As June draws to a close on San Juan Island, summer continues to pick up speed. Last week brought some sunny weather to the island and live music at The Doctor’s Office (a coffee shop—not an actual medical center), the Rumor Mill, and the San Juan County Fairgrounds. Cask & Schooner, a restaurant and pub in town, celebrated its grand re-opening after a multi-year hiatus, and downtown Friday Harbor was abuzz this weekend with visitors who’d come over on the ferry. We here at Outdoor Odysseys are just as excited as the visitors that the season has begun. This Saturday…

This afternoon I sat down with second-year guide Will Bingaman to talk with him about a trip he led earlier this week. Like most of our one-day trips at Outdoor Odysseys, the trip launched from San Juan County Park on the west side of the island, went south to Deadman’s Bay where the group stopped for lunch, and back north to the county park. Will met his four guests at the Friday Harbor ferry terminal on the morning of the trip. Two were from Australia, two from Chicago, and all had been sea kayaking before, though never in the San Juan Islands.

  With over 17 hours of sunlight, 70-degree days with a cool ocean breeze, and an abundance of migrating wildlife; it’s no wonder why summer is the most popular time to visit Friday Harbor and San Juan Island. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains, the island gets less than 24 inches of rain annually (with less than 6 of that falling in the summer months), making this climate arid enough for prickly pear cactus to grow on some of the islands. Summer new and full moons boast over 11- foot tidal exchanges, creating remarkably low tides that…

No experience is necessary! Beginners are welcome on all of our Eagles & Orcas tours. Your safety is our number one priority. We use very stable double kayaks that tend to be wider and much more stable than single kayaks. We employ mature, seasoned guides who will give you a very thorough on-land orientation before you start your trip. You will learn the basics of kayak paddling including how to steer and fit the boat. We won’t get on the water until everybody feels comfortable with ocean kayaking techniques. Throughout your kayak trip, your guide is always there to give…

We tend to approach the age topic on a case-by-case basis since not all folks have generic body sizes and capacities for activity. As a general rule, 13 to 14-year-olds are able to paddle the double sea kayaks. However, it really does depend on the individual. We have also taken paddlers out as old as 82. We have several triple kayaks that hold three people. In this case, we could put a younger person in the center cockpit, with the forward and aft cockpits occupied by older, more competent paddlers. We have taken out kids as young as 8 on…

The southern arm of San Juan Island where American Camp, a national historical park, is located, offers a number of great hikes and walking trails with amazing views. Of course, it is always interesting to check out the history while exploring the grounds of American Camp, but just a short distance from the Visitor Center are a number of San Juan Island’s gems to explore. Mt. Finlayson is the highest point in American camp, offering great views of Mt. Baker to the east, Mt. Rainier in the southeast, the Olympic Mountains to the south and British Columbia to the west.…