Lopez Island
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
San Juan Islands
San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S...
. Lopez Island is 29.81 square miles (77.2 km²) in land area. The 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
population was 2,177.
History
Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut, 20 February 1779, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Navy from 17 September 1798...
. When the British reorganized the official admiralty naval charts in 1847, Henry Kellett
Henry Kellett
Vice Admiral Sir Henry Kellett KCB was a British naval officer and explorer.-Naval career:Kellett joined the Royal Navy in 1822...
systematically removed many of Wilkes's names. He renamed the island Lopez, for Gonzalo López de Haro
Gonzalo López de Haro
Gonzalo López de Haro was a Spanish explorer, notable for his expeditions in the Pacific Northwest in the late 18th century....
, the Spanish naval officer who was the first European to discover the San Juan Islands archipelago.
The Lopez Island Historical Museum collects and preserves the regional history of Lopez and the San Juan Islands. The museum features artifacts reflecting Lopez's contributions to the maritime, fishing and farming industries. The museum has an extensive archive of local historical documents as well as artifacts depicting life on Lopez Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Tourism, transportation, and local attractions
Lopez Island is flatter than most of the other major San Juan Islands, making it a popular destination for bicycle touristsBicycle touring
Bicycle touring is cycling over long distances – prioritizing pleasure and endurance over utility or speed. Touring can range from single day 'supported' rides — e.g., rides to benefit charities — where provisions are available to riders at stops along the route, to multi-day...
. It is also the most rural of the larger islands, and has rolling terrain of forest, farmland, and beaches. Some of the road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s, however, are narrow which can lead to occasional traffic and bicycle congestion. But overall the drivers are bicycle friendly and the roads are easier to ride than the other islands.
The island is the first stop of four on the Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
' San Juan Islands run. A typical sailing from Anacortes
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes' population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census...
takes approximately 40 minutes. There is a small airstrip on the island with daily commercial flights, and charter floatplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s sometimes land in Fisherman Bay. The island is longest in the north-south direction, with the ferry terminal at the extreme north end.
The island is locally famous for the longstanding custom of waving at every motorist, bicyclist, or pedestrian encountered on the island's roads.
Lopez is home to a large number of tourist related businesses, largely country-style bed and breakfasts, many with ocean views. There is a vineyard and one hotel and resort.
Parks
- Agate Beach County Park — This picnic area and beach is at the end of MacKaye Harbor Road at the south end of the island.
- Odlin County Park — This park is used for camping and picnics and has a boat launch. One of the most popular beaches on the island, Odlin Park resides just south of the Ferry Landing and is a popular stop during the summer.
- Otis Perkins Day Park — This park has one of the longest beaches in the San Juan Islands.
- Shark Reef Park — This park offers long views west over San Juan Channel. It includes a half-mile trail through some old-growth trees.
- Spencer Spit State ParkSpencer Spit State ParkSpencer Spit State Park is a member of the Washington State Park System on the east side of Lopez Island in San Juan County, Washington, USA....
— The focus of this park on the northeast side of the island is a long, low sandspitSpit (landform)A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
that almost connects to small Frost Island just offshore. This 130 acre (53 ha) park has a camping area, picnic sites and mooring buoys for boats. - Upright Channel Park — This state-operated facility offers several picnic sites and a hike down to a sandy beach.