Our three-quarter sea kayak circumnavigation of San Juan Island affords participants a chance to camp and kayak amongst the many islands that “ring” San Juan Island.You’ll have opportunities to see Orca whales and other large marine mammals and kayak among numerous small, uninhabited islands. With sublime views of Mt. Baker and the Olympic Mountains this trip is a Northwest classic!
Sea Kayak Trip Schedule
We depart from San Juan County Park after a thorough on-land orientation and paddle talk by our naturalist guides. We won’t get on the water until everybody feels comfortable with kayaking. On our first day we’re in prime orca whale habitat as we paddle north up to Stuart Island and our camp for the night.
After setting up our tents at the waters’ edge you can take a break as your guides whip up some great tasting sustenance. Your first day’s dinner is capped off with an artfully prepared apple/pear cobbler – courtesy of the cast iron Dutch ovens we use.
The next morning you’ll wake up to the smell of freshly brewed gourmet coffee and teas and our justly famous cinnamon swirl French toast. When everybody is suitably ‘fueled up’ we circumnavigate Stuart Island keeping a sharp eye peeled for orca whales and the occasional bald eagle or osprey.
On day three we break camp and point the noses of our stable double kayaks towards Jones Island, one of the jewels of the San Juans. Enroute we paddle along Spieden and Sentinel Islands stopping for lunch at a beautiful little cove on the east side of San Juan Island. As Jones is small, we’ll set up camp at one of the numerous delightful waterfront sites that ring the island. Guests usually hike around the island while the guides prepare your last night’s dinner.
On our last day we depart from Jones and kayak past picturesque Yellow Island, which is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. We work our way down San Juan Channel stopping at Turn Island for our final lunch and take out. We typically get back into Friday Harbor between 2-4 PM.
