Sea Kayaking and camping on Sucia Island!

Sucia Island Marine Park is actually a cluster of small islands situated near the Washington and Canada border, on the northern edge of the San Juan Islands. Due to it's isolation, drop-dead-gorgeous scenery, and relative difficulty of access, sea kayaking around Sucia Island has long been the most coveted experience among kayakers coming to the San Juan Islands.  Sucia Island is peppered with submerged reefs, making navigation by larger boats a treacherous activity, but providing an amazing playground for sea kayaks. We can get right up against the shoreline to explore the crazy rock formations which make Sucia Island so famous.

The highly eroded sandstone is formed into bold shapes; honeycombed cliffs, whimsical hoodoos, arches, and caves. Sucia Island's proximity to the wildlife rich Strait of Georgia guarantees great views of seals, porpoise, loads of eagles and their nests, and occasionally Resident Orca whales.

What makes this sea kayak trip unique is that we are departing directly from Orcas Island. A short crossing over to Sucia Island gets us immediately into the "sweet spots". This is the easiest way to get to the Sucia Group, and for the entire duration of the trip you will be exploring these amazing shorelines.

We were surprised to discover that there was no local sea kayaking company that was departing from Orcas Island for a 3 day Sucia Island kayak trip. It didn't take long to decide that somebody had better provide a way for folks to see this outstanding place. Aside from Cypress Island, this may be the best destination for sea kayaking anywhere in the San Juan Islands archipelago.

Here's some common questions that we've been asked about this trip:

If its so good, then why aren't more sea kayak companies offering trips to Sucia Island?

It's just too expensive and logistically difficult for many of them to get there.

Why then are you [Anacortes Kayak Tours] offering these trips?

Well, there are two good reasons;

1) Location, location, location!

Our advantageous position here in Anacortes, the Home Port to the San Juans, means that you can easily come into our store on your way to the San Juan ferry terminal. You will then receive accurate directions to the ferries and to your launch site on Orcas Island. (Free coffee at our store will help get those cobwebs cleared out if it's early.) Your guide will already be there waiting for you on Orcas Island.

2) The added expense and logistical difficulties don't bother us. We are a small and highly efficient company making us much more flexible in what we can accomplish. We pride ourselves on our ability to consistently provide personalized,  high qualitiy tours.

This trip is worth doing, it's one of the top three sea kayaking destinations in the San Juans, and so we're going there. It's that simple.

Do we need to take a ferry?

Yes. This is the one time that we'll advocate taking the ferry because it's the ferry to Orcas Island, not Friday Harbor. We've planned these trips to depart on dates which minimize those long waits and other hassles that the San Juan Ferry is becoming famous for. Sucia Island is a special enough destination that it's worth the extra effort.

We specialize in small group, all inclusive, multi-day sea kayak trips in the San Juans

• On these multi-day sea kayaking expeditions we strictly adhere to a 6 guest per guide ratio, with a maximum of 10 guests. All trips larger than 6 people will have two guides.
• Groups of 4 or more guests can choose to have a private kayaking experience!
• A small sea kayaking group can move much more efficiently. We need less time attending to logistical issues like setting up or breaking camp and have more time for exploring and having fun in the San Juan Islands.
• All camping and kayaking equipment is provided, as are all meals, including lunches.

Book Online, or call (800) 992-1801

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 sea kayaking trips we do have a minimum of two people to run the trip, this is a matter of safety- not economics.