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Patos Island Marine Park Washington - Patos Lighthouse Patos Island Washing is the northern most island of the San Juan Islands and one of the least visited, but it is also one of the most intriguing. Patos has played host to smugglers and ducks over the years however it is best known for its historic lighthouse originally built in 1890. The main lighthouse tower was completed in 1908. This lighthouse station was made famous by author Helene Glidden whose book  "The Light On The Island",  chronicles her experiences on Patos when she lived there for 8 years from 1905-1913, when her father was the lighthouse keeper. The Island got its name from Spanish Explorers Valdez and Galliano who named it the island of ducks (Isla de Patos), perhaps due to a unique rock formation shaped like a duck's head on its eastern side.

Patos (Duck) Lighthouse The 38-foot tower of the Patos Lighthouse is a beacon to shipping traffic passing through the region to Vancouver B.C.  You can see large container ships and fishing vessels passing by the island at all hours, day and night and seasonally you may be fortunate enough to see some whales making Patos an interesting place to tie up for a few days.

The waters around Patos Island are alive with swirling and churning currents that give it an eerie feeling and present you with unique challenges. Tides at Patos Island can rise and fall 14 feet.  

 Like a stone set in the middle of a running stream, Patos is subjected to wild currents as the tides fill and empty Puget Sound twice a day. The shipping lane off Patos Island's west shore is a deep abyss that handles massive volumes of water as well as a large amount of shipping traffic. When a changing tide current meets head on with wave action the result is extremely rough seas even on calm days making the waters off Patos notorious for small watercraft. 

Patos Cove & Anchorage

The small cove on the south side of the island offers protection to visiting boats that are fortunate enough to grab one of only 2 mooring buoys. Anchoring is not recommended due to the strong currents that swirl through the cove from the small opening in the side of the cove and the rocky bottom that seems to resist anchors. At times it can also be difficult to nearly impossible to row ashore due to the flow of water through the cove.

Patos Wildlife & Trails

Patos Island is home to a population of puffins, ducks and assorted seabirds. The waters surrounding Patos are reported to be excellent for fishing especially for Salmon and Halibut. Patos Island is designated as a Federal Wilderness Area which means you are only allowed to access portions of the 110 acre island. There is a 1 1/2 mile trail loop and 7 campsites as well as two pit toilets however there is no potable water on the island.  

Note: The mysterious Patos Head statues can be very elusive and shy around humans. Its not known for sure what the purpose of these 40-ton monoliths where created for. It is believed that perhaps these giant heads were carved by island natives for worship and religious ceremonies, to ward off would be invaders, or they may have just been created by someone bored at their computer at work one day. If you don't happen to see any weird head statues during your visit to Patos don't worry, they are likely just at their other home on Easter Island, Chile.