01-333 Channel House
- San Juan Island



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*** This home is people-friendly and not pet-friendly. This home is unsuitable for small children as the property has higher sections near deep water. ***
This San Juan Island vacation rental home offers sweeping views across the San Juan Channel to Orcas Island and other surrounding islands. Floor-to-ceiling windows invite the exquisite beauty of nature into your living room, kitchen, and dining areas - the waterfront is so near that it feels like part of the living room! The natural environment surrounding this home provides frequent sightings of deer, eagles, porpoises, seals, sea lions, and, on occasion, Orca and Minke Whales. This home is an ideal setting for those who enjoy reading, fishing, cooking, hiking, and just relaxing to the sound of the sea.
The living room opens to the deck and is furnished with wall-to-wall carpeting, leather seating, and a DVD/CD player. Enjoy sitting outside by the fire pit or on the waterside bench. Two queen-sized bedrooms face the water, and enjoy their private decks, reading areas, and radios. The primary bedroom has a seating area, and the bath offers a walk-in shower. A third bedroom contains two twin beds, a second DVD player, and a concealed washer and dryer.
Gourmet cooking and entertaining are encouraged in this vacation home's well-equipped kitchen, which offers a bread machine, ice maker, service for 12, serving dishes, a dishwasher, a high-tech induction stovetop, two ovens, and cookbooks. There is a gas BBQ just outside, and sage, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, and other spices grow in containers for your use. A wood stove in the dining room (no firewood is provided) adds to a cozy evening environment.
Reach the rocky shoreline on an easy path down four steps. Hikers will enjoy discovering the Old Growth Forest Reserve just three blocks away. You can blissfully escape from the world at Channel House, but if you decide to tune in, there is 55" smart screen for the internet, movie channels, and Blu-ray DVD that can be used with 3D or regular video discs. Cell coverage can be spotty, so there is a landline with free long-distance calls to the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Channel House is located at the end of a private road, just 2.5 miles from the ferry landing and the Town of Friday Harbor, where you will enjoy many shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions.
This home has a long, steep driveway with 4 steps to the entrance.
LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES (IMPORTANT NOTICE, PLEASE READ)
NW Vacations makes every effort to provide timely maintenance and service for all the amenities listed in this property description. However, at times, due to events out of our control, these services may be slower and less reliable than our guests are used to on the mainland. Please read your contract for important additional information about the availability of these services.
Site Advisory: Although access to the shore is via a gently sloping trail, this home is unsuitable for small children as the property has higher sections near deep water. If you have concerns about specific water or roadway conditions, please talk with a reservationist before you complete your booking.
Please note: residential internet speeds, bandwidth, and reliability in the San Juan Islands currently need to catch up with the mainland. Guests who wish to use videoconferencing, streaming services, or multiple simultaneous internet connections should be aware that performance may not meet the levels they are accustomed to. Guests may need to alter their online work and entertainment plans due to service fluctuations or outages.
San Juan County VR Permit #99CU026
Great house with fabulous views. Super convenient to everything. We cooked dinner every evening and ate on the deck because no restaurant could come close to the view and the peaceful experience. Magical mornings watching the sun come up and the otters play at the waters edge. Highly recommend this property!
We had such a wonderful trip to San Juan Island! The directions to the property were very helpful, along with the parking tips. Home was perfectly clean and in great condition! Definitely dated, but we had everything we needed and felt very comfortable. The views, decks, and waterfront access were incredible and we loved every minute! We hope to come back soon!
Our time at the Channel House was amazing. From the side deck we watched a mother deer and her three children graze, watched her fend off an interloper, we watched stars and listened to a sea lion grunting at the edge of the water, although we couldn't see him in the dark. The next morning from the lower bedroom deck we watched a family of otters, a mother and four! juvenile otters, play and hunt for fish. The mommy otter successfully caught a fish and gave it to one of the juveniles. After quite a tussle with the other juveniles to keep possession, he successfully claimed and ate it. It is so unbelievably beautiful, peaceful and wild here. We loved our stay and hated for it to end. The reservation process was smooth and the agents I worked with were so pleasant and helpful. Thanks to the family that owns the Channel House for opening it's doors to visitors!
Stunning and mesmerizing view. I could sit for hours and watch the ripple of the water, boats passing by, deer feeding on the property, changing colors..... a perfect place to relax.
The home had everything we needed and then some. Its in a great location to get into Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor. I wish I were staying longer!!!
We stayed at this rental for a week with our daughter, her husband, and their two boys, age 2 and 6. There was plenty of room for all, and everyone loved the house and the great view. We've stayed at many rentals in the islands over the years, and this house was by far the best equipped for kitchenware, linens, etc.
Our four night stay was a great and memorable experience. There are many awesome things about this home and the property..However, there are a few things to be aware of prior to renting..
The upstairs master bedroom is a loft and there isn't a door for privacy. if your staying there with another couple you may need to be cautious about walking around the bedroom without clothes on.. we weren't aware of this prior to arrival..
Also, the driveway is very tight for parking and turning around.
The walk from the parking area is steep and loose gravel, you need to be cautious not to loose footing.
Overall, it's a Beautiful place and setting..
Channel House is the perfect get away, the property is really high quality with all the amenities you would expect but the 'wow' factor is the perfect location with amazing views you will not get tired of. We had 5 nights of BBQ's on the deck followed by drinks around the fire pit - heaven.
Plenty to do during the day, recommend bike rides, kayak tours and great hikes.
Ive been renting vacation homes for over 20 years and this was by far the most well equipped home Ive stayed in. Everything was well stocked, it was very clean and the pictures are accurate. Its a lovely home situated in a perfect spot on the island - very short drive to Friday Harbor, beautiful view of the San Juan Channel and very private
Great view. House located in the woods. Tricky, steep driveway. Could not get in the house on arrival. Finally realized that the door was swollen shut - had to slam it open with our shoulder each time. The refrigerator makes a loud clunking noise ever 15 min which would wake us up all night. And how old is that pink sculptured carpet in the bedroom and bathroom (yuck). Furniture is old fashioned, broken down and worn. Stayed in Sidney at a gorgeous waterfront house for a lot less money. We love San Juan Island and the views but the Channel House could do with some improvements.
Convenient, beautiful view and fully equipped. We had an amazing stay and memories that we will carry on forever. Only warning is the driveway its steep and limited for a larger vehicle. No issues just be aware.
Lovely house, great views and we got visits from a seal each morning!
Thank you for this sweet review, and for mentioning your new seal buddy! We do have a lot of beautiful, friendly critters here in the San Juan islands. The home does have such glorious views and we appreciate your comments so much. We hope to welcome you again to one of our vacation rental homes in the San Juan Islands.
~NW Island Escapes
Overall everything was fine. Our only issue was the directions for getting to the house. We arrived at 8:30 PM so it was very dark. The directions told us to turn right at Washington Way then directly left--which we did. The directions further indicated that there were two paths, one left and one right and we were to take the right one---that was all wrong, unfortunately. The directions should have read, turn right at Washington Way, then immediately left, continuing to bear leftist past a tiny sign "221". Thereafter turn sharply to the right, and downhill past the grassy knoll------
Thank you for your comments about Channel House. We agree, it certainly can be dark here on our rural island, no street lights, on a spring night. We have installed a fire department blue-and-white reflective signpost with the home number at this home to alleviate this issue. We hope to welcome you in the future to one of our vacation homes here in the San Juan Islands.
~NW Island Escapes
We had a delightful time staying at the Channel House on San Juan. The views are spectacular and the house is very comfortable. We loved everything about it.
The home's location is outstanding and the view is incredible. We saw a whale pass right in front of the house our first morning. The home is spacious and has great outdoor spaces. Well equipped kitchen and comfy beds. Very good WiFi.
The cons include: the house smells extremely musty. The mildewy smell was pervasive and lingered on all the clothes in my suitcase. It was a trigger for my asthma and detracted from the experience. If you have any respiratory issues, I would not recommend this house. I gave a high rating for cleanliness independent of the mustiness.
Also, if you have mobility issues, please be aware their are three sets of stairs in the house (two for the master bedroom and bath only). If you have a large vehicle, as we did, you will need to park up the very steep drive off the property and hike down to the house. We had to use 4WD to get out and almost got stuck before we figured parking out. Loading and unloading was not fun but we love to hike so we managed.
If I had known about the $75.00 non refundable damage deposit before I selected the house that would have dissuaded me from booking it. The norm is a refundable damage deposit, which is fair.
Overall, I would not recommend this house given the drawbacks.
Thank you for your review of the comfortable home called Channel House on San Juan Island. It is truly a beautiful setting as you noted, and the whales do pass by the front of the home for the lucky visitor! The home is indeed very roomy with lovely grounds, a well supplied kitchen, very nice beds and good WiFi service. The musty smell you reported has not been noted by any other visitors so, while we recognize it was not something you enjoyed, we have to believe it was of a transitory nature. The home owner himself stayed at the home shortly after your group left and also did not report any unusual or unpleasant smells, so it apparently was something which dissipated rather quickly. And our island is very hilly, as you also noted. We do hope you will feel welcome to visit the San Juan Islands again in the future.
WE love this home. The view was over the top along with the fire pit. House was very clean. Did not try to understand the TV system. However, it would have been nice to watch the news!
My family and I had a lovely stay at Channel House - four blissful days of quiet repose on the waterfront, complete with orca, eagle, kingfisher, deer, crab, and other wildlife sightings! The house was well-equipped and our baby loved the outdoor spaces. Perfect location as just a short drive (and an hour's walk) from Friday Harbor. Only slight hitch we had when we arrived was that the wifi code provided prior to our arrival was incorrect but with a location as pretty as this, who needs wifi?!
We loved our stay at Channel House! In fact, we can't stop thinking about it! The location is so perfect that it makes it a little difficult to ever want to leave the house to explore the island. We forced ourselves to explore and we loved San Juan Island, but nothing beat relaxing, fishing and crabbing with the kids down at the waters edge in our own backyard. The house itself is comfortable, clean and spacious. Hope to return one day soon!
We have stayed in many vacation rentals and this is in our top 3 ! Very comfortable home, over the top views, beautiful grounds, daily deer visiting, eagle sitting in pine above deck, great location w/ balance of nature and short distance to Friday Harbor...easy to find. Driveway a bit tricky...but adds to the uniqueness of the home. This house was simply wonderful for our group of 5. Soo happy we did not settle and stay in Friday Harbor...
great vacation at a great place
We loved this house. It was cozy, inviting and the views are amazing. Close to town, but it felt remote and private. SJI was wonderful of course, and this property helped us even enjoy the rainy days spent inside. We weren't bothered by the dated interiors that some have mentioned - it is helpful to know about that in advance in case you are expecting something different, but overall we found the property charming. We'd rent here again.
Dear Guest - thanks so much for visiting us at the Channel House! We appreciate your stay and we're so glad you had so much fun. Best, General Manager
Channel House was wonderful. It had everything we needed, plus an incredible view. We really enjoyed our time there.
Location near town with breathtaking views of the sound were the highlights. Kitchen was well-stocked with plates and any cooking gadgets you might need to prepare a gourmet meal. Very comfortable home. Giving it 3 instead of 5 stars because master bedroom and master bath are in bad need of updating (pink shag carpet in the bathroom).
Dear Guest - thank you for choosing to stay in the San Juan Islands and for the opportunity to serve you! We also appreciate your feedback here. The channel house is a gorgeous property in a stunning location as you note. The master bed/bath carpet is certainly a vibrant pink and while many guests have enjoyed the island "classic" feel it imparts, we understand it wasn't to your liking. I hope you will accept our apologies, and reach out to us when you visit next time. We have the largest pool of homes in the Islands to select from and our very knowledgeable staff is more than capable of assisting you in locating something more to your liking. Best Regards, General Manager
We really enjoyed out stay. Beautiful waterfront location. We used the crab pot that was there and caught a few crab! Very convenient location. 15 minutes or less to anywhere we wanted to go. Enjoyed the daily visits from the deer.
Fantastic location and view! We would definitely rent again!
Love this vacation home and will return. It is tranquil, killer views, and many wildlife sightings. Our favorite was watching the kingfishers hunt for fish from the pole over the water.
Awesome views, comfortable house, great vacation.
We had a wonderful time! The views from the home are incredible. The rooms are very comfortable.
Excellent facilities
Excellent location