The Lopez Island Ferry offers a unique gateway to one of the most beautiful and serene destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, understanding the ferry schedule, ticketing, and on-board amenities is essential for a smooth and enjoyable journey. Here’s your comprehensive guide to navigating the ferry system and ensuring your trip to Lopez Island is as seamless as possible.
The ferry ride to Lopez Island is a scenic journey that begins at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. You’ll need to plan ahead, as the ferry schedule varies by season, and reservations are highly recommended, especially during the busy summer months. The ferry ride itself offers stunning views of the San Juan Islands, and many passengers enjoy spotting wildlife such as seals, porpoises, and even orcas.
The Washington State Ferry (WSF) system allows reservations to be made for travel from Anacortes to Lopez Island and they are highly recommended especially from May through September. Please be sure to check out the information at their website: About the Reservation System.
Release dates: Reservation spaces will be released in groups: one-third 2 months before a new schedule goes into effect, one-third 2 weeks prior to a sailing and one-third 2 days prior to a sailing. Spaces are released at 7AM (PST).
Availability: Remember that when you first try to book a reservation, it may appear that there is no space on the sailing you want. But if you wait until the next release date to get a reservation (2 weeks or 2 days before) you may be able to reserve a spot. Also, there is at least 10% standby space available on every sailing. Depending on the number of reservation cancellations, this number can be higher. On the day of your sailing, the Anacortes Space Availability chart is very helpful.
Travel tips: WSF hopes that the reservation system will reduce congestion in Anacortes. But there still may be waiting lines to reach the ticket booth, so be sure to allow extra time. You must go through the ticket booth in order to pay your fare. You must arrive at the ferry and be through the ticket booth no later than 30 minutes prior to sailing in order to use your reservation. We recommend getting there 60 to 90 minutes in advance to make sure you have time to get through the lines and onto your chosen ferry. If you miss your reserved ferry, you can still show up and travel stand-by. If you missed your reservation, be sure to show the person at the ticket booth your reservation confirmation so you will get credit for traveling on the same day and avoid the no-show fee.
No Show Fee: If you make a reservation and don’t use it on the intended day, you will be charged a $10 No-Show fee (for standard vehicles. More for longer vehicles).
Changes/Cancellations: Reservations can be changed up to 2 hours before sailing time – but it’s best to do it the day before to avoid confusion. You can cancel your reservation without penalty up until 5 p.m. the day before your reserved sailing. There is one free change after 5 p.m. of the previous day, but it has to be done before the lockout period, which is 2 hours before sailing time.
General Release Policy
WSF releases the reservation space in multiple tiers, as follows: | |||
Release | When Available | % Regular Height Space Available | % Tall Height Space Available |
1 | 2 months before the schedule begins for all sailings for that season. | 30% | 90% |
2 | 2 weeks prior to sailing* | 30% | – |
3 | 2 days prior to sailing* | 30% | – |
*Reservation space is released at 7:00 a.m. For example, spaces on a 5:00 p.m. sailing on Wednesday are released at 7:00 a.m. on Monday.
Want to visit another island? Inter-Island walk-ons are free!
When it’s time to leave Lopez Island, planning your departure is just as important as your arrival. The ferry schedule for leaving the island can vary, and it’s essential to book your return trip in advance, especially during peak travel times.
NOTE: Reservations cannot be made for travel from Lopez back to Anacortes, so plan to arrive at the Lopez ferry terminal well ahead of the time you hope to depart. Please be advised that in the busy season (May through September and especially July and August), the heaviest traffic leaving Lopez is on a Sunday (or Monday in case of a 3-day weekend). Fourth of July is our busiest holiday, and traffic on July 5th is always extremely heavy. You may need to arrive two hours (or more) before your sailing time on the busiest days.
Make sure you have activities and food with you in case you have to wait longer than expected. There is no food service or drinking water available at the ferry landing. Restrooms are available but may be far from where you are parked in line. Taking a walk or bike ride (if you have your bicycle with you) is about the only activity available while you wait.
Each ferry departing Lopez is assigned a number or quota of vehicles, and those spaces are filled on a first-in-line/first-boarded basis. The ferry quotas below can help you judge how early you must arrive.
Time | Note | Cars |
6:40 am | 35-45 | |
7:50 am | 45-55 | |
9:05 am | 25-30 | |
11:25 am | 30-40 | |
12:55 pm | Mon-Fri | 35-45 |
12:55 pm | Sat-Sun | 10-15 |
1:50 pm | Sat-Sun only | 125-135 |
4:30 pm | 20-24 | |
7:05 pm | Fri-Sun only | 40-45 |
9:00 pm | 60-65 |
NOTE: Quotas are subject to change without notice by WSF depending on operational conditions and are NOT guaranteed.
When is the best time to travel? WSF has provided charts of congestion patterns from past seasons to help you decide when to travel. Visit the Current Schedule and click on Best Travel Times on the upper right side.
Lopez Ferry Landing: (360) 468-4095 (please be aware this phone does not take messages and will not be answered when the ferry landing is very busy or there is a ferry in the dock.)
WSF has installed a webcam system at the ferry landing. The system shows a view from the bottom of the hill looking up at the holding area and another view from the top of the hill looking at the holding lane that stretches back along the road. This is a great way to get a feel for the traffic on Lopez.
Sign up for Alerts – Create an account and receive bulletins by text or email. This includes reservation and standby status updates, sailing time status, and changes in the schedule for any reason. You select the route and the level of information you want to receive.
Current Ferry Bulletins – Want to see if there are any delays or schedule changes? View all the posted bulletins.
Anacortes Space Availability – This helpful chart shows how many spaces are left on each ferry sailing today – updated by the minute (also shows Anacortes webcams).
Vessel Watch – See where the ferries are en route.
Contact WA State Ferries:
The Lopez Island Chamber of Commerce is in place to support our members and offer tourist information to visitors.
265 Lopez Road, #F
Lopez Island, WA 98261
Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 3pm