One of my favorite parks in the San Juans for hiking, kayaking and boating. Beautiful views all…read morearound, and the wildlife from eagles to seals to whales is awe-inspiring. If you have an opportunity to travel here, go for it!

If you have a boat (or, even better, a friend with a boat) and you live anywhere in the vicinity of…read morethe San Juan Islands then fill 'er up and head on over to Sucia Island State Park. I recently was invited out with some friends on their new boat (did I mention how lucky I feel sometimes?) and we had an AMAZING day tied up at the main dock, barbecuing fresh salmon, tossing back a few cold ones, playing some cards, and enjoying a nice relaxing Sunday on the island. There's a lot to love about Sucia. It's isolated (accessible only by boat), uncrowded (because, let's face it, not everybody has a boat), unscathed, and beautiful...yet still has a few "creature comforts" that we semi-outdoorsy types love (like pit toilets, picnic tables, and even cell phone service). If you don't have a boat you can catch one from Orcas or another nearby island - some will even haul your kayak over, too, so you can enjoy some quality time paddling around the island and its beautiful inlets and bays. There are also several lovely campsites right by the main boating dock - can't wait to get back here with my tent, my kayak, and a good book or two. Just remember, if you go on a weekend day get here early for the best spot at the dock!

This is one of my favorite islands to stop, enjoy and hike. It's one of the most visited islands in…read morethe San Juans because of its beautiful beaches, bays, and resources (bathrooms, fresh water, camping sites, dock, mooring balls, and small event spaces). Hiking is easy and the rain forest is lush, filtering the light and the rain. We were lucky and saw an otter here--i haven't seen any in my previous trips here and in the other islands. Lots of eagles, osprey, and buzzards too. There are illustrated placards that offer history and note special geographical features of the island. The weather has mostly been calm when we've visited here (May-Oct), but the winds do rip through here, making camping and boating challenging.

I know what you're thinking: there's nothing interesting here. Why would I want to go out of my…read moreway to check out the park manager's residence? Well, I felt the same way until I actually took the (easy) hike over there from the main dock. Yes, it's brown like the usual ranger station. And technically, you can't go inside as it's not open to the public. But the reason to visit this special little cove on beautiful Sucia Island is its history and grounds. Built by the original family to settle on Sucia, the now publicly-owned residence sits amidst a grove of fruit trees planted by that original family, and there's also a huge marshy area that was cleared out for fields and so that the family's livestock would have a place to graze. Near the beach, rusty relics of old farming equipment are on display near a picnic table (which, by the way, is a great place to stop for a drink or a snack before you continue on your hike). Keep your eyes open for buried bricks under the trail. Yep, that pioneering family even laid their own road here, brick by brick. I wish the State Park would do more to illustrate and teach the history of this special spot. Because you can almost hear the children of those settlers playing in the orchard or on the beach, and wonder how magical it must have been to have been raised on that island.

Did a whale watching trip with Gabe and Elliot and it was incredible! The boat is just the right…read moresize (wouldn't want to be in one of those tiny Zodiac boats or one of the giant boats with 50 other people!!) and both Gabe and Elliot were so knowledgeable about the whales and other sea life that we saw. I was very impressed and will definitely book again!

Took boat out of Lopez Islander. 10/10 experience. TK and Jake crewed. Loved the small sturdy boat…read moreand the great visibility. Only a dozen folks on board and you can see everything from your seat thru big open windows. We saw bald eagles, steller sea lions, orcas, a grey whale, a minke whale, harbor seals, and lots of seabirds. Good explanations. Loved every minute.

out tour was kayaking , the views make it amazing by itself but if it's a tour I would expect for…read morethe tour guide to explain a bit more of what we are doing and he was very quiet until we did a break on a beach.

We had a great experience renting kayaks from Salt Spring. The staff were super friendly and…read morehelpful, and gave us good information about our routes (we rented on 2 different days). We especially liked the fiberglass kayaks which were so swift and easy to paddle. Such a beautiful place to kayak!

We embarked on a 4 hour day sail around the San Juan's during our honeymoon. I chose Emerald Isle…read morebecause of their reasonable prices and proximity to where we were staying. We also really wanted to go sailing (neither of us had been before) and not on a whale watching charter. We're glad we went with Dave as he is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about sailing, and willing to teach. He involved us in helping run the boat during our adventure, which was fun. He has a beautiful boat, and he was open to us poking around to see all the sleeping quarters. His favorite sails are actually his multi-day trips. He was telling us all about the trips they take up to the rainforest in Canada and Alaska. We checked out photos online on his website, and wow! Those trips look like phenomenal, once in a lifetime experiences! During our trip, we saw seals, sea lions, porpoises, and exotic varieties of sheep and deer on Spieden Island (former hunting retreat). The weather was beautiful, although a little cold when the boat was moving. He provided blankets and seating pads, and we were welcome to sit anywhere on the boat - inside or outside. He also provided a snack of cheese and crackers, and we brought along sandwiches to eat, too. In the cooler, we had the option of a couple different sparkling waters, which I appreciated over soda. We had a lot of fun and would love to return for a multi day trip one day!

We splurged this summer and took our family of 5 on an unforgettable sailing trip around the San…read moreJuan Islands. It was the best trip of our lives. Dave and Katy were so accommodating and patient and are just plain good people. Thank you Dave for a great summer trip - we are hoping to book another summer trip with you soon!

Plan ahead. Cash only. There is an ATM at KeyBank up the road. No bathroom nearby. This is a small…read morehike from town, so I would recommend driving. It was quick and easy for us to get out on the water. We had a good time.

My family and I have now enjoyed the folks at Crescent Beach for several years. We've gone in large…read moreand small groups from ages 10 to 68. A gorgeous place to paddle around and enjoy the waters of Eastsound. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for some time in nature. Both Dave and Joan are very knowledgeable and generous with their experience and local happenings such as whale sitings, wildlife spotting and latest goings on with the "locals". Can't wait to take the family back out.

An absolutely perfect day; a perfect experience with wonderful guide. We can't give Brandon credit…read morefor the weather, but after such a breathtaking experience, we were praising him for the perfect weather, too. Booking was a breeze, advanced communication was timely and informative, check-in was friendly and easy, and even the drive across the island from Friday Harbor was engaged and informative. But the real magic happened on the water, where we started under mild, overcast skies, and ended with sunshine and perfect weather. Along the way we saw: 1 black fox, 2 harbor seals, 1 harbor porpoise, a rhinoceros auklet (unique diving sea bird), 13+ Bald Eagles, AND TWO HUMPBACK WHALES! The beach side lunch was fantastic... the best turkey sandwich I've ever had, made exceptional by the views and the company. The lack of an Orca sighting made this full day trip an eyelash shy of perfect, but we could not have otherwise been more thrilled with our experience on the water with Brandon and the Discovery Sea Kayak team. Thank you for a magical day on the island. PS - we paid half as much for a full day tour with Discovery as we did for a half day tour on Orcas Island, so this group gets our strongest recommendation!

Top notch half day sea kayak tour! Staff have ACA training which shows a commitment to high…read morenational standards and safety. I trust their knowledge of the area, their kayak skills, and safety mindedness. The kayak guide was fun, knowledgeable, and had everything going smoothly. I'd gladly do another kayak tour with these folks!

Captain Brock. Thomas and Becca were awesome. Highly recommend if you want to see Orcas.read more

Great tours! You WILL see whales, or they'll invite you back free. Very informative staff, and they…read morewere super helpful when we missed our tour due to a very long delay at the ferry. We went on two tours. Highly recommend!

So much fun. I'm out of shape and pretty big, I was nervous about a 3 day trip squeezed into that…read morelittle seat. It was definitely a squeeze, but I'm so glad I went , it was a blast and we were all tired but it wasn't hard to keep up. The guide Laura was amazing and I feel so lucky we got to see the islands from in the water. The food was great too. Don't miss the chance to kayak at night and see the bioluminescence! It was a highlight.

Absolutely fantastic three day kayaking experience! Our charming guide led us in tandem kayaks…read morewith all the necessary gear through the islands. Just dress for the weather and you will enjoy the best way to see the San Juan's. We had a great camping experience as part of the journey with plenty of great food. Hannah is a super guide and worked tirelessly to keep us both active and relaxed plus well fed. Appetizers and wine before hearty meals to keep us fueled! Can't wait to go again someday!

My boyfriend and I went on the 9:30am Oak Bay tour this morning. The conditions were perfect - the…read morewater was glassy and peaceful, making for a calm and scenic paddle. Federico took us to several beautiful spots around the bay, including one where we spotted seals lounging and even a bald eagle perched nearby. Later, we were lucky enough to see a sea lion surface right beside us - such a cool moment! We happened to be the only two on the tour, which made the experience feel even more special. Federico was a fantastic guide - knowledgeable, attentive, and easygoing, with a great sense of humor. He kept a comfortable pace throughout and made sure we felt warm, safe, and supported the entire time. Peaceful water (well, we were lucky for that!), incredible wildlife, and a guide who really cares - what more could you ask for? The boats we were in were high quality and the shop is top tier. The people who work at this organization are extremely skilled kayakers who are dedicated to helping the kayak community. The shop has kayak skills courses as well and is dedicated to promoting excellent kayaking. If you're considering a kayak tour in the area or upping your kayak skills, I can't recommend Ocean River Sports enough.

My husband and I were in Victoria for a few days celebrating our anniversary. We stayed at the…read moreDelta Hotel and saw lots of kayaks out and about in the harbor in front of our hotel. We ended up doing a two hour rental with a tandem kayak from Ocean River Adventures. Getting there was a short ten minute walk from our hotel. The entire rental process was very quick and easy and their rental equipment is very good. It was a good value for the equipment and time we got to use the kayak. The kayak tracked beautifully in the water and we had a wonderful time cruising around the harbor for a couple hours. We even had a seal that popped its head out of the water about 20 feet in front of us! Lee (I believe he is the owner) and Wesley were a delight to deal with. I would highly recommend this company.