Geography & Wildlife
Three lakes, miles of saltwater shoreline, a forested interior, and more deer than you'd think possible for a place this size.
Features
Florence, Josephine, and Pine
Florence Lake is the largest of the three. It's the only lake on the island where gas motors are allowed, and it's the most accessible for swimming, boating, and waterfront living.
Lake Josephine is 73 acres and lies entirely within the Riviera. Electric motors only. Charles Hopkins named it in 1906 for his wife and daughter, both of whom were named Josephine. It was called Dahl Lake before that, for the early Dahl family.
Pine Lake is small and reserved for fishing by children seventeen and under. Stocked annually by the Riviera with rainbow trout.
Lake Josephine's swimming area, inside the Riviera.
Beaches, Bays, and Bluffs
The island has roughly fourteen miles of saltwater shoreline. Most of it is forested down to the bluff, with much of the public shoreline access concentrated at Andy's Marine Park on the southwest side of the island. From the trail down to the beach, the view opens onto Carlson Cove, one of the prettiest moments on any hike here.
From Oro Bay on the southeast shore you can see Mount Rainier on a clear day. The bay itself is a sheltered, shallow inlet that draws herons, seals, and the occasional kayaker.
The tides matter. The South Sound runs higher and lower than open ocean, and beach access changes significantly between high and low. Check a tide table before you plan a shoreline walk.
Often: bald eagles, great blue herons, harbor seals, kingfishers
Seasonally: salmon runs in late summer and fall, river otters, sea lions
If you're lucky: orcas, gray whales passing through, the occasional sea otter
Deer, Eagles, and a Lot of Birds
Most of the island's interior is Douglas fir and Pacific madrona, with cedar and big-leaf maple in the wetter draws. The forest is dense in places, more open in others, and threaded with trails through the parks. Standing in any park for ten minutes will get you birdsong from a half-dozen species.
Deer are everywhere. Black-tailed, often in groups, often unbothered by humans. They graze in yards, cross the road, watch you from the tree line. Bald eagles are common, especially along the shoreline and over the lakes. Great horned owls and barred owls both call at night.
For birding: Johnson Farm is one of the best spots on the island, with mixed habitat that draws a wide range of species. The lakes attract waterfowl in the cooler months. Andy's Marine Park is excellent for shoreline and forest birds in the same walk.
If you want to know what you're hearing, the free Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology will identify bird songs by ear. It works surprisingly well here.
A Year on the Island
Mild and wet for most of the year. About 48 inches of rain annually, a little more than Seattle. Snow is rare but does happen. Summers are dry and pleasant; winters are gray and damp but never severe.
Spring
Wet, green, and waking up. Mid-40s to mid-60s. Trillium and salmonberry blooming, eagles nesting, the first big bird migration weeks.
Summer
Dry, mild, golden. Highs in the 70s, occasional 80s. The summer population swells to roughly 4,000. Ferry waits get long on weekends.
Autumn
Color, then rain. Big-leaf maples and madronas turn. Salmon runs peak. The summer population leaves; the island gets quiet again.
Winter
Gray, wet, mostly mild. 30s to mid-40s. Snow once or twice a season, rarely more than a few inches. Daylight runs short, and sunset can come at 4:20 in December.
Anderson Island on the Map
For directions, satellite view, or to find a specific address, the live map is your friend.
Where to Next
Parks & Trails
Andy's Marine, Lowell Johnson, Jacob's Point, the wildlife park. Where to walk, what each one offers, how to get there.
Explore the ParksLakes & Beaches
Where to swim, kayak, paddleboard, crab, and clam. What's open to the public, what's owners-only, what the tides do.
Water Activities