English Camp and A Beautiful English Garden – Garrison Bay

English Camp – A Fun Shore Visit When Anchoring in Garrison Bay –

While cruising in the San Juan Islands, we always try to make a stop to anchor in Garrison Bay. It’s close to Roche Harbor and is scenic with several hiking trails beyond the historic English Camp. The trail to Westcott Bay and the Westcott Bay Shellfish Company is an easy walk through gnarly treed woods and moss-covered rocks. For those looking for a more challenging hike, there is a trail that meanders up the hill beyond the camp. From there you can take in a stunning overlook of Garrison Bay and beyond.

Jim and I have noticed more boats anchored in the bay this trip. We are thinking a lot of boaters in Washington State have opted to cruise and social distance on their boats in the San Juan’s this pandemic year. Probably because of the closure of the US and Canadian borders.

We usually spend a night or two in Garrison Bay, before taking a slip at Roche Harbor Marina. However, this time, we just anchored in the bay for three nights, enjoying the boat traffic coming and going. Our stay included several trips to shore by dinghy. First, to Westcott Bay for lunch one day and a hike through the woods another day. That hike included a walk around the English Camp to see the beautiful English Garden.

We haven’t been out to many restaurants this trip, but we couldn’t resist trying the oysters at the Westcott Bay Shellfish Company. They offered plenty of outside tables and seating arrangements, which made for a very pleasant, and safe, dining experience.

I took a lot of photos of the English Gardens at the English Camp, my friend Janice is a master gardener. I know she will love seeing all these photos.