Things to Do on Whidbey Island Off the Beaten Path

There are so many awesome things to do on Whidbey Island that I just had to write it down. This island about 2 hours north of Seattle is the perfect day trip or weekend getaway when you’re looking to escape from city life. It’s the longest island in the Puget Sound at around 45 miles long, with 5 state parks and even more beaches to explore. You’ll also find a ton of wineries, breweries, and restaurants. Plus there’s art galleries and shops tucked into quaint towns.

So basically, Whidbey Island has something for everyone! If you enjoy exploring off the beaten path and want a Washington local’s perspective, here is your ultimate guide to things to do on Whidbey Island.

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Whidbey Island is one of 10 islands near Seattle. “Tscha-kole-chy” was the native name for Whidbey, but “Whidbey Island” was named in 1792 after Joseph Whidbey, the first documented non-native explorer on the island. Before that, the land was owned by the native Coast Salish Communities for thousands of years. However, as history often goes, we took the land for its fertile soil and prime defensive position.

Given its age, the island is one of the most historic places to visit in Washington. It’s still an active naval base and has various historical attractions worth visiting. History Link has a ton of really interesting historical facts about Whidbey Island. I’ll pepper some of them throughout so you can learn more about the history of the different Whidbey Island things to do.

Things to Do on Whidbey Island

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Visit state parks

Whidbey Island has 5 state parks and 200 miles of shoreline, making the island one of the most scenic day trips from Seattle. Here are some of my favorites.

Explore Fort Casey State Park

website | directions | Coupeville | Discovery Pass required

Fort Casey is one of my favorite things to do on Whidbey Island. It’s an old military base from the early 1900s that was part of the “Triangle of Fire”, a series of forts along the water including Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island and Fort Worden on Point Wilson. Their purpose? To destroy any enemy vessel that attempted to enter Admiralty Inlet.

There are 100 acres to explore at Fort Casey State Park. You’ll find Admiralty Head Lighthouse, a beach bluff, and a rather large arms battery fort (cannon and all!).

I was absolutely obsessed with the arms battery. It was foggy when we went, so there was this ghostly vibe that both creeped me out and enthralled me. It was fun climbing the structure and going into hidey holes that felt like they should be on that show Ghost Hunters.

There is also access to a rather large beach from the battery. Don’t miss heading down there for beautiful photos and ambiance. You may even catch some locals fishing!

Walk Ebey’s Landing & State Park

website | directions | Coupeville | Discovery Pass required

Ebey’s is a touch confusing as there’s actually two main areas on the map Google will take you to. Fort Ebey State Park is more north near Oak Harbor. There you’ll find more than 650 acres of densely wooded areas with 25 miles of walking and biking trails weaving between trees down to the beach. You’ll also find a fort from World War II and shoreline for foraging shellfish and seaweed with a license (a Seattle foodies’ bucket list adventure, for sure!).

Ebey’s Landing and Nature Reserve is a bit more south and is situated on farmland that leads to a beach bluff. Here you’ll find a recreation of Isaac Ebey’s home on Ebey Prairie. He was the first man to claim a donation of free land from congress in 1850.

From the parking lot you have a few options for hikes to take. The shorter one is about a half a mile and takes you to the beach bluff trail. From there you can turn around, or you can decide to take the full 3.5 mile bluff trail hike. We didn’t do this, but it was beautiful overlooking the water and beach below.

Hike Deception Pass State Park

website | directions | Oak Harbor | Discovery Pass required

Deception Pass Bridge is how you get from Whidbey Island to the mainland at the north of the island. It’s a mint/foam green color that pops against some of the bluest waters I’ve seen in Washington. You can explore the state park on either side of the bridge. On the Whidbey Island side is the Pacific NW Trail. You simply take the stairs down from the parking lot to the beach cove and get beautiful views of the bridge and other side of the park.

The mainland side of the bridge has more hikes to explore. These will weave through forest before getting to a cliff to overlook. If you’re lucky, you may see whales or people on a day trip kayaking with orcas from Seattle.

Go beach hopping

Given it’s an island, Whidbey has a ton of beaches to explore. The best thing to do is to just drive along the coast and stop at little beaches that interest you. Up in Oak Harbor, for example, you can drive the short distance between West Beach, Hastie Lake, and Libbey Beach on the west cost of the island. Most of them will be desolate, making them a great spot for photos and uninterrupted sunset views.

Go wine tasting

There are about a dozen Whidbey Island wineries and tasting rooms, making the island perfect for a day of wine tasting at some of the best wineries in the Pacific Northwest. The first time I went to Whidbey Island was actually for a ladies’ wine tasting weekend, if you need another excuse to visit Whidbey Island.

Most of the wineries on Whidbey only produce 1,000 – 2,000 cases a year. A few of them grow grapes on the island, but many create wines using grapes from eastern Washington. I recommend prioritizing some of the ones offering estate-grown wines, particularly the white grapes like siegerrebe common on the Puget Sound AVA (yup, Whidbey Island is in an American Viticultural Area!).

Spoiled Dog Winery offers wine using grapes grown on the island. My other favorite winery is Dancing Fish Vineyards for bigger reds because they also source grapes from eastern Washington. They also have some of the best ambiance out of all the wineries on Whidbey Island.

Taste samplers at breweries

If beer is more your thing, you’ll be happy to know there are a handful of breweries on Whidbey Island, and some of them have multiple tasting rooms around the island. If you love ambiance, check out Double Bluff Brewing. It has a hidden outdoor patio in back of its Langley tasting room.

Eat at the best restaurants

As a foodie, I’m always researching the best places to eat when I travel. I was disappointed the first time I went to Whidbey because I found barely any restaurant guides. So I made it a mission to explore the best eats on the island. And I’m happy to report I found some of the best restaurants worth the drive from Seattle.

I wrote a whole guide to the best restaurants on Whidbey Island, but some of my favorites include Jumbo Burrito for California-style burritos and Oystercatcher for excellent seafood.

Stroll the quaint town of Coupeville

If I lived on Whidbey Island, Coupeville is where I’d want to live. It’s actually the oldest town on Whidbey Island, which you can totally tell from the historic buildings dotted with placards. And fun fact, they celebrated the witchy cult classic movie, Practical Magic, there!

The waterfront main street is super small and can be explored in 30 minutes, but it has such a quaint vibe. My favorite thing to do is stroll the streets, take photos, and pop into stores that interest me. One you shouldn’t miss is Briggs Shore Ceramics. You may find her throwing clay on the pottery wheel as you shop!

Shop around Langley

Langley is the biggest, most touristy town of Whidbey Island. I prefer Coupeville, but there’s definitely more to see here (thought it’s not that much bigger!). Stroll the streets here as well and pop into shops that interest you. Plus it’s more convenient to the ferry if you are getting on the island that way versus driving over Deception Pass Bridge.

Visit farmers markets

Whidbey Island has 5 different farmers markets throughout the island. They’re all on different days, so find the one that will be open when you’re there and visit.

Rent kayaks or SUPs

A quiet way to explore the island is from the water! You can rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards from Whidbey Island Kayaking in Langley and take them out for a few hours. They also offer day tours, including the nighttime bioluminescence tour to see neon phytoplankton in the water!

Getting to Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is about 1.5 – 2 hours from Seattle, depending how you get there. If you’ll be exploring mostly south Whidbey, it makes sense to take the ferry from Mukilteo. This will take you about 1.5 hours from Seattle.

The other option is to drive to the north of Whidbey and drive across Deception Pass Bridge. This is what we did because it’s easier than having to plan for the ferry. Despite being longer according to Google, the ferry suggests you arrive 45 – 60 minutes before departure during the busy season. So waiting in the ferry line adds way more time than is worth if you’re hoping to maximize all the things to do on Whidbey Island.

Where to stay on Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is surprisingly big. If you stay in the north of the island, it can take an hour to drive to Langley at the south. If you’re planning to explore the whole island, consider staying in Coupeville or Greenbank in the middle.

One option that’s well situated in the middle of the island is Captain Whidbey. I haven’t been here yet, but the property looks quite dreamy!

Map of Whidbey Island

Here is the Google Map I created for Whidbey Island. Hopefully it gives you a sense of space, plus easy access to the places recommended in this guide of things to do on Whidbey Island.

Attractions near Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is perfectly situated for exploring some other awesome areas of Washington. So if you’ll be in the area for a few days, consider taking a day trip to one of these spots.