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THE
SAN JUAN ISLANDS
Lopez Island
Orcas Island
San Juan Island
Shaw Island
Also see . . .
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Fidalgo
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San Juan Islands Kayaking Trip Report
Anacortes to
Orcas Island
This trip report describes a terrific sea kayak
trip from Cap Sante on Fildago Island to Obstruction Bay campground
on Orcas Island in Washington State’s San Juan Islands.
But first I must make a confession, over the
past dozen years I have paddled several hundred miles along Canadian
shorelines – Vancouver Island the Queen Charlotte Islands and
Desolation Sound. I live in Washington State but to be honest, I
have avoided Washington’s San Juan Islands, fearing the experience
would be like paddling in a sea festival – kayakers and boaters as
far as the eye could see – accompanied by the sounds of motors and
smells of gasoline and diesel fumes. I assumed it would be
impossible to find solitude, beauty, and peace on a sea kayak paddle
in the San Juans.
I am pleased to report that it is possible to
find beauty, solitude, un-crowded camping and uninhabited beaches in
the San Juans. Furthermore, this was our experience during peak
season (late July and early August).
My wife and I joined a guided trip consisting
of just four guests and a guide. The other couple on our trip
paddled a tandem kayak, my wife and I and our guide each paddled a
single. We paddled from Cape Sante, near a marina in Anacortes,
carrying our gear, food, camp and kitchen supplies. Water was not
available at the two campgrounds we would spend our nights at so we
had to carry a full three-days’ supply.
The plan for this three day trip was to paddle
East toward Hat Island just enough to safely cross to the east side
of Guemes Island, then north up Guemes, around and down the west
side of Guemes far enough so we could safely cross Bellingham
Channel to Cypress Island. We would spend our first night at Pelican
Beach recreational area – one of the Cascadia Marine Trail sites.
After a hike to Eagle Cliff the next morning, we departed Pelican
Beach – paddling around the north end of Cypress, down to Strawberry
Island and then across Rosario Strait at a north west tact (this
crossing was approximately three miles). We continued paddling north
along the east side of Blakely, west through Peavine Pass, around
the west end of Obstruction Island, and north to the southern tip of
Orcas Island arriving at the Obstruction Island campground for our
second night of camping. This trip was a one-way paddle with a
return via water taxi.
Although my wife and I are experience paddlers,
it was great to have a professional guide with us who was
experienced with the tides, currents, and weather patterns. We
encountered some challenging water and wind conditions and our
guide’s expertise was perhaps quite literally a lifesaver.
Our first camp spot was Pelican Beach on the
northeast end of Cypress Island. From this spot, Mount Baker can be
seen directly to the East. Pelican Beach offers a pebble beach
landing, room for about a dozen tents, a great pair of solar
outhouses, a large log-built shelter with a vast expanse of cooking
shelves and nearby fire pit, several great hiking trails but no
fresh water.
Our guide told us that this site could be
unpredictably busy. When we arrived there were five tents setup but
plenty of room for our small group of five (three tents).
Cypress Island is an incredible place offering
extensive hiking and nature activities. You can explore shoreline or
a mountaintop all in the same day. We did the hike to Eagle Point
Bluff, where our guide told us, if we made the climb all the way to
the top of the bluff we would have a spectacular 360-degree view of
the San Juan Islands. One couple in our group made the trip to view
the sunset and described a breathtaking view. We made the trip the
next morning – hoping for a sunrise view but instead had a
360-degree view of dense fog.
During our paddle we observed harbor seals,
river otter, bald eagles, blue heron, a very healthy looking ocean
full of fish, starfish, sea cucumber and sea anemones. We did not
encounter mosquitoes or gnats, which was a nice surprise in late
July.
The shorelines along our route were interesting
and varied – some towering shear cliffs, lots of rocky landscape and
heavy tree coverage. There were signs of inhabitants on some of the
islands and a few small communities visible. After departing
Anacortes we didn’t encounter any large resort or industrial areas.
The west shoreline along Cypress (above Tide Point) was quite
interesting with shoals and openings in the rocks large enough to
paddle through.
We spent our second night at Obstruction Pass
campground. Located on a bluff above the shoreline you must carry
your gear up to the campsites and tether your boats. Again there was
no fresh water available but the campground does have outhouses (not
solar).
A water taxi was scheduled to pick up our small
group at Lieber Haven Resort and Marina just east of Obstruction
Pass campground. We had most of the day for a paddle so headed down
the west side of Blakely Island. There is an old cannery at Thatcher
bay which we paddled by and a scenic spot for a picnic lunch near
Willow Island. On our return paddle north along Blakely we took
advantage of the Blakely Island General Store for a scoop of ice
cream and a soda. Tastes of civilization!
It was a short paddle from Blakely back to
Orcas and to Lieber Haven. Our water taxi arrived on time, we all
loaded up gear while the crew expertly loaded our kayaks on top of
the taxi and, after a few stops to pick up others passengers, we
arrived back at the marina in Anacortes.
If you are a sea kayaker and concerns about
crowds, fumes, noise and traffic have caused you to avoid the San
Juan Islands, I can assure you, as one who shared that concern,
there are vast, open waters, full of beauty, with little traffic
(especially mid-week) in the San Juans. Will I return to the San
Juans for more paddling? You bet.
For a taste of the beauty we experienced, enjoy
the GoNorthwest.com “photo moment” which provides a pictorial
“virtual paddle” on this sea kayaking adventure.
For more information:
GoNorthwest.com:
http://www.gonorthwest.com
Washington Water Trails Association:
http://www.wwta.org/index2.asp
The Cascadia Marine Trail is a salt water trail
that stretches over 140 miles, from the Canadian border on the north
to southernmost Puget Sound near Olympia.
http://www.48north.com/parks/parks_title.htm
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