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2 Day Sea Kayaking AdventuresSan Juan Islands, Washington
Cypress Island
While most of the San Juan Islands have been privatized and developed, their shorelines made forever off-limits by private owners, Cypress Island has actually gone the other way. Since 1923 it has been recognized as a place of incredible ecological and historical importance, and great efforts have been made to protect one of the few remaining intact, publicly owned pieces of the San Juan Islands' natural history.
Currently surveyors on Cypress Island have identified 142 species of birds (plus 50 sighted, but undocumented bird species) and over 264 plant species! And that is just above the waterline! This kind of biodiversity puts Cypress Island into "world class" status.
A Typical Trip Description:
We launch from Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island. After packing your kayaks your guides will spend some time discussing the route plan for the day and addressing safety concerns. Your guides will then assist you in getting you comfortable in your kayak and provide a basic paddle lesson, with more safety practices for you to learn about. Launching from the shoreline, you will set a leisurely pace as you head out toward Cypress Island, making sure that everyone gets acquainted with handling their kayaks. Crossing over to Guemes Island, you will get to enjoy beautiful views across Rosario Strait and into the San Juans. As you make your way up Bellingham Channel towards Cypress Island keep your eyes peeled for small groups of Harbor porpoise. These diminutive cetaceans are frequently seen here as they forage in the currents. Seals are likely to escort you along as you make the crossing, look for them as they sneak up behind the kayaks. After crossing to Cypress Island you will generally stop for a break to stretch your legs, enjoy a snack or lunch, and take in the scenery before continuing on. Most of this day is spent poking along the shore, exploring the nooks and crannies for sea stars, or craning your neck to spot eagles roosting in the trees. The pace is generally slow and easy, why rush through this kind of scenery? Camping: We have two great boat-in-only camp areas to choose from; 1) Cypress Head is a beautiful tombolo with some very scenic campsites, it is also the closest option available to us. This is also the most likely place to awaken to the sounds of whales passing by. On outgoing tides our Resident Orca pods frequently pass within yards of this rocky headland. 2) Pelican Beach is a few miles up the shoreline from Cypress Head, this is probably our most popular campsite for its views of Mt. Baker and it's access to the 1.2 mile trail leading up to 900 foot Eagle Bluff. This viewpoint is arguably the best place in the San Juans to watch the Sunset. It is closed to public access until July 15th to protect critical nesting habitat for eagles and Peregrine falcons. Day Two: If the group is ready to get an early start, and conditions are right, you may be able to complete a circumnavigation of Cypress Island. It makes for a full day of paddling, but the rewards are worth it! Many trips choose the more liesurely option of relaxing on the beach and enjoying a long breakfast before heading back down Bellingham Channel, exploring more of the incredible coastline and then paddling back to Anacortes. We try to time your return in the late afternoon (~2:30pm-5:00pm) in order to give you time to get unpacked and cleaned up. Now you are free to head out for a great dinner, and perhaps a well deserved beer! Meals: The most important part! We take pride in providing the best kayak tour possible for our guests. To this end we use only the freshest available foods. As much as possible we shop for locally grown, and organic ingredients. Whether we are serving red-curry chicken and basil over a bed of Jasmine rice, our signature Spinach and Pine-nut pasta, or any of our favorite kayak camping meals, all of our them have been meticulously planned to ensure the best possible dining experience. We have found that the food is the one thing that you are guaranteed to remember for years to come, and we want you to remember us fondly!
We run the smallest group sizes in the industry, consequently trips fill quickly. Please book early to ensure that you get the trip you want! Book Online or call (800) 992-1801
Please understand that all trip descriptions are samples of what our itinerary will be. We cannot control the weather and we will not put you in a position of risk. Although we often attempt to circumnavigate Cypress Island, the trip itinerary will change according to safety concerns and the needs of the group. Thank You! Anacortes Kayak Tours reserves the right to change, or cancel available departure dates and prices. Once you book a kayak tour with us we will run it, as long as weather conditions permit us to conduct a safe sea kayaking excursion. On multiday kayaking trips we do have a minimum of two people to run the trip, this is a matter of safety- not economics.
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Cypress
Island is the "last best place" in the San Juan
Islands. Nearly 90% of this remarkable island is managed by the Department
of Natural Resources and has been designated by the State of Washington
as a Natural Resource Conservation Area and a Natural
Area Preserve- giving it the highest form of protection that
state land can have. 
At
the beginning of the 1900's logging had greatly impacted the San Juans.
Much of the timber went straight into the fire to heat the great limekilns
on Orcas and San Juan Island. While some logging took place on Cypress
Island, the industry died out before the ancient groves in the Cypress
Highlands could be cut. Now, nearly one hundred years later, the forest
once again covers the steep slopes providing critical habitat for
island wildlife. The old growth in the highlands are some of the last
remaining stands in the entire San Juan Islands.
While
the forests of Cypress Island provide a classically "San Juan"
background for visitors, it is the shorelines and intertidal zones
that attract sea kayakers. Steep, rocky headlands, protected bays,
and subtidal eelgrass meadows support a wide variety of creatures
that can best be viewed from the cockpit of a sea kayak. Offshore
of Cypress Island is a small cluster of "gumdrop"
islands called the Cone Islands (this term is applied
to the many tiny islets in the San Juans that appear, from a distance,
as gumdrop candies). A variety of sea birds, seals, porpoise, and
Bald eagles are just a few of the animals that can be found out here.
Some of our most exciting Orca whale encounters occurred while we
were exploring "the Cones".
Day
One: