Cornet Bay

Sanctuary

A gateway to the San Juan Islands. A place of elemental beauty, quiet magic, and deep renewal.

Nestled between Anacortes and Oak Harbor in Washington’s Deception Pass State Park, Cornet Bay Sanctuary is set in one of the most awe-inspiring landscapes in the Pacific Northwest.

Framed by tidal waters, ancient forests, and sweeping views of sea and sky, this land invites a slower pace—and a deeper kind of presence.

Here, the bridge becomes a threshold. The water, a mirror. The forest, a refuge.

Whether you're wandering a coastal trail, watching whales move through the channel, or sitting in stillness as the light shifts across the bay, Cornet Bay holds you in a rhythm not of schedules—but of the land itself.

A Place to Land

Cornet Bay includes three thoughtfully designed cottages sleeping four—simple, beautiful, and intentionally curated for rest, reflection, and reconnection.

Every stay is held with care: from the books on the shelves to the food in the fridge, to the local details that reflect the character of this place.

On the waterfront, the Net Shed extends over the bay—a quiet space for reading, movement, making, or simply being.

Outside, chairs gather around a fire pit, and small sitting areas are tucked into the landscape, inviting solitude or conversation.

You are free to rest. To roam. To create. To simply breathe.

There is no right way to be here.

The invitation is always the same: come as you are.

Illustration of three pine trees in front of a mountain range with snow-capped peaks.

Guided by the Seasons

At Cornet Bay, the seasons shape everything. Each part of the year offers a different kind of medicine—and a different kind of rhythm. What’s offered shifts with the land and the season—from farm-to-table meals and creative rituals, to guided walks, bodywork, and practices rooted in care. Everything is optional. Everything is gentle.

Winter is a time for turning inward.

A season of quiet reflection, long rests, and creative incubation.

Spring stirs new growth.

A soft emergence into movement, renewal, and imagination.

Summer brings brightness and warmth.

Days stretch longer. Energy expands. Gathering feels easy.

Fall offers grounding and release.

A season to integrate, slow down, and prepare for what’s next.

  • Boats docked at a marina during sunset with a colorful sky and calm water reflecting the scene.
  • A campfire in a black fire pit with glowing embers and firewood, on a sandy beach with small plants, overlooking a calm body of water with trees and hills in the distance during sunset.
  • A peaceful landscape of a lake at sunset, with a large hill covered in trees on the left and smaller hills on the right, and a sky with scattered clouds reflected in the calm water.
  • A small blue house with a wooden porch next to a calm lake during sunset, with mountains and trees in the background.
  • Living room with wood-paneled walls, a window with blinds, a small black stove with a fire, a gray sofa with a decorative pillow and a quilt with feathers, a black armchair with a decorative pillow, and a framed picture on the wall.
  • Serene lakeside scene at sunset with colorful sky, calm water, boats, a small house, picnic table, and grassy area.
  • Living room with large window overlooking a lake, colorful patterned armchair, potted plant, wooden shelf with books, framed artwork on walls, and a chair with blankets.
  • A flowering pink and white azalea plant growing in front of a wooden fence with a blue sky in the background.
  • Stack of seven small, smooth stones balanced on a larger dark gray stone on a pebbled beach with a blurred person in the background
  • Hummingbird flying near a hummingbird feeder with a body of water and tree-covered hills in the background on a cloudy day.
  • Sunshine shining through tall evergreen trees onto two blue houses with yard, gravel driveway, and small wooden shed.
  • Backyard deck overlooking a lake with trees and hills in the background, under a clear blue sky, with patio chairs and decorative metal flowers.
  • Living room with black leather sofa, black armchair with yellow and white throw, orange armchair, patterned black and white rug, wood stove, bookshelf, large window with views outside, antiques and artwork on the walls, wooden flooring, potted plants.
  • The image shows an attic room with wooden walls and ceiling, a large blue sectional sofa, a beige shaggy rug, a small side table with a lamp, and a window letting in natural light.
  • Interior view of a small wooden cabin with a loft area. The kitchen has wooden cabinets, a window, and a countertop with appliances. There is a yellow exterior door with a glass window, and a colorful curtain-covered doorway. A spiral staircase leads to the loft bunk beds, which are enclosed with black grid railings. The walls and ceiling are paneled wood, creating a cozy rustic atmosphere.
  • Sunset over a calm river with boats docked at a pier, silhouetted trees, and outdoor metal sculptures, with a colorful sky and distant hills.
  • Two lakeside houses surrounded by tall trees, with their reflections visible in the water.
  • Calm river reflecting the sky and surrounding trees during sunset, with distant houses on the right shore.
  • A river flowing through a forested canyon with a steel arch bridge overhead on a clear, sunny day.
  • Calm river at sunset with boats at a dock and trees on hills in the distance