One of the most wonderful things about our region is that it offers ways for everyone to enjoy nature, and one fabulous property on San Juan Island is taking that offer a step further: Lakedale Resort makes camping in the woods accessible to even the most dirt-averse among us.
“It’s kind of like a curio cabinet,” says Operations Director Richard Pitchford. “Where you’ve got two of these and seven of these…could we build a 500-room hotel building here? Sure we could, [but what you get instead is] something for everybody, and the experiences are totally different.”
Photograph by Anne Godenham
The 82-acre property offers no fewer than eight different forms of accommodation, from classic tent camping and RV campsites to fully plumbed log cabins and luxurious rooms at the kid-free lodge. And for those who want to sleep in the fresh air, but not on the ground, there’s glamping: choose a canvas cabin for a comfy queen bed (or reserve the bunkhouse for a larger group) or level up to a canvas cottage to add a private bathroom and prime water views.
Photograph by Anne Godenham
But, Pritchard notes, there’s no division among the different accommodations. Besides the fact that the Lodge is 16+, the entire property is available for every guest to enjoy. And there’s a lot to enjoy: three lakes, all of which are available for swimming and fishing and two of which also offer boating/paddle boarding; bikes (and helmets) of all sizes for guest use on the property; a beach with changing cabanas and a giant chess board; a fully stocked Activity Tent with everything the whole family needs to do crafts and tie-dye shirts; and a range of stunning outdoor sculptures scattered around the landscape.
When my family visited Lakedale in mid-May, the rain kept us inside our cozy canvas cabin for much of the time, but when the sun came out we took full advantage of the activities; my son’s favorite was either riding the tractor-shaped water tricycle or eating soft serve from the general store. Tough call—luckily he didn’t have to choose.
Photograph by Anne Godenham
“On any given day, [the general store] is sort of the beating heart of the property,” says Pritchard. “We’ve got hot dogs, we make pizzas, we have some grab-and-go food. We’ve got, obviously, souvenirs and kitschy stuff for the kids. And then we’ve got camping supplies and fishing supplies…wood that we sell for firewood…and this is where all the boat rentals happen.”
This year, boat and fishing pole rentals are free—more like borrowing. The Activity Tent, too, offers complementary crafts alongside those that incur a small materials fee. And there’s no age cutoff, Pritchard notes: “It’s mostly geared towards kids…[but] we’ve got everybody from seven to 77 out here doing tie-dye.”
Photograph by Anne Godenham
And for those of us who just want to relax? Well, there’s the beach, of course, but there’s also a lakeside deck for gathering, complete with Adirondack chairs and a fire pit. When the team decided to make the Lodge adults-only, there was some grumbling among the other guests.
“A lot of people obviously want to hang out on a deck,” Pritchard says, “And so we built one.”
Photograph by Anne Godenham
And that’s the thing I found perhaps most inviting about Lakedale: there’s probably already something for everyone, but on the off-chance that they don’t have what you want, the staff is dedicated to finding a solution.
As Pritchard says, “You got ideas? Let’s talk!” 4313 Roche Harbor Rd., Friday Harbor, 360.378.2350, lakedale.com
