“Lopez Island is a wonderful place to ride a bike; some say it’s the best of the San Juan Islands for cycling. It’s not very hilly, like Orcas Island. It’s smaller, flatter and more intimate than San Juan. And it’s the first stop on the ferry from Anacortes.
“Pauline Leedy, a fit and trim 80-year-old rider who cycled Lopez in late August with her husband, Clayton, also tanned and toned at 82 says, ‘It’s basically level and the {Lopez] village is neat.’” From an article by Greg Johnston – Seattle Post Intelligencer Reporter
Below is a photo gallery of the ferry ride from Orcas Island to Lopez Island. You can click on any thumbnail to see a larger version and then move forward or backward by clicking on the arrows.
I think that “not very hilly” and “level” are subject to debate. We walked our bikes up a number of these “flat” places. Below is the elevation chart for a one-way trip from the Lopez Ferry dock to Shark Reef. The beginning, middle and the end of the ride to Shark Reef Sanctuary are at sea level or close to it. All the hilly action happens in between – up and down, up and down, up and…. (Click map to enlarge.)
Below is a photo Gallery of the sights we saw along the way. You can click on any thumbnail to see a larger version and then move forward or backward by clicking on the arrows.
It’s been kind of hazy this summer due to drought-caused forest fires in the back country but, as our ferry arrives to take us back to Orcas Island, the summit of Mt. Baker, 51 miles away, is clearly visible.
Greg Johnston’s complete article on biking Lopez Island is here.
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