3-Day Kayak Trips Anacortes to Cypress Island

Join us on a sea kayaking adventure to the most remarkable sanctuary in the San Juan Islands. The Cypress Island Marine Reserve offers comfortable camping by the sea with fabulous views and abundant wildlife. No experience is necessary to enjoy this trip. We focus on comfort, and a less physically demanding itinerary. Our convenient location allows for quicker access to the wild beauty of Cypress Island.

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May - September
All Inclusive: $649 Adults | $625 Kids 12 and under
Self-Catered: $500 Adults | $475 Kids 12 and under
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy, 4-person minimum. **Single occupancy, private tent: $50 fee.
More Info: Rates & Schedules
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  • All-Inclusive
  • Self-Catered

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No Ferry Hassles!

With no San Juan Islands ferry hassles to worry about and the spectacular Cypress Island Marine Reserve to explore, it is no surprise that this is the most popular kayak expedition that we offer. Depart directly from Anacortes to make the most of your vacation time!

Wildlife

The protected status of the island and the waters surrounding it has created a healthy and diverse habitat that supports an amazing diversity of wildlife. A dense population of Harbor seals and porpoises forage around Cypress. The nearby Cone Islands see other marine mammals frequently passing through the waterways surrounding the islands. Low tide exposes beautiful and interesting creatures in the intertidal zone, and Bald eagles stand watch from their lofty perches. Few places in the San Juan Islands have such a density of wild animals.

Scenery

Although you are surrounded all day by the beauty of the San Juan Islands there is nothing quite so gratifying as relaxing on a pebble beach with a glass of wine in your hand, taking in the evening light. On clear days Mount Baker looms over Cypress Island from the crest of the Cascade Mountain Range, and trails from the camp areas lead you through mature forests. If you make it up to Eagle Cliff you’ll be rewarded with arguably the best view in the San Juan Islands.

Delicious Cuisine

Our hope is to exceed your expectations when it comes to the food we serve. We understand that the one thing that you are sure to remember is whether the food was good. On our tours, you won’t be hungry! As the owners of the company we personally see to the creation of each meal plan on our multi-day camping expeditions. We source most of our food from local organic farms here in the Skagit and Samish River valleys and use the freshest seasonal ingredients possible in all of our dishes. If you have any special dietary needs then just let us know, we can accommodate almost any requests.

Camping

This is a true expedition camping experience! Once you depart from Anacortes you will be entirely self-sufficient, carrying all that you need in your kayaks. Cypress Island is managed as a Conservation Area and so the campgrounds are rustic and are designed to be close to the sea and part of the landscape. We bring our own water and abide by Leave No Trace standards. High-tech composting toilets have been installed for your convenience. On these 3-day trips, we often camp in the same camp area for both nights in order to maximize your kayaking and relaxation time. The camp areas on Cypress Island are both beautiful, and are located just a few miles apart.

No Experience Necessary!

Like all of our kayak tours, this one requires no previous paddling experience. Our fun and professional guides will take care of the details so that you can relax and enjoy yourself. The Cypress Island expeditions are the least physically demanding of our multi-day kayak trips and are appropriate for most people of all ages. Our convenient location in Anacortes allows you to spend more time kayaking to this outstanding destination.

What is included (Fully Catered package*):

  • Professional guiding service.
  • All of your kayaking equipment (boats, paddles, lifejackets, dry bags, etc).
  • All meals (from lunch on Day One to Lunch on Day Three) plus snacks, hot drinks, and limited cold drink mixes. Please feel free to bring your own alcohol of choice.
  • Cooking Equipment.
  • Complimentary insulated travel mug to take home with you afterwards!
  • All camping equipment including tents, insulated Thermarest sleeping pads.
  • All land use permits/fees.
  • The best customer service support in the industry.

Please check our packing list carefully to make sure that you have the appropriate gear. If you plan to bring any of your own equipment then please let us know prior to arrival so that we do not bring unnecessary duplicates.

*Self-Catered package includes everything above, except food, cooking equipment, travel mug, and camping equipment.

What is not included:

  • Flights, airport transfers, taxis, transportation to launch site.
  • Travel/Medical insurance.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Sleeping bags.
  • Rain Gear
  • Personal Items (toiletries, clothing, headlamps, etc.)

Sleeping bags can be rented for $35/trip if you prefer to travel without one. Please reserve these in advance to ensure that we have one ready for you, can also be reserved at the time of booking.

About The Area

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.

While much 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 opposite direction. 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.

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 lime kilns 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 on Cypress Island are some of the last remaining stands in the entire San Juan Islands.

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.

While the forests of Cypress Island provide a classically “San Juan Islands” backdrop for visitors, it is the shorelines and intertidal zones that attract sea kayakers. Steep, rocky headlands, protected bays, and sub-tidal 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 the Cone Islands, a small cluster of “gumdrop” 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 seabirds, seals, porpoises, and Bald eagles are just a few of the animals that can be found out here. Some of our most incredible Orca whale encounters have occurred while we were exploring “the Cones.”

The two camping areas on Cypress Island are both primitive areas with outstanding views and access to great hiking trails. The hiking here is something that you do not want to miss out on. Our favorite trail is 1.2 miles long and takes you up to the dramatic viewpoint on top of 900 foot Eagle Bluff. This is arguably the best place in the San Juan Islands to view a sunset and one of the top two vistas in the San Juan Islands.

Is this for you?

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.
  • All trips larger than 6 people will have two guides.
  • Groups of 6 or more guests can choose to have a private kayaking experience! (multi-day trips only)
  • 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.

The longer multi-day sea kayaking expeditions are best suited for folks in reasonably good shape. Occasionally there is a need to make a long push to get to the next campsite and we would not want to wear anyone out on a long crossing. We actually design these trips to be a little more physically involved. 5 day trips might average 8-10 miles per day paddling.

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.