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Driving • Airport, Bike, Transit • Arriving

For health information related to COVID-19, click here

Our public trails are open to the public from dawn ’til dusk every day. Find a trail map here! If you’re hoping to bring your work to the Whidbey Institute, submit a program inquiry. If you’d like to participate in a program, search our events calendar. If you’re looking for a quiet space for solo contemplation, check out Hilltop Retreats—a new opportunity from Whidbey Institute founders Fritz and Vivienne Hull.

Paine Field in Everett—our closest airport, just 4 miles from the ferry dock—is now serving the public. Here’s a link to directions from Paine Field to the Mukilteo Ferry.

Welcome Packet

Participating in a program? Read our welcome packet before your arrival for FAQs, a packing list, and arrival instructions.

Campus Map

The public is welcome on our 3.5 mile trail system from dawn ’til dusk every day. Scroll for a map of our Heartland area.

Lodging

Lodging options include two residential-style homes and a cabin village. Learn more.

Facilities

Our facilities include a conference hall, a woodland sanctuary, and gardens. Learn more.

Meals

Meals are lovingly prepared using fresh and organic ingredients. Special requests welcome! Learn more.

Driving

I-5 North in Seattle

From Seattle and points south

Travel to Mukilteo. Watch for signage indicating the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry waiting area. After you disembark the ferry, it’s just a  short drive to our campus.

Photo CC BY-ND 2.0, Joe Wolf

What to expect on the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry

Ferries from Mukilteo to Clinton run every 30 to 60 minutes, 7 days a week, except overnight. Wait times increase at rush hour, on weekends, and when the ferry is operating on an alternate (COVID-impacted) schedule. Check out schedules,  fares, and ferry cams online.

photo CC BY-SA 2.0, compdude787

From Bellingham and points north

Travel to Mukilteo and take the ferry, or take Deception Pass Bridge onto North Whidbey Island. You’ll travel about 45 miles down the island via Highway 20, then Highway 525.

Photo CC BY 2.0, Sheila Sund

Airport, Bike, Transit

From Seatac or Paine Field Airport

Paine Field in Everett is our nearest airport and it’s a short taxi ride to the Mukilteo Ferry. Seatac is our largest regional airport. The Airporter Shuttle serves Seatac, and can bring you onto the Island and to within 3 miles of the Whidbey Institute. Reservations are required. Select the Clinton/Langley stop at Ken’s Korner. photo CC 0.0

Taxi service from the shuttle stop

We recommend All Island Express Taxi (360-341-8294) to bring you to our campus from Kens Korner or the ferry dock. You may wish to call the taxi service when you board the ferry, as they don’t have vehicles standing by. Uber and Lyft do not consistently serve Whidbey Island, though we have heard there is one Uber driver in the community. Photo CC BY-SA 4.0, Petar Milošević

From Clinton Ferry by bicycle or transit

The recommended bike route from the ferry is about 3.5 miles. You may also travel via train to Mukilteo, and via bus on Whidbey. Island Transit is a free public bus system on Whidbey Island, providing service Monday through Friday plus limited Saturday services. Buses do not visit our location, but the nearest route passes within one mile of our main campus. Photo by Adam Dubec from Pexels

Arriving

Getting here and checking in

Find us at 6449 Old Pietila Road. Taxi drivers are familiar with the Whidbey Institute. Check in at our main office, at the end of the long gravel road, when you arrive.

Photo © Warren Lynn

Finding your space

Arrival details and parking instructions are available in our welcome packet (PDF, 1 MB), and a campus map is available online. Onsite parking is limited. Please follow all posted instructions.

If you are bringing an ADA certified service animal, we will require proof of certification. This is for the safety of guests and the land’s wildlife. No other animals are allowed on the premises or the forest trails, and no animals can be kept in parked cars.

Photo © Kenneth Frederick

What to expect during your stay

Flashlights and warm outer wear are recommended on our 100 acre wooded campus. Linens and towels are provided, but please bring your  own toiletries. View our welcome packet (PDF, 1 MB) to learn more.

Room Assignment Chart

If you are a program leader and wish to download a fillable list of rooms sorted by building, click to access this Room Assignment Chart (PDF, 45 KB).

“Oneness was the theme of my house.”

—Gloria Chou