WA Activities:

Washington Activities
Sea Kayaking

Crystal Seas Kayaking Crystal Seas Kayaking Crystal Seas Kayaking
Kayak the west-side of San Juan Island. See orcas, seals, eagles and more. Naturalist guides. 16th season. Owner operated.
877-SEAS-877

Washington State offers some of the most beautiful water on the globe with abundant wildlife (in the seas and above them) untamed lands and historically rich destinations. The State offers the kind of paddling experiences that sea kayakers dream about!

The scale of the paddling experiences are awesome. Ocean sea kayaking options range from paddling among the 200+ islands in the San Juan Island Group to navigating the 140-mile Cascadia Marine Trail. Paddling on the Columbia River offers 51miles of towering cliffs as part of the Hanford Reach or 35,000 acres of islands as part of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge. Remote inland paddling destinations include lakes, rivers and sloughs offering privacy, rich forests, glacial clear waters and diverse wildlife (moose, deer, and the occasional black bear).

Our Sea Kayaking destination pages guide the reader to:

San Juan Islands - Outer Islands: Experienced paddlers are often drawn to challenging waters along the "Outer Islands" the more exposed western shorelines in the San Juan Island group in Washington. Traveling with an experienced outfitter is advised. Ferry service is offered to only four of the several hundred islands in the San Juan Island group. Outfitters offer trips to more remote destinations in the San Juan Islands either by multi-day expedition paddle trips or by shuttling kayaks via boat. Expect unpredictable winds (especially in the afternoons), rich wildlife with the possibility of viewing whales and dolphin, shorelines ranging from national wildlife refuges and state parks to resorts, marinas and personal cabins.

Eastern San Juan Island Destinations: Historic lighthouses, vast vistas of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, sightings of porpoise and seals are part what draws kayakers of varying skill levels to the more sheltered side of the San Juan Island group. From multi-hour trips for novice kayakers to multi-day expeditions for more experienced kayakers there is much to interest paddlers. Paddlers can depart from the shore near Anacortes on Fildago Island, and paddle to destinations such as Burrows Island with views of the Olympic Mountains, Cypress Island and its historic biological reserve or Orcas and San Juan Island.

Cascadia Marine Trail
In 1995 the Cascadia Marine Trail System was formed. It is a 140-mile "trail" of water-connected campsites, access points, and attractions. Camping or lodging accessible to kayakers from the water or for which an Innkeeper will provide transportation for boat and paddler (typically) by prior arrangement. The trail extends from Olympia to Bellingham, Washington. For more information: http://www.parks.wa.gov/128/Trails)

Inland Paddling Destinations
Inland waters including lakes, rivers, sloughs and river deltas offering a range of Sea Kayaking opportunities. A great blue heron rookery nested high in cotton wood trees (along the 6-mile long Little Spokane River trail), moose, bear, deer, eagles, trout and more are common sights for the inland paddler.

Rivers across the State offer a multitude of sea kayaking opportunities. Paddlers who head to southern Washington State and the Columbia River will discover several unique paddling destinations including the Hanford Reach located in south central Washington State and offering 51 miles of free flowing, non-tidal water flowing through towering cliffs and shifting sand dunes. Further west on the Columbia River are two national wildlife refuges - the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge offering 35,000 acres of islands and sloughs and the 5,000 acre White-tailed Deer National Wildlife Refuge.

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