Sumas, Washington

Access the hike from a 26.5-mile drive down Baker Lake Rd to the Baker Lake Trailhead. Note that the last 6 miles are unpaved and rather rough. The trail starts at low elevation so there's rarely snow or condition concerns, even in early spring. The trail runs alongside and then crosses the Bake...

The easiest way to explore this area is through Outer Island Excursions, which offers a 3-hour kayaking tour from Smuggler’s Villa Resort on Orcas Island (they also offer various tours of the surrounding islands).The tour begins with a paddle down the North Shore of Orcas Island to Point Doughty ...

From the parking lot at Belcarra Regional Park, follow the Jug Island Trail. It is well marked and well walked so it's near impossible to wander off in the wrong direction! The beach near Jug Island is at the very tip of the peninsula and offers beautiful views of the Indian Arm and surrounding m...

Park your car at the Belcarra Regional Parking Lot and head into the forest. There will be a trail marker beside the playground. Walk about 5 mins along this trail and cross the road. There will be two trails - take the one on the left and follow this trail uphill. The trail is very well marked a...

Statlu Lake is a hidden gem in the Harrison area. Start your journey at the Harrison West Forest Service Road. This road is pretty well maintained, and a piece of cake for any 4x4 vehicle but high clearance is always helpful, especially for the last bit of road up the hill to the trailhead. It wo...

No visit to the San Juan Islands is complete without taking a whale watching tour and Rosario Harbor on Orcas Island is uniquely situation to allow for trips east into the Rosario Straight, south into Lopez Sound, or west into the Haro Straight. Such flexibility is useful when on the looking for ...

You start the trail in a newly created parking lot (outhouses as well). Follow along the trail, and within a short distance from the parking lot you will come to a fork. Take the left trail (right goes to Flora Lake). This part of the trail is fairly flat with some nice scenery. You will follow t...

The drive up to the starting point of the trail to Anderson and Watson Lake was easy, but at the end it gets a little tricky - the service road is sharp gravel and runs for about 10 miles to the trailhead. Some spots are steep and there are large potholes, but slow and steady wins the race. There...

Obstruction Pass State Park is something of a hidden gem on Orcas Island given that its nearby neighbor, Moran State Park, gets most of the tourist attention. What this means is that you can find solitude and quiet, *and* make a visit to the only publicly owned beach on the island. There are seve...

Porcupine Peak (also known as Goat Peak) is a little known trail that begins beside the popular Lindeman and Greendrop Lakes trailhead. The hike is tough, going straight uphill for a significant portion, with some ups and downs right before reaching the peak.  The trailhead is a bit tricky to fin...

Obstruction Pass State Park is something of a hidden gem on Orcas Island given that its nearby neighbor, Moran State Park, gets most of the tourist attention. What this means is that you can find solitude and quiet, *and* make a visit to the only publicly owned beach on the island. There are seve...

We set out from the town of Anacortes, WA from Seafarers Memorial Park with a group of 6 people. Two in single kayaks and four in two tandem kayaks. After setting out into the water, keep to the west of Guemes island and follow the shoreline for a shorter trip or follow the east side for a longer...

The nine primitive campsites and one Cascadia Marine Trail campsite of Obstruction Pass State Park are the only first come, first serve campsites available on Orcas Island. The campsites themselves overlook a fantastic (and accessible beach) and Obstruction Pass itself. There are four composting ...

From Washington Park in Anacortes, Washington we launched our 19' Beachcraft with a deep hull into Puget Sound on a beautiful blue sky morning. The weather and water was favorable for an overnight adventure to Blakely Island! We made our way across Rosario Straight and toward James Island (20 mi...

Only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Deep Cove is a great place to paddle in tranquil ocean waters. You can rent ocean kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards from Deep Cove Kayak.The bay in front of the community is one of the few in Indian Arm that has both a sheltering shape and the shal...

Setting out from Deep Cove’s pebble shoreline, it only takes a few minutes before you are away from small village and paddling the calm waters of this gorgeous arm. Seals can be frequently spotted as you follow the path of off oceanfront homes, some living off the grid, deeper into the mountains....