San Juans Kayaking | 3 Day Overnight & Family Overnight Kayak Tours
3-Day/2-night San Juan Kayak Camping Itinerary ISan Juan Island East and North
All inclusive (meals & equipment) - minimum 2 guests
This itinerary was designed to provide our guests with a great sampling of the scenery, wildlife, and paddling terrain that the San Juan Islands are best known for. It begins at our facility in Friday Harbor, and finishes at our exclusive Roche Harbor Marine Activity Center. Shuttle service is provided back to the ferry landing in Friday Harbor if necessary. Guests often spend their final night at one of the San Juan Island lodging facilities in Roche Harbor or Friday Harbor. When booking this trip, we can help you find the right lodging to meet your needs.
San Juan Kayaking Day 1
This San Juan kayak tour meets at our exclusive launching facility in Friday Harbor at 9:00am. Guests will meet their guide, who will introduce them to their equipment in preparation for the trip. Equipment familiarization often takes on hour or so, and the trip usually departs Friday Harbor around 10:00am. From Friday Harbor, this tour heads north along the East side of San Juan Island. This area is owned by the University of Washington, and consists of one of the largest undeveloped shorelines in San Juan County. As we head north, the tour will cross San Juan Channel East into a conglomerate of islands known generally as the Wasp Islands. The Wasp Islands consist of some DNR land, some state park, and some private land. The nature conservancy also owns a small island in this area called Yellow Island. One of the wasp islands is generally our lunch stop.
From The Wasp Islands, the afternoon will find us paddling to Jones Island State Park, located Northeast of San Juan Island, and Southwest of Orcas Island. Jones Island is a smaller state park, but remains one of the lesser used and more scenic parks in the county. This will be where we stay both nights, as it provides the best camping without any crowds, and is a great launching point for our second and third day of paddling. Guests will have time to explore while camp and dinner are being prepped (guests are welcome to help if they’d like). Jones Island offers great camp sites, and wonderful views of the sunset from the west side of the island.
San Juan Kayaking Day 2
Breakfast is generally served by 8:00am, which will allow us a full day on the water. Our goal is to be on the water by 9:00-9:30am. Our second day of paddling often times depends on tides, weather, and the most recent wildlife sightings. Most days will be spent paddling West towards Speiden and Stuart Islands, where the views to the North and East towards the North Cascade Mountains can be stunning. For those paddlers with lots of energy, this day could also include a short hike on Stuart Island to the famous Turn Point Lighthouse, one of the most famous light houses in the county. Lunch is spent on one of many public beaches in the Stuart Island area, and depends on the endurance of the group.
As the afternoon presses on, we’ll start making our way back towards Jones island for a well deserved meal. There is generally free time available from mid-day (after arrival back at camp) until dinner, and then after dinner as well. Dinner is generally served by 7:00pm. If there is consensus for a sunset paddle after dinner, that can also be a great way to end the day. Otherwise after dinner, everyone is welcome to pursue their own free time.
San Juan Kayaking Day 3
Breakfast is served around 8:00am, and then it’s time to pack the boats up for our final day of paddling. From Jones Island the group paddles West towards Speiden Island, and on further towards the confluence of Haro Strait and Speiden Channel. The group then starts heading south down Haro Strait, along the west side of Henry Island (This truly is the best place to see Orca (killer) Whales in the wild. We like to stop for lunch on Henry Island, on a remote pebble and sand beach overlooking the Olympic Mountains and the south end of Vancouver Island. Our final few hours in the afternoon are spent paddling south along the West Side of Henry Island, until we head back Northeast into Open Bay, and further into Mosquito Pass. Mosquito Pass is a narrow waterway that separates Henry Island from San Juan Island. As we make our way up Mosquito Pass, we’ll pass Garrison By and Wescott Bay as we near Roche Harbor, our final destination. We aim to arrive at Roche Harbor between 4PM to 6PM, depending on the weather, tides, and the day’s activities. Shuttle Service is available until 7pm for those in a hurry. Otherwise, guests can enjoy some ice cream from the general store, or a meal and some suds at the bar and grill (sandals and visors acceptable).
3-Day/2-night San Juan Kayak Camping Itinerary IISucia North 3 Day Adventure
Minimum 2 guests
When local kayakers and guides talk about an ideal kayak trip, this is what they’d choose if they were designing the ultimate 3-day San Juan kayak adventure. This trip departs at 8:00am, from our exclusive facility at Roche Harbor (Meet at 7:00am for orientation and packing).Yes we know it’s early, but when you read the itinerary you’ll see that’s it’s worth it (We’ll bring the coffee). This tour starts by loading the equipment onto the MV Sea Hawk, and heading to North Beach on Orcas Island, where you’ll depart for Sucia Island for 3 days and 2 nights. This tour is a little more expensive that our other itinerary, because it includes a total of 4 hours of water taxi service by our whale watch vessel Sea Hawk. This service adds another degree of adventure, as you travel with your group, enjoying the scenery and wildlife. We are the only company in the San Juan Islands that owns and operates this service.
San Juan Kayaking Day 1
This tour begins at 7:00am at our exclusive Roche Harbor kayak facility. You’ll meet your guide, and pack your gear in dry bags for the three day adventure. At 8:00am, you will depart Roche Harbor on the MV Sea Lion, and take a one hour boat shuttle to North Beach on Orcas Island. From the Marina, you and your guide will off load your gear and boats, and portage a short way to the public beach. From this beach, you can look North, East, and West to the most amazing views in the county. Your destination Sucia Island, is about 5nm north of this beach across parts of Boundary Pass. Your guide will take the time to orient you with our equipment, before you make your way to Sucia Island. Once you arrive at Sucia, you’ll have lunch, and get some rest while your crew sets up camp. An afternoon paddle is usually on the menu, as you’ll have access to some of the most unique shoreline and expansive views in the county. Wildlife abounds up there, and there are so many things to see. Following lunch and a late afternoon paddle, the group will make their way back to camp for a little free time and R&R while dinner is prepped. Generally, dinner is served around 7:00pm, followed by unobstructed views of one of the finest sunsets you’ll ever see.
San Juan Kayaking Day 2
Begins with breakfast around 8:00am. The day’s activities will combine paddling around Sucia Island, which provides enough exploring for many days, and hiking the shoreline. Stronger groups also have the option to paddle to nearby Matia Island for additional adventure. Our schedule is flexible, and ultimately the decisions regarding activities will be made by your guide with your feedback. This flexibility and the variety of activities available allows us plan the day based on experience, interests, weather, and tides. Lunch will be packed with us, and spent together during one of our daily activities. Our goal will be to get back to camp around 4:00pm-5:00pm, so that there is time for R&R before dinner, as well as some personal exploration time. Dinner is served close to 7:00pm, which allows time after dinner to enjoy the sunset, and other evening activities.
San Juan Kayaking Day 3
Begins with breakfast around 8:00am. Our final morning is spent packing up camp, and exploring our remote island get away one more time. Sucia Island provides for some great hiking and exploration. This morning will combine light hiking, tide pooling, and exploring. Your guides will show you around some amazing sand stone formations, as you explore the island by foot, and later by sea.
Lunch follows the morning land exploration, as fuel up for our crossing back to Orcas Island. Depending on the weather and tides, we will arrive at our pick up location at North Beach around 5:00pm. Guests can relax as a light dinner is prepared. From North Beach, guests can enjoy their meal and scenery, before their shuttle pick up between 7:00pm and 8:00pm. We then arrive in Roche Harbor between 8-9pm. Roche Harbor is a full service resort. Guests who have made advanced reservations can immediately head to their room and check in. It is the island, so we don’t blame you for walking straight to the Madrona Bar and Grill where sandals and fleece are completely acceptable. Yes, your guide will take part of his or her gratuity in beer and food if you are so inclined. Friday Harbor is just a short drive if you’ve made reservations at any of the hotels there. For those trying to make it to work Monday morning, there is a late ferry that gets you back to the mainland without any problems.
INN TO INN – Overnight ItineraryThis is a custom trip that allows guests to explore by day, but sleep in a bed at night. This itinerary follows our “Friday Harbor to Jones” schedule. The biggest difference, is that your first night is spent at Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez, or Deer Harbor on Orcas. This will depend on the group and their interests, as this is tour is treated under our “Custom” category. Our staff will lay out a great itinerary based on our past successes, but we are flexible enough to add activities such as hiking the new Turtleback preserve on Orcas, or a guided hiking trip on Yellow Island. Guests typically have breakfast and dinner on or near their accommodation site, and lunches are prepared and enjoyed during the day’s activities. The San Juan Islands host some fantastic (and little known) restaurants. Knowing the restaurants and the seasonal seafood specials will make the difference in this experience.
To make a reservation, or to learn more about our overnight program, please contact us via telephone at 866-810-1483, or send an email to info@sanjuanislandoutfitters.com. All our overnight trips are personally supervised and planned by owners Brian and Rachel Goodremont and their staff. We guarantee we will exceed your expectations on our tours. We look forward to having you as our guest.
If you don’t see an itinerary that fits your imagination, check out our custom tours or private San Juan Island charters. We can accommodate just about any adventure that you’ve imagined in the San Juan Islands.
