San Juan Islands, WA : Cascade Lake

Cascade Lake

San Juan County

Eastsound

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Address http://www.parks.wa.gov/moran.htm Olga Road Eastsound, WA 98245 (360) 376-2326	Hours Every day Dawn - Dusk

Directions
From the Orcas Island ferry landing drive 9 miles on Orcas Road to Eastsound. Continue through town and 1 mile further, turn right onto Olga Road. Moran State Park is about 3 miles ahead and the Cascade Lake Day-Use Area about a half-mile past that on the right.

Description:
Moran State Park is such a huge place that it would take several days to experience all of its many wonderful assets. And one of those days should be spent at Cascade Lake, at the southwest corner of the park.

Located on the north end of the lake, the Day-Use Area is a springboard for swimming, boating, hiking, fishing, and bicycling adventures. Offering kitchen shelters, picnic sites, bathhouses and a boat rental concession, the area caters to nearly every recreational whim imaginable. For nature lovers, a self-guided, 1/3-mile Nature Trail offers the opportunity to learn about the natural environment of Orcas Island.

For a more strenuous Cascade Lake experience, hike the 2.7-mile Cascade Lake Loop that runs along the lakeshore and offers an up-close-and-personal view of this Moran State Park jewel. Great blue herons, kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, rabbits and blacktail deer are just some of the wildlife you’re likely to encounter. About a half-mile south and west from the Day-Use Area, check out a twisted Douglas fir tree hanging over the lake and looking for all the world like a Madrone tree.

At the opposite end of the lake from the Day-Use area is South End Campground, one of two Cascade Lake campgrounds. A number of idyllic lakeside sites are available as well as private wooded ones. Midway Campground, on the lake’s north shore, also offers lakeside camping though it is closer to Olga Road and not as isolated as South End Campground.

For a worthwhile Moran State Park experience without having to drive all the way to the top of Mount Constitution, Cascade Lake offers a world of opportunities.

Written By: Mike McQuaide

Features
Bathrooms | Picnic Tables | Walking Trails | Picnic Area | Swimming Areas | Wheelchair Accessible

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