The Anacortes ferry terminal is located at Ship Harbor, an embayment on the northwestern shore of Fidalgo Island and the southern shore of Guemes Channel, approximately 85 miles (137 km) north of Seattle and 3.7 miles (6 km) west of Anacortes, Washington. In 1879, a post office was established, adopting the name ‘Anacortes’ from Anne Curtis Bowman, the wife of a land development promoter. In 1951, the State of Washington began operating an automobile and passenger ferry service from Ship Harbor to the San Juan Islands. The ferry terminal site and much of the north coast of Fidalgo Island consist of a glacial outwash composed of sand, gravel, silt, and clay. These materials were deposited by meltwater from the Puget lobe of the massive ice sheet that covered this area during the Vashon advance of the Fraser glaciation. The thickness of these deposits ranges from 3 to 198 feet (1 to 60 m), with an average of 33 to 66 feet (10 to 20 m).

The Samish are a Central Coast Salish people with villages on Samish, Guemes, and Fidalgo islands. In 1847, they numbered more than 2,000, but by 1855, disease and attacks from the Haida and Tsimshian tribes reduced their population to about 150. The Samish joined other tribes in signing the Point Elliott Treaty, but the Lummi chief, Chowitsoot, signed on their behalf on January 22, 1855. After the treaty’s ratification, the Samish were relocated to reservations dominated by other tribes, such as the Lummi, Swinomish, and Tulalip. In 1859, a border dispute between the United States and the United Kingdom led to the arrival of the USS Massachusetts, which aimed to protect American interests and negotiate treaties with local tribes. The vessel anchored in a protected embayment, later named Ship Harbor. In 1876, a railroad surveyor, Amos Bowman, moved his family to the northern tip of Fidalgo Island and promoted the area as a terminus for the Northern Pacific Railway. In 1894, the Fidalgo Island Packing Company built the first salmon cannery at Ship Harbor. Anacortes developed a rich history in fishing and shipbuilding and is well known regionally for the Washington State ferry terminal at Ship Harbor. This terminal serves the San Juan Islands and Sidney, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island.

In 1997, the SShip Harbor Interpretive Preserve was established adjacent to the Washington State ferry terminal. The preserve encompasses 25 acres (10 ha) of freshwater wetlands, 5 acres (2 ha) of upland habitat, and 2,000 feet (610 m) of sandy beach with subtidal eelgrass beds. It contains the old foundations and docks of the Fidalgo cannery and a historical railroad grade. The marsh is primarily fed by rainwater, lacking any major surface fluvial input. A barrier beach spans the entire width of the marsh, with no tidal channels, effectively separating the marsh from the ocean. The railroad grade along the northwest edge of the marsh likely separated it from tidal influences, potentially shifting the dominant vegetation. Wooden pilings were placed throughout the marsh to support cannery structures, and today these pilings are about 1 to 2 feet (0.3 to 0.6 m) high. A well-defined trail system protects sensitive vegetation and provides environmental education about the role and significance of the beach and wetlands. Read more here and here. Explore more of the Anacortes Ferry Terminal and Guemes Channel here: