Submitted by the San Juan County Land Bank.

The North Shore Preserve is officially open to the public.

Located near the northwest corner of Orcas Island, the 58-acre preserve offers forested uplands, wetlands, and over 1,800 feet of natural shoreline with prime nearshore habitat for juvenile salmon and the forage fish critical to salmon recovery.

In 2022, the Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust joined forces to purchase the defunct Glenwood Inn Resort. That same year the Land Bank launched an exhaustive planning, permitting, and contracting effort that removed 13 structures and hundreds of tons of debris, and established parking and trails to support low-intensity recreational access.

Among the Land Bank’s highest priorities was restoring the ecological integrity of the property through re-establishment of wetlands, removal of thousands of invasive plants, and extensive ongoing revegetation with native species.

Although much work remains, the safe, scenic and ecologically rich North Shore Preserve is now yours to enjoy!

“This is a tremendous addition to natural public lands on Orcas on so many levels,” said Brian Wiese, the Land Bank Commission Chair. “For one, public access to the shoreline has been a huge priority for the community and this Preserve’s 1,800 feet of coastline is really unparalleled.”