception Pass State Park, has over 4,100 acres (17 km2) of forest, campsites, trails, and scenic vistas of the San Juan Islands, Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Mount Baker, and Fidalgo Island.
 * Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation in the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850s.
 * Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation in the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850s.

Beach combing
What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains scatter on the horizons. Whidbey Islands many state and regional parks are an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering miles of beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sites and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.

Be warned that sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed, however the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.

Shellfishing
Shellfish are prized resources of the Puget Sound, the cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington State is the nation’s leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, geoduck, mussels and oysters) and with Whidbey Islands public beach access and miles of coastline it is a popular place for individuals to find these elusive and sought after shellfish. Maps of public shellfishing areas and health warnings and updates can be found online at the States Fish and Wildlife website, as with all fishing in Puget Sound permits are required and can be purchased online or in some sporting goods stores.

Eat
Like the rest of the Puget Sound area, seafood is a specialty, so look for seasonal specials and locally sourced ingredients. Dungeness crabs, clams, oysters, mussels and of course Salmon can all be found in abundance but look also for fresh produce from local farms. Blackberry season towards the end of summer usually means these tasty local berries will find their way into local dessert menus.

Although islands are notorious for both higher prices and limited options, Whidbey is large enough to support several grocery stores and a couple dozen restaurants. See city listings for particular food recommendations.

Drink
Like the rest of the Puget Sound region, people on Whidbey Island take their coffee seriously. There are also several wineries and distilleries on Whidbey. See city listings for particular coffee and bar recommendations.

Animal safety
Though many of the animals in the Whidbey Island area are used to seeing humans, the wildlife is nonetheless wild and should not be fed or disturbed. Stay at least 25 m from all wild animals! Check trail head postings at parks for recent activity and be aware of rules keeping a distance from orcas and other marine animals while boating. Regulations for killer whales require that boaters stay 200 yards away & keep path of the whales clear. These new U.S. regulations apply to all vessels (with some exceptions) in inland waters of Washington. Deer are very prevalent on Whidbey; be careful around blind corners. They travel in herds, and if you see one, there are probably one or two more.

Don't disturb resting seal pups, keep children and dogs away and report to the local stranding hotline. Report harassment or sightings of injured/stranded marine mammals by calling the NOAA Fisheries hotline at (800) 853-1964. Seal pups 'haul out' to get much needed rest when they are young and are often alone for many hours. They are extremely vulnerable at this time and should be left alone. Only about 50% of Puget Sound seal pups make it through their first year, so please help to protect their health. NOAA recommends at least a 100-yard buffer around seals.

Deception Pass

 * The aptly named Deception Pass is a dramatic seascape where the tidal flow and whirlpools beneath the twin bridges connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island move quickly. During low tides, the swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies. This swift current phenomenon can be viewed from the twin bridges' pedestrian walkways or from the trail leading below the larger south bridge from the parking lot on the Whidbey Island side. Boats can be seen waiting on either side of the pass for the current to stop or change direction before going through. Thrill-seeking kayakers go there during large tide changes to surf the standing waves and brave the class 2 and 3 rapid conditions. This area is for experienced boaters only.

Petty crime
With so many people visiting Whidbey Island each year petty crimes are something to be vigilant against. Lock your car doors and exercise sensible precautions with valuables, especially when parking your car at a trail head or marina when you may be away from your car for a while. It would also be advisable to carry anything of value out of sight.

By ferry
The Victorian themed Port Townsend is a popular tourist destination and easily accessible by ferry from Whidbey Island. The Mukilteo to Clinton ferry run gives access on the south end of the island to the mainland and such destinations as Seattle.

By car
Whidbey Islands only connection by car is Fidalgo Island via the Deception Pass Bridge which also gives good access to Anacortes and the ferries to Guemes Island and the San Juan Islands.