Whidbey Island is surrounded by amazing beaches and there are lots of different beaches to choose from. There are rocky beaches, ones with open ocean or the bay that are great for kayaking, swimming and other water activities. There are beaches with hiking trails, overlooks and ones that are perfect for the sunset or sunrise on the island. Some of my favorites are listed below.
Read my Top 10 things to do Whidbey Island Guide here.
Rosario Beach (Fidalgo Island)
Technically this gorgeous beach is located on Fidalgo island on the edge of Deception Pass State Park but is very close from Whidbey island and is about a 15-20 minute drive from Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. This beach is gorgeous and unique from many of the beaches on the island. It is a gorgeous small rock and agate beach that has small rocks that are easy to walk on unlike Joseph Whidbey State Park beach. There is a peninsula point called Rosario Head that is a mini outcropping of a fort Ebey like area that is a gorgeous lookout point over the islands and water. This is a great spot for hiking as well as picnics and hanging out on the grassy knoll at the top. There is a dock and great inlets for swimming in the summer and lots of camping close by in Bowman bay nextdoor. This is one of the best beaches in the area.
Ebey’s Landing (Coupeville)
Ebey’s Landing is a part of Ft. Ebey, a beautiful natural historical reserve of beaches and farmland on the coast. Ebey’s Landing includes farms, houses & stores built by 19th-century settlers on the most scenic reserve on the sound. There are two bunkers to climb in and around as well as lots of land, trails for hiking and a huge campground area. This is one of the most beautiful spots on the island for either a trail run on the bluff or in the wooded trees, go camping, and or see the sunset or sunrise from the bluff lookout point.
DoubleBluff beach (Freeland)
Double Bluff Beach is one of the famous southern beaches of Whidbey Island. This beach is outside of Freeland, WA with the longest stretch of sand beach on the island. This beach has tide pools, off leash dog access and is a great place for swimming because of the lack of rocks. There are wood forts that have been build all up and down the beach that are fun forts for kids and everyone to enjoy.
Joseph Whidbey State Park Beach
This beach has a 112 acre waterfront that includes grass fields, hiking trails and is one of the best sunset points on the island. There is a small lot for parking to get into the main entrance point that only holds about 8 cars total. This beach is a rocky beach with no sand. There is lots of driftwood logs to sit on and take in the scenary. This is a bit of a less frequented beach since it is on the west side of the island into Oak Harbor out of the Deception Pass area.
North Beach (Oak Harbor) @ deception pass bridge
North Beach is part of Deception Pass Park and bridge. This beach offers one of the best views of the bridge and is a short hike down from the public parking lot at the top. The trail is through the small wooded hillside and is a beautiful descent to the beach. This is one of the beaches in Oak Harbor that offers the most sand expanse. This beach connects eventually if the tide is low and you walk all the way around to West Beach Deception Pass. These two beaches offer miles of beach, sand and some of the best lounging beach space on the island. There are free summer concerts held here as well at West Beach overlooking the bridge. If you want great sand beaches, views of the bridge and great camping this is one of the best spots on the island. This is the beach that offers the best scenic views from the bluff and is a great place for hiking trails and beach. To park in the parking lot at the bridge lot at the top to hike down to the beach you must have a discover pass.
Discover Pass
This pass for Washington State allows you to have access to more than 100 state parks, more than 350 camping grounds, 700 water access points, 2,000 miles of designated trails, and more than 30 wildlife areas according to the state. The annual pass is only $35 a year. The pass is good for one year from the day you buy it. Otherwise you must pay $10 day entry fees at all of these locations at each time of use. This is a great way to support your local parks and get the best deal on outdoor adventures. You get use of two vehicles per one pass, and if you have more than two cars you need to buy more than one pass. The pass needs to be posted on your mirror. Buy discover pass here.
West Beach Deception Pass
This beach is right off Cranberry Lake in Deceptation Pass State Park. There are alot of great tailheads near here as well as the known Rosario trailhead. This beach is the other beach that is known for its large sand areas as well as a shared campgrounds area with lots of picnic tables, bathrooms and hot showers.
Monroe Landing
This beach is officially called Penn Cove Beach access point. This beach is straight off Monroe Landing the road coming from inland Oak Harbor. This is a very small and private neighborhood beach that is not very well known. This place is a sand beach bar that is a great ocean access point that is a bay and does not get the waves coming in which makes it great for swimming as well as kayak access. This spot is beautiful during sunset, however is not a beach the sun directly sets on and is better to go to Joseph Whidbey State park of Deception pass to catch the sun going down.
