Driving Directions:

The Whidbey Institute is located a little over an hour north of Seattle, including a fifteen minute ferry ride from Mukilteo to Clinton, the southernmost town on Whidbey Island. The drive may take longer than one hour depending on traffic and the time of arrival at the ferry terminal.

From Seattle: take I-5 North and exit onto WA SR-525/Mukilteo Clinton. Follow the signs directing you to the Clinton ferry.

From Vancouver BC: take I-5 South to the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry and take exit 189. Drive past the Boeing plant straight through the first traffic signal, and turn RIGHT at the second traffic signal at Mukilteo Speedway. Stay in the right hand lane following signs to Mukilteo/Clinton ferry, there is one more right turn at the light at the bottom of the hill (gas station on right). You must enter the ferry lane on the right just beyond the school, when the white painted line in the road becomes dashed, (there are signs), do not attempt to cut in line after this section.

From Bellevue/Eastside take I-405 North, crossing over I-5 and continue west on SR 525. Follow signs to Mukilteo/ Clinton ferry.  Continue to the ferry booth at the bottom of hill.

Important Ferry Information! The ferry departs from Mukilteo on the hour and half hour between 8AM and 9PM most days.  Check the current schedule on the WSDOT web-site for exact sailing times. This is a busily traveled route, and the ferry wait may last between 4PM and 7PM. Please plan accordingly.  If you plan on taking your car across, we suggest arriving at the ferry terminal at least one hour prior to your planned sailing time.  For additional ferry information call the Washington State Ferries line 1-800-843-3779. Ferry information is also available on the internet at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.

Once you arrive in Clinton, take the main road, which is still SR-525, for about two miles until you reach the stoplight at Cultus Bay Road, near the plaza at Ken’s Corner. Turn LEFT onto Cultus Bay and go approximately ¼ of a mile to Campbell Road. Turn RIGHT onto Campbell Road and go approximately .7 of a mile. On the LEFT you will see signs to the Whidbey Institute and Chinook. Turn LEFT onto the gravel road.

Upon arrival at the Whidbey Institute: 

Parking: As we have a very limited number of parking spaces, we strongly recommend that you carpool if possible.  When you arrive at the Whidbey Institute, there will be parking attendants and signage directing you to parking spaces. For the sake of making sure you have the information needed before arrival, we ask that you please observe the following restrictions:

  • The Whidbey Institute has three parking lots: outer, upper, and lower. The outer lot is to the right just as you enter the gravel driveway towards Chinook, approximately 1/3 of a mile from the Institute grounds. The lower lot is located at the very bottom of the hill before you reach Thomas Berry Hall, our main building. The upper lot is at the end of the driveway, nearest to the Hall.
  • All guests who are not lodging at the Whidbey Institute must park in the outer and upper lots.  Regularly scheduled shuttles will be available to drive you to Thomas Berry Hall.
  • If you are staying at the Whidbey Institute, check the map of the grounds to find out the location where you will be staying. Granny’s is located to the right shortly after you turn onto the gravel road. If staying in Granny’s, you may park directly outside of the building there.  For the Farmhouse and Cabins, you may drive all the way to the main upper lot to unload your luggage. Luggage can then be placed onto carts (located next to the kiosk outside of Thomas Berry Hall) to be transported to either your cabin or to the Farmhouse.
  • Due to fire code regulations, parking on the side of the road is illegal and we warn that you may be towed.  Please park only in the designated lots.

Luggage/Tents: If you are carrying luggage or camping supplies to take to the Farmhouse, cabins, or to the Madrone Meadow camping area,  please park temporarily in the upper lot and use the carts provided to haul your belongings. If not already in use, carts may be found next to the kiosk outside of Thomas Berry Hall. When you are finished unloading, please move your car to the lower or outer lot.

FAQ’s and What to Bring: Please follow this link to the Whidbey Institute website for answers to frequently asked questions and a list of what to bring with you during your stay here.