Whidbey and Camano Islands are located in Island County, Washington, total population 75,000. Rural, yet sophisticated, the islands are a Mayberry-esque paradise. Both offer stunning vistas, temperate climate, and a wealth of marine wildlife including whales and waterfowl. The arts, agriculture, and tourism are primary industries.  Whidbey Island is home to the U.S. Navy’s highest rated Naval Air Station. With seven state parks, much of the land on both islands is pristine, with a sprinkling of seaside villages and hundreds of historic buildings, including the second oldest town in the state of Washington.  Both islands offer a variety of filming locations including beaches, farms, gardens, museums, marinas, country inns, scenic drives, an old wharf, block houses, Deception Pass Bridge, cemeteries, dozens of barns, old growth forests, a 100 year old fort with cannons and a lighthouse, wineries with estate vineyards, and more. The main road running the entire 50 mile length of Whidbey Island, has been designated a Scenic Isle Way. Among Camano Island’s attractions include Cama Beach State Park, a 1930s fishing resort.

 

Just 25 miles from Seattle, Whidbey and Camano Islands are the Shortest Distance  

for Far Away ®. Photo Credit: Russell Sparkman.

 

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WHIDBEY AND CAMANO ISLANDS WEATHER

 

Whidbey and Camano Islands are blessed with mild weather influenced by Puget Sound, providing mostly cool or warm temperatures. The maritime climate is pleasant all year and it is not unusual for a misty morning to transform into a sunny afternoon. The nearby Olympic Mountain range creates a rain shadow effect. Both Whidbey and Camano Islands experience far less precipitation than many other parts of western Washington. 

 

Average Temperature:

January – High 47 F, Low 37 F

July – High 73 F, Low 54 F

 

Precipitation:

Total precipitation per year ranges within the islands from 18-26 inches per year. Central Whidbey is the driest part of the islands. 

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PROJECTS FILMED ON WHIDBEY AND CAMANO ISLANDS

 

 Photo Credit: Sherrye Wyatt.    

 

Whidbey and Camano Islands have unspoiled, natural beauty, making them distinctive destinations for feature films, commercials, television series and specials. Scenes of independent and commercial films have been filmed here including:

 

•  – An Officer and a Gentleman (1981)
•  – Cry for the Strangers – TV Movie (1982)
•  – The War of the Roses (1989)
•  – Dixie Lanes (1989)
•  – Practical Magic (1998)
•  – Double Jeopardy (1999)
•  – Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
•  – Highway (2002)
•  – The Ring (2002)
•  – The Standard v.15 – short film (2004)
•  – The Standard (2006)
•  – The Falling (2006)
•  – Sweet Thing (2008)
•  – Late Autumn (2010)
•  – Shuffle & Cut – A Question for Godard (2010)
•  – Without (2011)
•  – Also, the Sight Below music video Further Away was filmed at Deception    Pass (2008). 
•  – Recent episodes of the popular television series Super Nanny (2011)        and American Pickers (2012) were filmed here.
• –  Recent television commercials filmed here include Volkswagen Beetle (2011)  and Coors (2012).

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KEY LOCATIONS OF INTEREST

 

• Deception Pass Bridge – 75-year-old bridge spans over churning waters, breath-taking views.
• Deception Pass State Park – 4,134 acre marine and camping park with 77,000 ft of saltwater shoreline, 33,900 ft of freshwater shoreline on three lakes, with dramatic vistas and rugged cliffs.
• Cama Beach State Park – Restored 1930s fishing resort with 35 waterfront cabins.
• Penn Cove – Home to world famous Penn Cove mussels, it is a large sheltered body of water.
• Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve – 17,500 acres of protected land with 400 historic buildings and 18 working farms and miles of hiking trails and beach.
• Oak Harbor – A small town with a historic area, marina and dozens of parks, it also offers more conveniences and name brand stores and lodging.
• Double Bluff Beach – One of many beaches in the islands, 2 miles of white sand and driftwood.
• Coupeville and Wharf – The second oldest town in Washington state, it includes an old wharf with long pier and looks quite a bit like a charming New England town.
• Fort Ebey State Park – 645-acre camping park on Whidbey Island, was originally built as a coastal defense fort in World War II. Concrete platforms mark the gun locations. The park has 3 miles of saltwater shoreline on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a freshwater lake for fishing, and miles of hiking and biking trails.
• Langley – A bit like ‘Cabot Cove’ the waterfront town is filled with cafés, shops, and galleries.
• Fort Casey and Admiralty Head Lighthouse – 467 acre marine camping park with a lighthouse and sweeping views of Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A coast artillery post features two 10 inch and two 3 inch historic guns – also, officer housing and mess halls.
• Meerkerk Gardens – 10 acres of display and educational gardens enveloped by 43 acres of woodland preserve and 4 miles of nature trails.
• Iverson Spit Preserve – Open sandy beach on Camano Island with views and driftwood.
• Saratoga Woods – 120 acres of forested hiking trails with views of Saratoga Passage.
• Sunnyside Cemetery – Historic cemetery on dramatic hillside where many pioneers are buried.
• Greenbank Farm – 151 acres of public farmland with large barn, tasting room, café, galleries.

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CLOSEST LARGE CITIES ADJACENT

Seattle is 50 miles south
of Camano Island, which is accessible by bridge 24 hours a day from Interstate
5.

Seattle is 75 miles south
of the northern tip of Whidbey Island, which is accessible by Deception Pass
Bridge, 24 hours a day near the town of Oak Harbor.

Seattle is 25 miles from
the southern tip of Whidbey Island at Clinton, which is served by ferries (20
minute crossing) nearly every 30 minutes every day from Mukilteo, near Everett
(ferry runs from 4:30 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.). This is one of two WSDOT ferry routes
with terminals. The second ferry terminal is near the town of Coupeville (40
minute ferry crossing), which connects the island to the town of Port Townsend
and the Olympic Peninsula.  Both ferry routes allow automobiles including
trucks with trailers.

Both islands are also
easily accessed by Amtrak, with stations in Everett (near Clinton on Whidbey
Island) and Stanwood (near Camano), just a short taxi ride away.

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RELEVANT CONTACTS AND INFORMATION

 

 

 Langley Marina, one of several, on Whidbey Island. Photo Credit: Ron Roesler.

 

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ACCOMMODATIONS

 

Whidbey and Camano Islands offers more than 120 lodging properties with over 900 guest rooms at reasonable rates and free parking. Ranging from cabins at a 1930s fishing resort, luxury waterfront inns with spas, classic major hotel chains, historic Victorian bed and breakfasts, huge farm houses, secluded forest or beach cabins – there is a wide variety of accommodations to choose from. There are also many vacation rental homes, Camp Casey Conference center and large lodges to accommodate groups. Please see the Whidbey and Camano Islands Tourism website at www.WhidbeyCamanoIslands.com for an up-to-date list of lodgings with amenity comparisons and pricing.

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

  The islands’ small towns offer relaxed historic shopping districts.

 

To view additional photos of Whidbey and Camano Islands, please see our Reel Scout Location Database.

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LOCATION CALL

  

In an effort to expand our Reel Scout Location Database, we are doing a call for “Art Galleries”. If you have an art gallery you would like to add to our location database, you can do so by sending photos to Info@WashingtonFilmworks.org. Please include address and contact information and attach photos as a JPEG no larger than 1MB per photo.

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