Point Roberts, Washington borders Canada only

Point Roberts, Washington cannot be reached by land from the rest of the United States. One must drive first into Canada, curve around Boundary Bay, and again cross the border back into the United States to reach this remote corner. The establishment of a border between the United States and Canada along the 49th parallel cut straight through the bottom tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula. That stranded southern land became Point Roberts. To locate this on a map, look at the straight-line border between Washington State and the Province of British Columbia. Point Roberts is located just before the zigzag south around Vancouver Island.

Boardwalk and Shelters at Lighthouse Marine Park Want to borrow this image for your website or blog? Please read Terms & Conditions.

All of the photographs on this page were taken along the Strait of Georgia at Whatcom County's Lighthouse Marine Park. This can be found at the far southwestern corner of Point Roberts. The wooden structures shown here were part of the park's boardwalk facility. Wooden alcoves built onto the boardwalk protected picnic tables from wind or sun. Nobody else braved the elements during our park visit. The cold, windy weekday pushing across the Strait seemed to scare everyone else way.

Navigational Beacon at Point Roberts Want to borrow this image for your website or blog? Please read Terms & Conditions.

Lighthouse Marine Park is a bit of a misnomer. There's no longer a lighthouse at this location, having been replaced long ago by a navigational beacon. There is however an effort underway to build a new lighthouse at this scenic spot. It would be a nice addition to an already pleasant seascape. Plus, a lighthouse in place of this beacon would sure make for better photographs.

Strait of Georgia View Want to borrow this image for your website or blog? Please read Terms & Conditions.

Point Roberts is supposed to be one of the greatest land-based spots in the region for whale watching. Orca pods swim regularly past the point in one direction or another in their constant search for food. That's what they say, anyway. We saw lots of beautiful nautical scenes across the width of the Strait to the San Juan Islands and their Canadian equivalents, but we didn't see any whales that day.

I am so fascinated by strange geography that we actually crossed international borders between the United States and Canada four times in a single day to reach this spot and return.

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Resources for Planning your Visit

• Bellingham to Vancouver to Everett. My Travel Page with more about Point Roberts
• Wikipedia's Point Roberts
• Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce
• Lighthouse Marine Park from Whatcom County Parks
• Experience Washington