Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve

Photography

Best light

Morning lightEvening light

Recommended focal length

400–600mm

• The beach faces west: mornings light birds on the water from behind you, and evenings give silhouettes against sunsets over the San Juan Islands.
• Sea ducks and loons are mostly here from October to April; Heermann's gulls arrive in late summer.
• Check tide times before going down to the beach so a rising tide doesn't cut you off below the bluff.

Access

Parking

Gravel lot for about 30 cars at 6770 Koehn Road, with a portable toilet.

Trails

0.7 miles of flat, wheelchair-accessible gravel trail through forest to bluff viewpoints, then a steep 0.1-mile switchback with stairs down to the rocky beach.

Restrictions

• Day use only, 8am to dusk.
• No pets.
• Stay back from the bluff edges, which are actively eroding.

Before you go

• Lens: 400–600mm. Pack spare batteries; cold drains them fast.
• Review the access restrictions above and any posted closures.
• Check the weather and, on the shoreline, the tide forecast.
• Keep a respectful distance. If an animal changes its behavior, you're too close.