Lighthouse Loop

Celea McInerny
Dec 22, 2015
3 min read

Updated: May 1, 2024

What is a lighthouse loop? With the help of Google Maps, I was able to research and map out the perfect 300 mile loop around Washington! Below is the map that I followed over the course of 24 hours.

Frosty was ready for an adventure and I was ready to leave the city behind and plan a special trip to see some Washington lighthouses! I really love lighthouses, mostly because they are situated on the water and they possess so much history. Washington is known for some famous eerie structures so I set out to see some! It took me a good amount of time to research and organize my loop. Some lighthouses in the state are deceiving because they are located on restricted islands-making it impossible to see or get a good shot. But with my experience in searching for these guys, I had finally planned out the best route. And I was more than excited to take my new Jeep out and break it in! My plan was to complete half of the loop, and then sleep in my car. I brought Mac along for company.

I started my trip in Seattle, heading South towards Olympia. First on my list was Dofflemeyer Point. After a few hours of driving, I started to descend into a harbor and ended on Lighthouse Lane. I parked at a cute marina called Boston Harbor and searched for the lighthouse. After a few searches, I decided to look up online how to access it-and to my surprise it was on private land inaccessible by visitors. Although a tad disappointing, the harbor was cute and the drive was just lovely.

My next stop was Skunk Bay. This spot was pretty far North but I was determined to see some lighthouses. I plugged in the coordinates and quickly came across a small gate off of a residential street that led to the lighthouse. I quickly parked and snuck around the fence. It was a beautifully maintained house that sat right on the coastline. It was such a cute little lighthouse, and the weather that I had was nice and gloomy. I then stopped in a quaint little town called, Port Gamble, to appreciate the small town architecture. Because of the early sunset, I decided to drive a bit more towards the Port Townsend lighthouse but stopped in Port Ludlow to camp. I pulled into a campsite where I paid the campground $20 and had access to restrooms, picnic equipment, and WIFI!! I walked Mac around the grounds and then streamed some TV shows until I fell asleep. I even brought some christmas lights and hung them up in my car-so wonderful!

I woke up the next morning and Mac and I went straight to Port Townsend. I drove through the fort and came to the end of the peninsula to find the Point Wilson lighthouse. Mac and I enjoyed walking around the sandy surrounding before heading to the ferry. This loop of mine required two ferry trips, but considering I went on a weekday I didn't bother to reserve any spots. I got to the Port Townsend Ferry an hour before its sailing to Coupeville. Upon arrival, the Admiralty Head Lighthouse was just around the corner, a landmark that I have passed multiple times and had no idea was there! It was a beautiful lighthouse surrounded by greens and the ocean. I then drove all the way down Whidbey Island to catch the ferry to Mukilteo. The drive through the island was so peaceful, I even spotted a few deer along the way. Mac is the best travel buddy! He is so eager to get out and walk around but will also sleep on my lap or center console until the next stop.

The Mukilteo ferry was a bit more popular but the trip is only 15 minutes. After waiting for about an hour, we finally boarded the ship and sailed across the Sound. My last lighthouse was surprisingly visible from the ferry! We quickly de-boarded and drove right over to our last stop. After some investigating, we were ready to head home and shower. I am so glad to have gotten away and fend for myself on this trip. It was a blast to not know where I am going, but end up feeling so accomplished when I reached a milestone.