Cars, Parking, & Bicycles
EV Charging
Laundry
Mail & Packages
Miscellaneous Living at FHL
Dock & Boats
Smoking & other Fire Hazards
Alcohol
Children at FHL
Fun Things to Do
Meals and the Dining Hall
Grad Dorm Living: Cleaning Procedures

Cars, Bicycles, and Parking on Campus

You are welcome to bring a bicycle to FHL and store it outside under shelter (not inside a building). You may also rent bikes in town.

Cars are allowed on campus, and do not require parking permits or fees. If you are will be leaving your car on campus while away for an extended period, please leave the key with the Front Office in case we need to relocate the vehicle during your absence.

Note the campus-wide, 10 mph speed limit and drive with great care, keeping an eye out for small children. Drive only on the roads, not on the grass, and park only in designated parking areas. We do not have an EV charging station on campus yet, but there are options for charging: EV Charging.

Note that the FHL vans are University of Washington vehicles that are available for FHL course use only.

Laundry, Linens, and Towels

Coin (quarter)-operated washers and dryers are located in the laundry room of Apt Building A, and in the Laundry Building behind the Dining Hall. You’ll also find a change machine in the Laundry Building. Housing prices include linens, pillows, blankets, and one towel for each bed. You may exchange your FHL sheets and towels for clean ones free of charge every Friday morning in the Laundry Building.  **If you would like to exchange your linens/towels, please email Custodial Supervisor Lee Ann Walch with your request on the prior Thursday, including bed sizes.

Mail & Packages

You may leave stamped envelopes in the Front Office; they will go out to the Post Office every weekday.

Mail and packages can be delivered to you at:

Your Name
Friday Harbor Laboratories
620 University Road
Friday Harbor, WA  98250

USPS mail is received each weekday, and sorted into the white mailboxes in the Fernald Lab foyer. The mailboxes are organized alphabetically by last name. Packages (USPS, UPS, and FedEx) are delivered to the stockroom on weekdays.

Miscellaneous Living at FHL

A Sneak Peek. Check out this short video of FHL facilities.

Pets & Wildlife. As the FHL campus is a biological preserve, dogs and other pets are not permitted.  Exceptions may be granted for service animals; please see the FHL Pet Policy for details. Please do not feed the deer, raccoons, foxes and other wildlife here!

Quiet Hours are 10 pm – 7 am. Be considerate of others trying to sleep: many at FHL work long hours, and have to rise early for experiments, field work, or lectures. Even a quiet chat on an apartment deck may disturb others.

Repairs Needed? Report any repairs or items needed in your housing to the Front Office (M-F, 8-4).

Household Supplies Needed? Visitors are expected to purchase their own consumable items (e.g. toilet paper, dish soap) beyond an initial supply that we provide.

Camping, Moving Furniture, and More. Camping or sleeping in vehicles is not permitted on campus. Please keep the furniture, supplies (e.g. kitchen items), and bedding in your unit; do not move them between units or use them outside.

Guests. We sometimes have unoccupied housing units available for rent to family and friends of students, faculty, researchers, and staff at FHL. Contact the Visitor Coordinator with requests.

Social Gatherings. If using the Dining Hall & Commons for gatherings, keep the noise down after 10 pm. Alcohol consumption is not allowed in these or other common-use spaces without prior approval from the UW and the purchase of a WA State permit. When you leave the buildings, please return furniture to its place and dispose of all trash & recyclables in the dumpsters behind the buildings.  Thank you!

The Dock & Boats

See our Rowboat Policies for details.

Rowboats are available for recreational use or research (motorboats are strictly for research). In order to use a rowboat, you must first attend an orientation session; contact Boating Safety Officer (BSO) Kristy Kull (kjkull@uw.edu) to schedule. If you haven’t used a boat here in 6 months or more, contact Kristy to see if anything has changed.

Dock/Boat Age Limits. Children 12 & under must wear life jackets and be accompanied by a parent/guardian on the pier, floating docks, and boats at all times. The minimum age to check out a rowboat without accompanying parent/guardian is 16, with written permission by parent/guardian on file with the BSO. Rowboat passengers under 14 years must be accompanied by a parent/guardian (not just a user is 16+). Exceptions may be granted when specific cases are discussed with the BSO.

Smoking & Vaping, BBQs, Other Fire Hazards, & Firearms

SMOKING AND VAPING ARE NOT ALLOWED in any FHL building (including housing), and are allowed outdoors only at designated areas marked on our campus map. Be careful to extinguish all cigarettes in the ashtrays provided at these areas. Never smoke in the woods or build fires outdoors. Fireworks and firearms are prohibited throughout campus.

FHL grills are available for communal use in the picnic area amongst the cottages; please do not relocate them. Propane tank refills are the responsibility of the user, not FHL. Visitors may bring their own grills (gas only, no charcoal) for personal use.

The burning of candles, incense or open flame-producing items in residential units is not permitted. If your smoke detector beeps to signal the battery is low, do not disable it, but let the Front Office (during business hours) or caretakers (after hours) know and a new battery will be installed immediately.

Alcohol

Alcohol consumption is allowed for persons 21 years and over in their private rooms. It is not allowed in communal spaces (including outdoors) except for official events that have received prior approval from UW and a WA Banquet Permit. Please drink responsibly: improper use of alcohol, including loud or inconsiderate behavior, reflects badly on FHL and our mission for excellence in science and education. The UW policy reads: “The University prohibits consuming of alcoholic beverages on University property, except in accordance with state of Washington liquor license procedures… In…residence hall communities, alcohol use is limited to those of legal age (21) and then only within the confines of a resident’s room.”

Children at FHL

Children 12 and under must be directly supervised by an adult or designated supervisor (age 16+) at all times on the FHL pier and docks and inside any FHL building other than their housing unit. The hazards of the ocean and of laboratory research make it imperative that children are directly supervised at all times.

Fun Things to Do at FHL

Visitors are welcome to use the FHL fire trail and associated side trails that meander through the preserve.  The trail head is on the north end of campus, near Cottage D and Duplex C. Wheels are not allowed on the trails. We have a sandbox and jungle gym for children in the center of campus, near the cottages and duplexes. A good beach for play is near Lab 11. A volley ball court is located across from the FHL main parking lot on University Road.

Meals

All of our cottages (including Whiteley), duplexes, and apartments have kitchens stocked with the essentials for preparing meals: major appliances, pots and pans, dishes, and utensils. There are two well-stocked grocery stores (King’s and Marketplace) in the town of Friday Harbor, about a half hour walk from FHL. Marketplace is a bit further than King’s, is larger, and has generally lower prices; King’s is closer and open for longer hours.

Residents of Standard Dorms and Huts, with no facilities for storing or preparing food, must subscribe to full meal plans in the Dining Hall.  Other residents have the option of signing up for full meal plans; please contact the FHL Visitor Coordinator to make arrangements before your visit.

The Dining Hall serves only campus residents who have enrolled in full meal plans, and does not sell individual meals, snack items, or beverages.  

Meal Times

Dietary Preferences/Restrictions

The Dining Hall can provide vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free meals at no extra cost. When enrolling in your meal plan, you will have the opportunity to note your preferences/restrictions, and the Dining Hall will prepare all of your meals accordingly.

Grad Dorm Living: Code of Conduct & Cleaning Procedures

Cleaning Guidelines

Grad Dorm Living Code of Conduct & Housing Agreement