Sea Kayaking as the sun sets in the San Juan Islands

Preparing Outdoor Odysseys gourmet camp food

3 Day Stuart Island Kayak Camping Tour

$749.00

Per person

Duration: 3 Days

Season: May - September

Our favorite San Juan Island overnight sea kayak trip takes us through prime orca whale habitat to picturesque Stuart Island - accessible only by boat. Paddle the international waters of the migrating salmon with views of the Canadian Gulf Islands and the Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges. Fuel your extensive exploration with gourmet, 3-course meals, prepared by your tour guide in a dutch oven around the campfire. Find out more about our trip below and we hope to see you on your next San Juan Island Kayak Tour!

Start

Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal 8:30 AM

End

Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal 3-4 PM

Price Includes

All meals
Kayaking instruction and guiding
Kayaking gear
Dry bag
Tent
Transportation to and from launch site

You Provide

Gratuity for your guide
Water bottle
Sunglasses and/or hat
Sunscreen
Headlight or flashlight
Extra layers
Sleeping bag & pad (rentals available, add "rental" when booking online or contact us directly)

MORE INFO ›

3 Day Stuart Island Kayak Camping Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Your Outdoor Odysseys guide(s) will meet you in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Our van will take the group, which generally averages from 6-8 participants (maximum of 12), to our launch site on the west side of San Juan Island. After packing all camping and personal gear into the kayaks, we'll have a thorough orientation covering the fitting of the boat, paddling technique, safety and boat handling. We won't get on the water until everybody feels comfortable about paddling. We’ll paddle north, kayaking along the picturesque Haro Strait, with views of the Canadian Gulf Islands to the west. We'll keep a sharp eye out for whales and other wildlife chasing the Fraser River bound salmon. After paddling for a couple of hours along the rocky, tidally rich coastlines of San Juan and Henry Islands, we'll stop for a long lunch prepared by your guide and chef. After refueling, we’ll cross the Spieden Channel to Stuart Island.

Our destination for the night is Reid Harbor on Stuart Island, which is only accessible by private boat. The campsites are nestled in a forest of red barked madronas, cedar and Douglas fir trees. After camp is set up, you can relax while your guide prepares a three course dinner. Life doesn't get much better than sitting at a scenic, secluded waterfront campsite, sipping a glass of wine and eating gourmet appetizers, after a hearty day of paddling.

Day 2

On our second day we'll do "le grand" circumnavigation around Stuart Island, passing by numerous uninhabited islands in the Boundary Pass and John’s Pass and staying in prime whale watching habitat. We'll kayak beneath the cliffs of the Stuart Island fog and light station and look out to Mount Baker all while sharing the coastline with resting harbor seals and nesting bald eagles. Match your exploration on water, with a hike in the afternoon to the Stuart Island one room schoolhouse and light station or relax at camp while your guide prepares another gourmet meal. Finish your evening by the campfire and under the light of the stars, or see the “stars in the water” on a guided bioluminescence kayak tour.

Day 3

The adventure is far from over on the last day. Enjoy a hearty breakfast before packing up camp and revisiting the waters of the Speiden Channel and Haro Strait, maximizing our time in prime whale territory and increasing our chances of seeing the J, K, and L pods of the endangered orca population. We’ll dine on one last artfully prepared lunch before completing our paddle and landing back on the west side of San Juan Island. We’ll load our gear and our paddlers and have you back to Friday Harbor between 3-4 PM to meet your Washington State ferry or continue your time on the islands.

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The OO crew couldn't have been more professional and prepared from the moment they picked us up at Friday Harbor through the launch and landing. It was beyond expectations and worth every penny.

Brian

If you’re looking for a fun and unforgettable kayak trip in the San Juan Islands, I highly recommend Outdoor Odyssey. Our 3-day trip was superb.

Shelly

I am not usually someone to pay for a guided tour, but this was absolutely worth it and a huge highlight during our time in the San Juan Islands. Our guide was awesome. We were a group kids, teens and adults (two families). We learned a lot about the island, and had a ball along the coast for our 7 mile day trip.

Seth K

The food was excellent. Organic as much as possible, fresh as much as possible, well prepared, and plenty of it.

Tim

This trip was one I will never forget. Outdoor Odysseys does such a great job on these kayak trips. Our guides were wonderful. The food was beyond belief...for anywhere, not just a kayaking trip.

DJW

This company has been around for a long time. They know how to treat people.

Cocoa

What Sets Outdoor Odysseys Apart

Our Guides

Food & Amenities

Giving Back

Guide Profile

Tom Murphy

Tom Murphy graduated from Lawrence University with a biology degree in 2003. After graduation Tom spent a year and a half overseas. He traveled through India, worked for an NGO in Nepal, and taught elementary students science in the…

Jennifer Heap

Jennifer will be returning for a fifth season to the San Juan Islands to share its unique beauties with kayakers and foster a reciprocal relationship with nature. Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Jennifer’s first adventure out West was following…

Laura Montanari

Born on the coastal islands of Georgia and raised in the marshes and swamps of the south, Laura has always maintained a deep connection to the ocean. Her earliest memories are paddling canoes through the Okefenokee Swamp with her…

Christina Deierling

Born in Snohomish, WA, Christina grew up mushroom picking, squid jigging, crabbing, traveling, backpacking, fishing, clamming, skiing, frog catching, climbing, and everything else outdoorsy. Christina made her way down to Orange, CA to attend Chapman University as a Business…

Zoey Smith

Born near the ocean cliffs of northern California, Zoey was raised just as much by redwoods and harbour seals as she was by her parents. She is currently going into her 4th year at Quest University, focusing her studies…

Sam Maylor

Sam grew up outside Seattle, WA, with the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sound as his backyard. After getting a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington, Sam vagabonded through Europe, Australia, and the US before finding…

Elliott O’Brien

Elliott grew up in sunny Seattle and spent countless days exploring the Cascades, Puget Sound, and the forests and deserts throughout Washington. He studied environmental science and policy down in California, and uses his emphasis in ecology daily while…

Justin Niemann

Ben Schreck

Ben hails from the Great Lake state of Michigan. He spent much of his childhood outdoors camping and kayaking in the myriad of rivers and lakes that helped foster a great appreciation for anything in nature. With a B.S.…

Katie Kirchhofer

Katie is a paddling fanatic that grew up in Columbia, MO on the Missouri River. She has been paddling in the Salish Sea since 2017 and has been mesmerised by the waters and beings of this bioregion ever since. …

Maddie Hollister

Born and raised in Seattle, Maddie gained a love for outdoor recreation and education while lifeguarding and teaching marine science at a summer camp on Puget Sound. She studied marine biology and science communication at Quest University in Squamish,…

Miles Brengle

Miles was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, a small beach town on Boston’s North Shore. He graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison this spring with degrees in economics and environmental studies, but will assure you that the natural world has always…

Anna Smith

Anna grew up spending most of her time split between Washington and Alaska swimming, hiking, biking and just about everything in between. She recently graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Recreation and Leadership Management. With the…

Ivy McDonald

Evelyn Baher-Murphy

Evelyn grew up in the Bay Area in California. As a kid she enjoyed camping, hiking, and mountain biking in redwood forests and soaking up the sun on the coast. Now she attends Colorado College where she plays on…

Ben Mellin

Hayden Peck

Hayden’s roots are in Colorado and Central Oregon. She ventured out to the Pacific Northwest when she started school at University of Oregon, where she studied human physiology and business. These days, she finds joy in connecting others to…

Duncan Smith

Duncan will be returning for a second season to the San Juan Islands as an Outdoor Odysseys guide and adventure filmmaker. Born in San Mateo, California, Duncan grew up SCUBA diving, backpacking and sailing. After college he spent a…

Keith Dornan

Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Keith has felt a strong westward pull his entire life. Keith’s love affair with the American west coast (South and North) began during his National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Semester in Baja, Mexico. Later he…

Matthew Porter

Matthew Porter graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of South Carolina in 2009. While not spending his time buried in modernism and shakespeare, Matthew was cutting his teeth on the numerous creeks and…

Patrick McEvoy

Boston bred, Georgia grown, and Seattle seduced; Patrick remains as footloose as his “military brat” childhood would deem but continues to rebound back to the San Juan Islands. In Georgia he attended both high school and college where he…

Kevin Sollenberger

Born and raised in the corn fields of Amish Country Lancaster County, PA, Kevin has traded in the corn fields for the ocean breezes of San Juan Island. His stint as a collegiate football athlete eventually gave way to…

Bruiser

Part time genius, full time nerd.

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