San Juan Islands Multi-Day Kayak Camping Expeditions…

"Our guides John and Kelly were both wonderful.  John's knowledge of the San Juan Islands' history, flora and fauna is amazing.  Kelly is clearly a kayaking pro!" - Meredith Radow

If you crave to wake-up on a small island, watch the sunrise and then prepare to paddle until your heart's content, our multiple day excursions would be a perfect choice.  No experience necessary.

Tour Length: 2-6 days in length

What to See: Commonly seen flora and fauna are Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Black Oystercatchers, Pigeon Guillemot, Pacific Harbor Seals, Orcas (Killer Whales), Dall's Porpoises, Great Blue Herons, Ochre Sea Stars, Pacific Madrones, Douglas-firs, forests of Bull Kelp and Eel Grass beds.

Times & Distances:

We paddle an average of 8-10 miles during each day which amounts to about 4 to 5 hours on the water. We shuttle you from Friday Harbor at 8:30 AM on the first day of your trip to our launch site and have you back into Friday Harbor by no later than 4:00 PM on your last day. We are glad to accommodate any needs which require variation from our normal schedule including any dietary needs or alterations in return times.   

We provide: All gourmet meals and drinks, safety equipment, Kelty two person dome tents, Therm-A-Rest sleeping pads (which convert to beach chairs) and pillows, Kokatat paddling jackets, pants and rain hats, wetsuit booties, paddling gloves and our incredible attention to detail. So pretty much all you need to bring is yourself, a sleeping bag, some personal clothing, some personal items, a willingness to learn and a sense of adventure.

Gourmet meals...
...starting with lunch on the first day and ending with lunch on your last day we provide all meals in between. We feel that what you eat can be a major factor in the quality of your expedition and therefore we pride ourselves on the quality and heartiness of our well prepared meals.  Prior to your trip we send out food questionnaires and customize all of our meals to the various dietary requirements of our guests. Below are just a few selections from our fabulous, first class menu.

-Ginger soy glazed king salmon served over basmati rice and topped with a fresh mango papaya salsa.

-Provincial butternut squash sweet potato soup seasoned with red pepper and herbs de provance, and served with garlic dipping bread and sun-dried tomato chicken sausage.

-Ginger Thai peanut sauce blended with fresh broccoli, zucchini, carrots, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and your choice of beef chicken or tofu, served over basmati rice, and garnished with fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, and a squirt of fresh lime.

In addition we work with local farmers and buy organic whenever possible

Our excellent knowledgeable and friendly nature/kayak guides...
... we strongly believe that an outstanding guide can make the difference between a good trip and a fabulous trip, therefore we place a lot of emphasis on using the best guides available. We pride ourselves on our choice of guides. We choose guides who are people persons, friendly, knowledgeable, have a great attitude, are excellent leaders, great teachers and who love what they do.

No previous sea kayaking experience is required...
...we begin each of our tours with a thorough safety/kayak lesson to familiarize you with your equipment so that you are adequately prepared for your adventure. This lesson includes paddling technique, sea kayaking safety, loading and unloading of your sea kayak, becoming familiar with our safety gear and other helpful and necessary preparation for our expedition.

Small personal groups…
… a great trip involves many factors. One of these is the group size. A smaller group is safer on and off the water, allows for more interactions between the guides and guest and gives our guests a chance to know each other. Furthermore, we can also adjust and modify the trip to the individual desires and interests of the group, allowing our guests to participate in various activities ranging from birding to advanced kayaking to photography. For all these reasons and more we keep our regularly scheduled multi-day expedition group size to 10 guests.

At least two guides on all of our multi-day kayak expeditions groups of 6 or more…
… one of our guides will make your trip with us great, but two will make it even better. We have at least two guides on all of our multi-day expeditions groups of 6 or more. This makes our trips safer, more intimate and allows our guides to offer our guests more, such as an evening paddle or hike, additional paddling skill development and more local folklore.

Camping on smaller outer islands…
… the real scenic beauty of the San Juan Islands resides away from the main islands. Therefore, we go to various smaller outer islands on our multi-day expeditions. These islands, most of which are only accessible by small boat, offer non-crowded beaches, abundant wildlife and pristine views. We don’t have base camps and usually move to a new campsite every day or two.

2-Day/1-Night ~ Overnight Explorations Tour

(in prime orca territory)

Day 1 Today we paddle along the west side of San Juan Island heading north through an area renowned for orca sightings, towards one of the harbors of Stuart Island. Once we arrive, you can hike among huge Douglas fir trees and Western Cedar trees, along a path leading to an abandoned lighthouse where you can sit on a cliff and watch the sunset as seals, kingfishers, osprey, and blue heron feed on the shallow waters of the bay.

Day 2 After a delicious breakfast,  we pack up our gear and head back to San Juan Island following the rocky shoreline in search of harbor seals and eagles.  We will stop for lunch along a pebbled beach and then arrive to San Juan around 3:30 pm. 

3-Day/2-Night ~ Turn Point Lighthouse Expedition

(In prime orca territory)

Day 1 This morning we depart from Sung Harbor Marina and paddle northwest into prime orca territory.  We stop for lunch on a remote island and then paddle to Stuart Island where we will set up camp for the next two nights.  Here you can hike to Turn Point Lighthouse and watch as the sun dissolves into the ocean. 

Day 2 Today we circumnavigate Henry Island paddling next to the U.S.-Canada boarder. Enjoy the calm waters of Reid Harbor and the beauty of the Canadian Rockies while searching for wildlife near the shore.

Day 3 We will pack up our camp and then paddle across Spieden Channel to the shores of San Juan Island.  Here we will enjoy lunch together on a remote beach and then return to Friday Harbor around 3:30 pm. 

4-Day/3-Night ~ San Juan Channel Exploration

(Days 1-3 in prime orca territory)

Day 1 We depart from San Juan Island and paddle north past Henry Island where you can see cormorants nesting on the cliffs.  After lunch we will cross a channel to Stuart Island where we will stay for the next 2 nights.   

Day 2 Today we circumnavigate Stuart Island. As we hug the shoreline, we will view a picturesque lighthouse and some small outer islands that boarder Canada.  Today there should be plenty of opportunities to take photos of wildlife.

Day 3 This morning we pack up our camp and enjoy another day of island hopping. We’ll journey past the rugged shorelines of Spieden Island witnessing exotic game grazing on the hillside and then through the Cactus islands, landing on the shores of Jones Island where we will set up camp for the night.

Day 4 Watch the sunrise from a quiet peak and then get ready to paddle back to San Juan Island where we end the tour around 3:30 pm

5-Day/4-Night ~ Wasp Islands Expedition

(Days1-3 in prime orca territory)

Day 1 We paddle along San Juan Islands West-Side and up through Mosquito Pass to Posey Island where we will break for lunch.  After lunch we cross Spieden Channel to Stuart Island where we will set up camp for the next two nights 

Day 2 Today we will circumnavigate Stuart Island in search of orcas and eagles and then return to our camp where your guides will prepare a delicious dinner. 

Day 3 Go for an early morning hike and then get ready to pack up camp and set out to our next destination, Jones Island.  Jones is well known in the boating community as a quite island perfect for anchoring in the harbor. Tonight you can see vistas of the sunset from the western side of this island.   

Day 4 Today is spent leisurely paddling through the Wasp Islands in search of seals and eagles. Enjoy lunch on a Yellow Island and then head back to Jones Island for some more gourmet campsite cooking.   

Day 5 Today we cross San Juan Channel to San Juan Island.  We will stop for lunch on Turn Island and then head to Friday Harbor to end the tour around 3:30 pm.

6-Day/5-Night ~ Salish Sea Expedition

(days1-3 in prime orca territory)

Itinerary varies depending upon skill level. Please call us for more information

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