Family Centric Camp to Camp Kayak & Bike Tours
Hey Families! Here's the ultimate camping multi-sport combination. It's a vacation that includes not only sea kayaking, but includes bicycling the islands as well. Sea kayak one day among small remote islands in search of sea birds, seals, porpoise, river otters and orcas…then cycle the next day along unpopulated roads past rolling pastures, dotted with sheep and along steep, breathtaking cliffs. Each night we will impress you with our culinary talents while you relax and enjoy camping at its finest!
Length: These tours range from 2-6 days in length. Few people get to experience each island's unique style the way that you will. This trip takes you kayaking along the evergreen coastline of San Juan Island's west side and cycling along forested and pastoral roads leading views of the sea and snowcapped Olympic Peninsula. Orcas Island boasts Moran State Park with a panoramic view on top of Mount Constitution, lakes to hike around and waterfalls to cool off in. Lopez Island (known for its friendliness) is the smallest of the major San Juan Islands and offers a great route that winds along pastures of sheep down to scenic beaches. You will get to know each of these islands inside and out while cycling and kayaking.
All Inclusive: We provide all gourmet meals and snacks made with locally farmed produce when available, safety equipment and first aid supplies, SealLine dry bags, two-person MSR tents, Therm-A-Rest sleeping pads and pillows, Kokatat paddling jackets and pants, wetsuit booties, pogies and our incredible attention to detail. You need to bring, a sleeping bag (rentals are available), personal clothing and toiletries, a willingness to learn, and a sense of adventure.
No experience is necessary. Please note that the vast majority of our trips follow the routes and itineraries listed on our website, but changes may occur for reasons of safety, weather, logistics and guide or administrative judgement.
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Family Focused Kayak & Bike Camp to Camp Tour Highlights
Why Go with Crystal Seas?
Our excellent knowledgeable and friendly nature/multi-sport 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.
TIMES AND 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 10 AM on the first day of your trip to our launch site and finish 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 bicycle an average of 15-25 miles each day with help from a support van to give you a lift if you need one. Our routes run along the low-traffic country roads, allowing time to stop and check out the amazing views or visit a local art studio along the way.
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.
At least two guides on all of our multi-day kayaking & bicycling 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.
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 custom bicycle routes for more mileage to photography. For all these reasons and more we keep our regularly scheduled multi-day expedition group size to 8 guests or less ( unless a private trip ).
Private and custom tours are available upon request.
NO EXPERIENCE 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. *Previous knowledge of bicycling is a must.
Camping at it's finest
We know that after a day of bicycling you are ready to take a warm shower. Because of this, we stay at handpicked campsites whether it's lakeside at Moran State Park on Orcas or Lakedale on San Juan Island. Our sites give you that "camping in the great outdoors" experience that you are looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you have electric bikes?
YES. We are able to rent E-bikes to all our guests. Let us know when you are booking your tour that you would like an E-bike for your trip and we will have it on hand when you arrive. The cost is $60 per each day of your tour, plus WA tax. E-bikes are a great option for those in your group needing a little extra assistance.
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Will I fit in the kayak and gear?
Here’s a good way to get an idea if you will fit in the kayak. Most people of average body weight and height can fit into the kayak. All of our kayaks are doubles so there is more space that one might think.
NOT SURE? PLEASE DO THIS: Take a measuring tape and measure the circumference of the widest part of your body (hips/stomach/chest).
Our SPRAY SKIRTS fits up to 43 inches including clothing, around the largest part of the midriff. The spray skirt is what you will wear around your torso. It connects to the kayak cockpit to keep you dry. You can wear it above or below your chest. There is a string to synch it to your body. If you can comfortably fit into it, you should be good to wear the spray skirt.
Our COCKPIT dimensions are 31" Long x 16" Wide x 14.5" Deep.
The cockpit is the opening area to get into the kayak. You will need to be able to sit down past it to get onto the kayak seat. Remember that your body parts can move and the boat is fiberglass so if you have hips that are around these dimensions, you can typically still sit into the kayak. What we want is for you to be able to safely exit the kayak. *Please send us a message through our website or give us a call, if you question whether you or someone in your group might not fit.
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Am I too tall?
The kayaks are most comfortable for people who are 6’ 4 ft. and under. If you are above this height, you may not feel comfortable. We can put tall people in the front of the kayak to give them more leg room. *Please send us a message through our website or give us a call, if you question whether you or someone in your group might be too tall.
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How long of a drive is San Juan Island from Seattle?
We are about a 2 hour drive from Seattle to Anacortes and then a beautiful 1 hour 20 minute ferry ride to Friday Harbor. Arrive to the Anacortes ferry terminal about 30-45 minutes before scheduled departure time if you are walking on the ferry and 1.5 to 2 hours before scheduled departure time if you are bringing your car to San Juan Island. We have a shuttle from the ferry in Friday Harbor to our departure point, for those who wish to leave their cars at the Anacortes ferry terminal. For ferry fees and schedules visit the Washington State Ferries website. You can also fly to the San Juan Islands from Seattle, click on Kenmore Air & San Juan Airlines
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What are the start and end times?
Our multisport camping trips meet at our office in Friday Harbor between 10am and 10:30am, depending on the WA State ferry schedule on your start date. You will finish between 2-5pm on your end date. We will drop you off at the Washington State Ferry Terminal on the island your trip ends on.
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Do you take beginners?
Yes. All of our tours are designed with the beginner in mind. On all of our tours we give a safety & kayak lesson. All of our tours are guided so you will have an instructor near you the whole time.
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What happens if there is a single person or an odd numbered group?
We use tandem (double) kayaks for all of our San Juan Island tours. If there is an odd number then one person will be in a kayak with a guide or someone from another odd number party.
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Can you accommodate my food requirements on your multi-day tours?
Yes. We will send you a questionnaire when you make your reservation and our guides will plan accordingly.
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Are showers available on the camping kayaking & bicycling tours?
Yes! We do have access to showers at our campsites.
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Will I see whales on my tour?
Our kayak route offers one of the best opportunities in the world to see wild orca whales from a kayak because we paddle 1-2 days (depending on trip type) in a federally designated whale habitat. Since we can't guarantee that they will show up on every kayak trip, we offer the option to increase the odds to over 90% by spending one afternoon aboard a whale watch cruise aboard the Odyssey. The resident J, K, and L pods of orcas have recently been put on the endangered species list so our goal is to respect them, abide by the guidelines and not to paddle aggressively into their path. We will give you a lesson at the beginning of the tour for appropriate kayaking behavior near wildlife.
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What kinds of wildlife could we see?
Some of the local flora and fauna are Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Black Oystercatchers, Pigeon Guillemots, Pacific Harbor Seals, Orcas (Killer Whales), Dall's Porpoise, Great Blue Herons, Ochre Sea Stars, Blood Stars, Pacific Madrones, Douglas-firs, Western Cedars, Bull Kelp forests and Eel Grass beds.
Even More Relaxed cancellation and refund policy
61 or more days before the trip date, full refund of all payments less a $30 per person cancellation fee. 31-60 days before the trip date, guests will be charged 50% of the entire trip cost. 0-30 days before the trip date, guests will be charged 100% of the entire trip cost and no refunds will be made. All cancellations must be in writing and charged amount is determined upon the date of receipt.
Deposit policy
We ask for a 50% deposit when you make your reservation for a trip that is more than 60 days in the future. If the trip is 60 days or less in the future, then full payment upon making your reservation is required.
Select a Tour Length
2-DAY/1-NIGHT - $849
Every Saturday-Sunday
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3-DAY/2-NIGHT - $1159
Every Friday-Sunday
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3-DAY/2-NIGHT - $1159
Every Saturday-Monday
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4-DAY/3-NIGHT - $1529
Every Monday-Thursday
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4-DAY/3-NIGHT - $1529
Every Tuesday-Friday
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5-DAY/4-NIGHT - $2119
Every Monday-Friday
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6-DAY/5-NIGHT - $2579
Every Sunday-Friday
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