Lummi Island Location

The San Juan Islands are part of an archipelago in the northwest corner of the United States and Canada that extend from the Salish Sea near Seattle heading north between the the US/Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island, all the way to Alaska.

The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S. state of Washington.  In Canada they are called the Gulf Islands. The majority of the  Islands are accessed by sea plane,  general aviation or the government Ferry system.

This lesser known island, Lummi Island, is reached by an easy drive just north of Bellingham, Washington followed by a 10 minute ferry ride on a small, friendly car & passenger ferry operated by Whatcom County.

Cascades by DV Bailey - view from Lummi Island
View of Mt Baker from Lummi Island

Directions to Lummi Island

lummi island ferry

Bellingham International Airport (BLI) is the nearest airport to Lummi Island.

Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), are about 1 hour away.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is a 3 hour drive.

  • From I-5 take Exit 260, Slater Road
  • Head west for 3.8 miles
  • Turn left on Haxton Way for 6.5 miles
  • Catch ferry at Gooseberry Point, pay for round trip while on the way to Lummi.

Lummi Island Ferry - DV Bailey

Seattle Detour via Chuckanut Drive

mt baker view from lummi island washington state

Heading north on I-5, exit Bow Valley near Burlington.

Heading south from Bellingham, exit I-5 at Fairhaven exit

If you travel between Seattle and Bellingham on a sunny day you might enjoy a detour along the edge of the cliff on the narrow, winding, Chuckanut Drive. Chuckanut Drive was built beginning in 1895 and eventually became part of old Route 99. Driving the narrow road under the dense forest canopy gives you a feeling of what road travel was like a century ago.

There are several viewpoints along the route offering breathtaking glimpses of the San Juan islands and the Washington coast. Part of this runs through Larrabee State Park, Washington’s oldest state park where you can stop and stretch your legs.

The northern terminus is the town of Fairhaven, a 19th Century village full of fun shops and restaurants.

Climate in the San Juan Islands

The warm ocean currents reflected off the mountain ranges is what creates the moderate Marine West Coast climate that Western Washington experiences, with no severe highs or lows. However, the weather in this area can change fairly rapidly and is a typically forecast as a 40% chance of something, not reliably predictable. None-the-less, the San Juan Islands are located in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains and this region is known as the banana belt of the Pacific northwest.

Typical dress in the San Juan Islands consists of layers that include a sleeveless top or tee-shirt, fleece and a rain jacket with sensible shoes that want to travel on rock, grasslands, woodlands and mud. Are you smiling yet?

Well, come and experience it for yourself, have some good fun and breathe the better fresh air the planet has to offer.

Side garden at Lummi Beach Haven looking toward Rosario Strait and the San Juan Islands in Washington State