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Address

http://www.sanjuanco.com/parks/sanj...
Off Turnpoint Road 2 miles SE of
Friday Harbor , WA 98250
(360) 378-8420

Hours

Every day Dawn - Dusk

Review

Not to be confused with Turn Point lighthouse located many miles to the north on Stuart Island; this Turn Point is a tiny parcel of beach that provides paddlers with the closest approach to popular Turn Island only a quarter of a mile away. Located in a residential community and hemmed in tightly by private property you won’t find a lot of room for beach activities but it is a pleasant place to watch the wildlife and human activity going on around you.

A listed trailhead on the Cascadia Marine Trail it’s common to see small craft being wheeled or carried down the path from the parking lot to the beach. Besides Turn Island, paddle destinations often include Friday Harbor 2.5 miles to the west and Jackson’s Beach (see article this website) 3 miles to the south. For paddlers spending the night at Turn Island or some other destination it may be possible to park their vehicle overnight but it’s always best to check with the Sheriff’s office at the County Courthouse in Friday Harbor for the current parking status.

For land-bound visitors this is still a special location. Close to Friday Harbor but isolated from all the hustle and bustle it’s a good place to just sit back and enjoy watching other people run around. Besides the paddlers you’ll see sailboats gliding and powerboats skimming. The currents in the channel can be strong at times leading to some interesting interactions between the different craft. Closer to you the shore birds troop up and down the beach and are especially numerous during the low tides that expose rich mud flats that reach nearly to Turn Island. More majestic, you’ll want to watch for the eagles that frequent this area. Once a large nest, generations old, could be seen in the top of an old tree on Turn Island.

Even the parking area, so functional and nondescript for most of the year can offer you a pleasant bonus in the late summer and early fall. Walled in by dense blackberry vines, locals can frequently be found setting up ladders and passing out plastic buckets to carloads of children gathering up the rich fragrant crop. Many people consider the channel between the Point and Turn Island to be one of the most scenic in the San Juans. You’ll just have to visit and decide for yourself; and be sure to bring your binoculars.
Written By: Bud Hardwick
On: 10/15/2009

Directions

From Friday harbor, follow Harrison Street east which soon merges with Warbuss Way and then becomes Turn Point Road. About 2 mi from Friday Harbor at a sharp right bend in the road arrive at the gravel turn off for Pinedrona Lane to the left/east, it’s easy to miss. Go straight about a 100 feet to the parking lot on the right.

Map

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