Beautiful! Easy access to trails, amenities and a park. Just did the Cascade Lake trail, which is a lovely relatively easy less than 3 mile hike. The views are incredible and terrain varied from forest right down to the lake. There’s a snack shack there, bathrooms and picnic area. Definitely worth the $10 Parking/registration fee.

We recently drove through Moran State Park to check it out for future visits, and it’s absolutely beautiful! The park sits right along the water and is incredibly lush and scenic. While there are no electrical hookups (which means we wouldn’t bring our RV), it’s perfect for tent camping or bringing our truck. We like to scope out parks ahead of time, and this one offers plenty of great sites to choose from, with four different camping areas. The park also has an awesome spot where you can rent kayaks and canoes, plus a designated swimming area with a beach. There are lots of amenities, and the restrooms were clean and well-kept throughout the park. A couple of tips: definitely book your campsite well in advance since this is a popular state park, and don’t forget to reserve your ferry tickets to Orcas Island both ways—especially on weekends, as the waits can be long. We’ll definitely be coming back here for camping and exploring more of what this amazing park has to offer!

A beautiful park with camping amenities. Also has a nice kayak rental place on Cascade lake. Check out Mount Constitution for a beautiful view spanning from Stanwood to Blaine and beyond on clearer days.

I’m an Orcas resident, since 2014 — Moran embodies my sense of Orcas. We humans are the visitors in this natural setting where deer, birds, and critters of many types THRIVE. PLEASE be EASY and QUIET without leaving garbage so that we humans do not harm or disrupt. If you’ve read this far I will share a locally known very special place. Just before entering the park from the north, Rosario Rd goes Right, West. If you take it, in ~1/2 mile Palisades Dr. goes off downhill to the left. to a parking lot on the edge of the park. Park there and follow the trail at the edge of the parking lot ~1/4 mile to the right to a magnificent lagoon. Many people hang there by a prominent rock dabbling their toes in the shallow water and swimming. Another 1/4 mile along the path takes one to the wonderful bridge that is visible from the main Cascade Lake picnic area across the lake. My pics taken from the lagoon in May 2025.

An absolute favorite for good ole woods on the lake camping! Campgrounds have so much variety in shade, waterfront options, RV hookups, walk-in, and group sites. Their bathrooms and showers are well maintained, and the public use areas are always kept up as well. They staff a little snack shack where you can find limited swim gear and accessories, plus impressive snacks, coffee, ice cream, candy, etc. The lake is a non-motorized boat lake, but they rent out water toys or bring your own float islands and paddleboards. Mt. Constitution is also found within the park and is a must visit! Views into Canada and over the WA coast are to die for on a clear day. Whether you're visiting just for the day or longer, Moran State Park is an oasis worth experiencing!

Beautiful park with lots to do! You have the lake below Mount Constitution with rentals and food and a beach like atmosphere. You can go out Mount Constitution for trails or a big bike slog uphill. The views from the top of Mount Constitution are lovely. The whole area is great and it’s easy enough to ride an e-bike on the hills that go up and down.

Needed a reset outside, and camping in Moran State Park really helped. Several lakes, dozens of hikes of all levels, amazing scenery above and below the clouds.

Hello back at you, Ranger Ron! Stop by the beautiful visitor center to meet the nicest ranger you'll ever meet. Ranger Ron provided helpful tips for visiting Mt. Constitution and the state park in general. He made the beautiful visitor center an even more lovely place. Pick up souvenirs and free smiles while you're here.

Nice bathrooms.

Toddler friendly hike, kiddo loved seeing the river turn into a waterfall and splashing around at the bottom

A beautiful hike that runs the length of a stream bed gulley with multiple waterfalls and areas to wade in the cool mountain waters. Bring your bathing suit and towel in the warmer summer months.

Short hike but really great views. Multiple waterfalls along the trail and well maintained trail.

So worth your time! No one was there but us. So easy to find too! I just looked at Google maps found water and set a pin and it was as easy as that! Such an amazing place! I didn't want to leave! I show pictures of this place to everyone!!

A quick hike for some awesome falls. Watch out for the roots on the trail. Check out the fallen tree roots nearby.

I enjoyed my visit to the waterfall, go in the summer for the best experience and don’t be scared to get close(safely). The closer you get, the better the experience. Please wear comfortable shoes, It is very slippery while trying to navigate the route to the water fall. Parking is free and if you go by yourself like I did, just ask other people nicely to take your photos. Some will even offer.

A quick hike with a big payoff. From Eastsound, drive to Moran State Park and pass Cascade Lake. Take the road that leads up to Mountain Lake and the summit of Mount Constitution, and park in the small lot to the right on the way up the mountain. (You'll see signs.) From the parking lot, it's a short walk to several different waterfalls, with clear signs pointing the way. There are numerous spots for good photo ops, especially on the bridge at the bottom of Cascade Falls. The falls are especially dramatic in the rainy winter season.

Really special spot! Easy hike to the water. Interesting history.

Great views - I recommend going right at the circular trail

Very cool place

Orcas Island is a favorite of ours. We visit at least once a year in February as a break from the winter weather at home. Most trips, we visit Rosario and the Mansion, because it is such a beautifuland historic spot. The Mansion changed hands a few years ago and another sale has just been completed. We are hopeful that will bring it back to the 5 star restaurant it should be. The main dining room has been closed for years, but is more impressive than the hallway where the restaurant serves these days. The food is still delicious, but the atmosphere and service have declined. Let's hope our next visit takes it back to the stellar level it should be.

Gorgeous views from the windows of the Rosario Mansion Restaurant, but nothing to write home about in terms of service. We stayed at the Rosario for a milestone wedding anniversary and made a reservation at the Mansion Restaurant for our anniversary dinner a month in advance of our stay. Staff made no mention of our celebration, and were at a bare minimum with interactions throughout our meal despite there being almost no other tables filled during the time we were dining. Never once asked if we enjoyed any of the 3 courses we ordered. We absolutely loved our stay on the island and will be back, but will not be dining at the Mansion Restaurant for a special dinner in the future. When spending $200+ on dinner, guests should be treated with service that equates to the cost, and special celebrations should be acknowledged - this is basic 101 hospitality knowledge. The menu had a great variety if you’re a meat eater. We opted to start with the Smoked Halibut Dip - wonderful comfort dip with great balance of fish, cheese, and herbs. Shared the Grilled Pear & Burrata Salad - oddly this salad had no grilled pears. We could not figure that piece out, but otherwise was a delicious salad. Both of us ordered the Brodetto di Pesce as our entree - if you don't love spice, do not order this pasta! Nowhere does the menu mention hot peppers/chili being used in the tomato & garlic sauce, but our mouths were on fire. A great variety of seafood in the pasta, but felt more like a soup than a seafood pasta. Overall, gorgeous presentation of food, but not worth the hype for the price and service.

We stumbled across this resort as we were planning on just fueling up our boat. We decided to get a slip and stay. This resort was quaint and relaxing. The history of this area is amazing- restaurant located inside the mansion museum. This restaurant was so good. They had the best crab cakes we had on the islands so far. The pork sliders were unlike any I have had. I had the salmon with bacon onion relish and my husband had the newyork strip steak. His brussel sprouts were slightly undercooked but overall the meal was still great. My meal was perfect. Gary was our waiter. He was pleasant and fun to chat with. The view was amazing.

Visiting Rosario was a step back in time for me as I had worked there back in the 60s. While there have been several additions that could have been better designed to fit the original architecture the place is still magnificent. The lodge has wonderful interior woodwork. The library with it's pipe organ is a grand place. The grounds looked great.

We've stayed at the Rosario Resort a number of times over the years. Generally good experiences. This time around staff went above and beyond to make mealtimes a positive experience. Staff were friendly and hard working. They were very understaffed for breakfasts, which impacted the timeliness of service, but that was at no fault of the servers. Food and drinks were good. Mostly pleased with our experience and applaud the serving staff and cooks for their dedication and care.

I have been coming here for years and now I like it even more. Their food and drinks seem to be better than before. The restaurant has a beautiful view of the bay. You can take a walk around the campus, look at the museum, and come in for a nice lunch/dinner or drink. They also offer a nice brunch. I stayed here many years ago and was not too impressed with the room because is pretty out of date, Look like an old apartment got converted into a resort. They do have a pretty nice balcony overlooking the bay and their outdoor heated pool is nice.

Wonderful food, service and ambiance. We had the crab cake benedict which we shared and it was perfect. This resort is 122 years old and is impeccably maintained. Food is on the pricey side, but is delicious.

Bistro at Buck Bay, Orcas Island.(aka Buck Bay Shellfish Farm) Had a great dinner at the Bistro at Buck Bay on Orcas Island. This unassuming local favorite sits right at the water’s edge on a hill. You place your order and then sit outside in one of two large, covered areas and they bring your order out to you. We enjoyed a cross sample of their menu including Buck Bay Steamer Clams, Salmon Fish N’ Chips, House Green Salad, Pork BBQ ribs and Shrimp Alfredo. The clams were succulent in a great white wine broth, the salmon was a surprise knock-out cooked to perfection, the salad crisp and perfect, the ribs were tender and nicely smoked, and the shrimp Alfredo was good.

Really popular location in the middle of nowhere. It’s got quite a lovely scenery from their outdoor seating between the tented area or seating below a big willow tree. However I’m unimpressed by the flavor of the food as most of it lacked major flavor. I’ve had creamier chowder in any other seafood place in Seattle and the Clam Linguine was so basic it I regret paying $30 for it. The oysters are pretty fresh for the summer seasons so no complaints there. Expect expensive food prices here. Everything is in the mid $20-30 range minimum. And if you are here looking for flavorful seafood food, don’t be. You are better off getting everything fried.

Absolute gem of a place to eat at. Lovely fresh menu, reasonable prices, lots of outdoor seating and covered options, beautiful water view. Shellfish brought in just steps away. Staff was very friendly too. We had steamer clams, taco trio and the halibut sandwich. All were delicious. Much better than the overpriced places on Eastsound.

Buck Bay Shellfish Farm is EXACTLY what you're expecting. A great spot to get great food. We had a dozen oysters. I had the salmon fish and chips, which was positively scrumptious! Go here. Enjoy!

Eating fresh (and omg *do not sleep* on the grilled) oysters while overlooking the bay from which they were plucked and shucked is insanely delicious. Seasonal, local cider was great pairing. We did not get the island roll but we saw a table that did and it looked amazing. gigantic!

By far one of the best places to eat on the islands. Before you go make sure you check to see if they are open. All outdoor seating, no cell service! Seafood, bbq and you can grab food to go! Worth the drive and stop

Bought a gorgeous halibut filet here and bbqed it at our outdoor air bnb oasis. They even packed it on ice to stay good on our bike ride back towards Orcas. When we rolled up on our bikes the place was poppin, lots of visitors and delicious smelling food being served!

The works of artists living on this island are on display and can be purchased directly. There was a cafe next to Bao, so it was nice to be able to take a break and have a drink. It's a place that comes down to the beach after passing Moran State Park, so I recommend stopping by for a while.

A beautiful place to stop in when you’re discovering Orcas Island. Amazing art from the region, each with its own unique perspective on the PNW. Definitely stop by as you drive across the island.

Nice space for all the different medias displayed. The upstairs loft currently has a solo show of watercolor paintings. Downstairs has paintings, sculpture, jewelery, fabric arts, and more. There is a small cafe in the back that has a limited but tasty menu. The co-operative galley has been showing Orcas Island artists for 40-years. The building used to be a strawberry processing building that still has the original scale.

Amazing local art store where you can buy arts, paintings, jewelry, ceramics, wood boards. The staff is lovely and very helpful, though they won't bug you if you just want to peek

Driving past this place, I thought this must be one of those bad art (more like crafts)/mediocre food joints that draw tourists. But other members of my party wanted to stop, so we did. Believe me, you should not pass this place up. Nearly all of the artwork on display was worthy of being featured in high-end mainland galleries. The islands obviously feature some very talented artists. I was especially impressed with the variety of work and styles.

Cute stop just outside of the state park and within reasonable driving distance from downtown. Over forty local artists have their art showcased in a beautiful little shop with an attached cafe. Very clean bathrooms are available as well. Staff inside was very friendly. Location is wheelchair accessible (ramp on the left entrance, unsure of the right).

Beautiful works and you will meet the local artists there! The building is historical and worth to see in of itself

Had dinner after hike to Mt Constitution. Had to wait a bit, as I couldn’t get a reservation. But someone didn’t show up, so we got in. Great cocktails, has moderate beer collection and the food was excellent. Every thing was cooked to perfection.

Disappointing menu and service. There was no service. My friend got the piece of corn for $14. i got the garbanzo beans for $19. Our total with tip came to $43. Later i ordered a cider on draft and it was delicious. But we had to walk up and order, which was difficult since both of us are disabled. The entire thing was ridiculous. The food was not good, and obviously trying to be hooty tooty, but way missing the mark.

Fantastic and creative food - everything was so delicious and fresh. Excellent quality and super friendly staff. We went for breakfast and dinner. For breakfast I had a scramble with feta and tomatoes that was perfectly cooked and I had a side of their biscuit which was outstanding. For dinner I had a delicious halibut in a creative curry sauce. I highly recommend coming here - well worth it!

We loved being able to grab a restaurant quality meal for takeout. The food was hot, flavorful and fresh. I appreciate the shift to allow takeout and this was one of the best executed takeout entree experiences. The menu changes often and our food has a nice mix of cuisines including fresh seafood and fresh vegetables.

Place is a joke. Went in, they put our name down on list told us to come back in 45 minutes and we could be served. Went in got drinks ordered food. After an hour asked why people who sat after us had food and we didn’t. They told me at that time they make the food of people with reservations first not in order of being ordered and my food was next to be cooked and would be another 20 minutes. Decided to leave without eating. Never heard of such a thing, and should have been clearly explained.

Unbelievably good. Like... some of the best breakfast food I have ever had. Everything on my plate was homemade or locally sourced and out of this world. Home made cheddar biscuit and homemade spicy sausage. What more could you ask for. Outdoor patio is covered from the rain with beautiful views and sights. Wherever you are on the island, make a reservation for breakfast here, you won't be disappointed.

Beautiful view. Tip: go before 7 especially on a Sunday as they sell out of a lot of items quickly And change their menu weekly. Great service, everything was flavorful. The menu was all fresh and local and were good but needed just a few small changes to be a five star rating for me. Plating was also beautiful. -Mushroom toast was a little too toasted. Bordering on Cajun style. -shrimp romesco sauce was so delish we skipped the infused oil and put our bread in this. But the shrimp were a bit small. Could have been larger and juicer. -halibut was beautiful fresh and flaky but turmeric was a weird spice for the fish. Kind of overpowered and make it a strange color. Great corn side. -Limited wine by the glass list. My dining parter doesn’t drink so no point in a bottle. Pie was perfect texture, but would have been great w a side of homemade whipped cream. So easy to have inside be too gelatinous or too loose this was perfect. The crust could have been flakier but was flavorful. If you’re not already, the secret is using ice cold vodka and not water to your crust + only butter, no shortening. It’ll make it 10/10. Would return!