Guemes Island

The county-ferry island off Anacortes

Guemes is the most off-the-grid place in this guide, and remarkably it sits minutes from a full-service town. A small Skagit County ferry, not Washington State Ferries, runs the short channel crossing from Anacortes, and on the far side you find a rural island of roughly 600 full-time residents, a single general store, rolling hills and a culture of self-reliance. For buyers who want genuine seclusion, off-grid and solar living, and a tight community, while keeping Anacortes and its hospital a quick boat ride away, Guemes is unique: remote in feel, but not in distance.

• Grid status: Mixed. On-grid in much of the island, but off-grid and solar homes are common, and Glencoe Lane and similar areas are known off-grid enclaves.
• Internet: Variable; verify by address. Many properties rely on satellite or fixed-wireless solutions.
• Cell coverage: Patchy and carrier-dependent.
• Getting to Anacortes: A short county-run Guemes Island ferry, roughly five to ten minutes, on a limited schedule, then full services in Anacortes.
• Services on-island: Essentially the Guemes Island General Store and a community center; everything else is in Anacortes.
• Nearest hospital: Island Health in Anacortes, a short ferry-plus-drive away.
• Remoteness rating: Most remote in feel. Off-grid living is common and services are minimal, yet a full town and hospital are just across the channel.

Time slows the moment you step off the ferry. The Guemes Island General Store, long known as Anderson's, is the island's only store, doubling as a restaurant and gathering place, with live music on some weekends. There is no commercial district beyond it, no school (children ferry to Anacortes), and a close-knit population of around 600 that values sustainability, gardening, small-scale farming and stewardship. Historically the site of Samish winter villages, Guemes today is a community of rural homesteads, private community beaches and quiet lanes.

Recreation is simple and outdoor: the Guemes Mountain trail rewards a short climb with sweeping Salish Sea and Cascade views; the 20-acre Peach Preserve and community beaches at Long Bay and elsewhere offer shoreline access; and boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing and beachcombing fill the days. There is one small resort for visitors and a handful of vacation rentals. The appeal is not a list of attractions but the absence of them, a place to garden, watch the water, walk the hills and live deliberately, with the security of Anacortes minutes away when you need it.

Guemes real estate runs from rustic cabins and off-grid compounds to striking modern retreats on large private acreage, with a strong representation of solar-powered, sustainability-minded and owner-built homes. Eco-friendly features are a genuine selling point here. Acreage parcels, build-your-own lots and tiny-home enclaves all exist, and many properties involve wells, septic, critical-areas review and self-supplied power and water. This is a market for buyers who actively want a low-impact, self-reliant island life, and due diligence on water, power, internet and permitting is especially important.

How do you get to Guemes Island? By a small Skagit County ferry from Anacortes, a roughly five-to-ten-minute crossing on a limited schedule. It is a county-run boat, separate from the Washington State Ferries system that serves the San Juans, so plan around its specific timetable.

Is Guemes really off-grid? Partly. Much of the island is on-grid, but off-grid and solar-powered homes are common, and some areas are well-known off-grid enclaves. Internet and cell are variable, so anyone planning to live or work here should verify power, water and connectivity at the specific property.

What services are on Guemes Island? Very few by design: the Guemes Island General Store and a community center, essentially. There is no school or commercial district on the island, so residents rely on Anacortes, just across the channel, for groceries, medical care, shopping and most services.