Qualla: San Juan Island

San Juan Island: Introduction

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Kgrr Konrad Roeder, CC BY 2.5. On June 15, 1859, an American settler named Lyman Cutlar raised his rifle at a pig rooting through his garden. The animal belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company, and when Cutlar pulled the trigger, he sparked an international crisis that would bring the United States and Great Britain to the brink of war. For twelve years afterward, soldiers from both nations occupied this small island in the Pacific Northwest, watching each other warily across rolling meadows where sheep once grazed along trails cut by Cowichan workers from Vancouver Island. Today, those same paths wind through San Juan Island National Historical Park, where visitors can stand at British Camp near Roche Harbor or walk the grounds of the American Camp south of Friday Harbor, imagining the tension that once crackled between two encampments separated by mere miles.

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Image: Kgrr Konrad Roeder | CC BY 2.5

San Juan Island: The Pig War That Wasn't

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0. What makes the Pig War remarkable is not its violence but its restraint. After Cutlar shot the pig, British authorities threatened arrest. American settlers petitioned for military protection. Both sides escalated their presence on the island. Yet President James Buchanan, shocke...

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Image: Michal Klajban | CC BY-SA 4.0

San Juan Island: Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit This image was taken by me and is released for public use., Public domain. Friday Harbor serves as the county seat for San Juan County and anchors the island's largest town. The Whale Museum chronicles the pods of orcas that patrol these waters, while the San Juan Islands Museum of Art brings culture to this maritime community. Across the island, Roche ...

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Image: This image was taken by me and is released for public use. | Public domain

San Juan Island: Kingdom of the Orcas

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit User: (WT-shared) Tmfurey at wts wikivoyage, Public domain. The waters surrounding San Juan Island rank among the premier whale watching destinations in North America. Resident orca pods, including the famous J, K, and L pods, follow salmon runs through these cold, productive waters. Lime Kiln Point State Park on the island's west side ha...

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Image: User: (WT-shared) Tmfurey at wts wikivoyage | Public domain

San Juan Island: Getting There

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0. Washington State Ferries connects San Juan Island to the mainland at Anacortes, about ninety minutes north of Seattle. The ferry also serves Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas islands, creating a web of maritime transportation through the archipelago. Summer weekends can mean long waits for ...

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Image: Joe Mabel | CC BY-SA 3.0