Welcome to our Adopt a Beach program! We invite you to become a Beach Steward and help keep San Juan County’s shorelines and beaches beautiful.
Become a Beach Steward
By becoming a steward you are pledging to help clean your favorite beach at intervals that suit you. You could pledge to clean every week, every two weeks, once a month, or once every two months -whatever works for you! Once you have cleaned your beach simply come back and report your effort, this will allow us to track how much litter is collected from our beaches.
Take a look at some of the public beaches around San Juan County, listed below, that need your help. Select your beach and let us know that you want to be a steward by completing the form! A beach can have any number of stewards, the more the merrier, and stewards can be individuals, families, or teams.
But this isn’t just for public beaches. If you would like to become an official Plastic Free Salish Sea beach steward for your own private or community beach contact us at [email protected] and we can make that happen too! Private beaches will only be available to those with permission to access them.
What do you do with what you collect?
Bags of collected litter? Please take them into your island’s solid waste station, and explain to the station’s clerk its “public litter,” the general location name it came from, and don’t forget to report your effort and the amount you collected here. Litter from Shaw or outer islands? Please email [email protected]!
Large debris/dumped items? Please only lift what you can safely lift and getting help is always good. If you have any doubt or inability to safely lift larger items, we ask that you do not, and instead email us at [email protected] .
Please read and sign the waiver here.
Crescent Beach Preserve
Crescent Beach is a 3/4 mile long public beach located just to the east of Eastsound Village, Orcas Island.
Deadman Bay Preserve
Deadman Bay is a small cove on the west side of San Juan Island with a pebble beach and tide pools.
Eagle Cove – County Parks
Eagle Cove is one of the most popular beaches for families on San Juan Island, due to it’s sheltered sandy beach.
Eastsound Waterfront Park
A stone’s throw from the bustle of Eastsound, this simple and popular park offers a place to rest, picnic, and walk the beach.
Needs a steward!
False Bay Biological Preserve
False Bay is a biological gem on San Juan Island and most is owned and managed by the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs as a Biological Preserve.
Fisherman Bay Preserve: The Spit
29 Acre SJC Land Bank property with sandy spit on north side of Fisherman Bay.
Jackson Beach
Jackson Beach is a long, sandy beach just two miles from downtown Friday Harbor.
North Beach
North Beach is located on the northernmost point of Orcas Island. It is walking distance from Eastsound.
Obstruction Pass State Park
Obstruction Pass State Park, named for nearby Obstruction Island, is the longest beach on Orcas.
Otis Perkins Day Beach / Fisherman Bay Preserve: Tombolo
Walking beach along San Juan Channel and Fisherman Bay.
Reuben Tarte County Park – North & South
Reuben Tarte County Park includes two small pebbly beaches on the east side of San Juan Island.
Roche Harbor – Boat Launch
Roche Harbor is a historic seaside resort located at the northwest end of San Juan Island. The boat launch and neighboring small stretch of beach is located just to the west of the main marina.
Needs a steward!
Roche Harbor – Shipwreck Beach
Roche Harbor is a historic seaside resort located at the northwest end of San Juan Island. Shipwreck beach is easily accessible near the swimming pool. The grassy lawn is popular with locals and wedding guests alike for beautiful sunset views.
Needs a steward!
San Juan County Park
The 12 acre park is on the west side of San Juan Island and includes gravel beaches and tide pools.
Needs a steward!
Spencer Spit State Park
State Marine Park with camping on East side of Lopez Island with long sandy spit.
Turn Point County Park
Turn Point County Park is a tiny park located a short drive or cycle from Friday Harbor. It’s a common launching spot for kayaks and paddle boards.
The Adopt-a-Beach list no longer includes lands within San Juan Island National Historic Park. These places have special designation and are home to valuable cultural resources and imperiled native plant and animal species. Through a mix of park staff, youth crews, and volunteer programming, the National Park Service (NPS) has completed many successful conservation projects including regular shoreline cleanup efforts. If you are interested in conducting volunteer work on park lands, please visit the NPS website . Our partnership with the NPS will continue in supporting our shared mission to preserve and celebrate the wonders of the natural world. Thank you for respectfully enjoying these locations and following Leave No Trace ethics.
