Multi-Sport Tours – New for 2008!!

The San Juan Islands are the active traveler’s paradise.  For those who enjoy active vacations, San Juan Outfitters has the expertise and experience help you explore by sea and land.  Many of our guides cycle, trail run, and hike as a hobbies.  We know the islands well, and enjoy showing guests our favorite places to paddle, hike, run, and bike. 

Our staff can help arrange lodging and recommend dining for your vacation.  If you are planning on renting bicycles while here, advanced reservations are required.  The below itineraries are examples of tours we’ve designed.  We have the flexibility to customize your adventure to meet your expectations. 

If you can think of an active vacation plan, we can probably make it happen.  San Juan Outfitters is a unique company, owned and operated by local captain and paddler Brian Goodremont.  Brian and his wife Rachel moved to the island over 10 years ago, and enjoy getting outdoors during all seasons.  His diverse and uniquely experienced staff look forward to showing you what makes the San Juan Islands one of North America’s great outdoor destinations.  His goal is to provide high quality tours, with a focus on outdoor education and wildlife viewing.  They are known for their customer service, with a focus on small groups and family tours.  Call us to make reservations, or to ask us about our tours.

Our Multi-sport program is a custom program, and can be planned according to how your interests.  We typically combine kayaking and hiking or kayaking and biking for single day trips.  For the very active groups, we can plan full days for each individual sport.  I’ve provided examples of our typical multi-sport single day tour:

This tour begins at our exclusive kayak launching facility at Roche Harbor, 9:00am.  Depending on weather and tides, we’ll make our way down mosquito pass between Henry Island and San Juan Island, or travel on the West Side of Henry Island in Haro Strait (this is the same route as the 5-hour tour).  As we head south, we’ll make our way into Garrison Bay, and beach at the Historic British Camp National Park.  Once the boats are secure, we’ll grab our packs and explore the British camp area.  Stronger groups can opt to head uphill to Mt. Young, one of the most scenic lookouts on San Juan Island.  From the top of this ½ hour climb, you can see all of the Canadian Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island, the Olympic Mountains, and surrounding waterways.  Lunch will be somewhere in route, either at British camp or at the summit of Mount Young. 

The group will then head back to our kayaks and begin making our way back to Roche Harbor by way of Mosquito Pass, or Haro Strait.  This tour is considered moderate to difficult, and can be customized to meet your needs.  We can slow things down to incorporate more natural history, and observations of flora and fauna, or spend more time hiking, and less time paddling.   Call us to make reservations or to inquire about our multi-sport tours.

This itinerary is for the active traveler, who is looking for the ultimate 1-day multi-sport experience.  This tour begins circa 9:00am in Friday Harbor.  Your guide will meet you near the ferry terminal in Friday Harbor.  If you are bringing your own bicycles, the tour will begin there.  If you will be renting bicycles for the day, your tour will begin at Island Bicycles where we’ll pick up our equipment for the day.  Once equipped, you’ll depart Friday Harbor and pass through the beautiful rural interior, dotted with small family farms with expansive views across the valleys.  We’ll make our way toward the west side of the island, where the road parallels the coast line.  We’ll stop to take a break along west side road, and enjoy the scenery as we re-hydrate and fuel up with the snacks.  After all, the day has just begun.  After a short break we’ll continue along the west side of San Juan Island, until we slowly make our way back inland and north, towards our kayak destination.  We’ll reach Roche Harbor around noon, and find a quiet place to have lunch overlooking the Harbor.  Once we’re re-energized, we’ll head down to our exclusive kayak facility for the next stage of our day, the 3-hour kayak tour!  This tour begins at 2:00pm, and you may be joined by other guests for your paddle.  This tour is the best half day kayak tour in the islands, with an opportunity to paddle around 3 National Wildlife Refuges and parks, explore the shoreline, and hopefully encounter seals, eagles, porpoise, marine birds, and occasionally Orca (Killer) Whales.  This tour will end at approximately 5:00pm, and you’ll have a little time to relax and refuel before you mount your bicycles for the final 10 mile push back to Friday Harbor.  This final leg is a great rolling road, past inland lakes, and small fields.  It’s less strenuous than the morning route, with fewer hills and more flats.  Your tour will end in Friday Harbor, down by the ferry terminal.