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Kayaking Trips

Roche Harbor to Stuart Island Trip

Parking
Roche Harbor has affordable long term parking for around $5 a day. There is also a kayak launch fee. The main hotel office will get you set up.
This tour starts out at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island with a destination of Stuart Island State Park. Once at the State Park, a 2.7 mile hike to the Turn Point Lighthouse is a must see attraction. At the lighthouse, you see for miles and nearly all the land visible is Canada. There are other shorter hiking options as well. A short side excursion to visit by kayak is near Roche Harbor at Posey Island State Park. This is the second smallest state park in Washington and a nice place for lunch.

To get to Stuart Island, you must pass Spieden Island, a former game reserve with imported animals not native to the Northwest. These animals graze on the grass on the open slopes visible from the water. Looping around this island, you will see wildlife. Several other islands can be used to create an itinerary that offers new scenery going out and coming back from Stuart Island.

Beware that this tour crosses both the Spieden Channel and the New Channel. Winds and currents can be unpredictable. Do not get caught in current taking you into the Haro Strait and into Canada.
Paddle Distance: 10 to 25 miles round-trip if you paddle around Stuart and Spieden Islands, and visit Reid Harbor.
Stuart Island State Park Page
Prevost Harbor Gossip Island Roche Harbor Kelp provost harbor Reid Harbor Reid Harbor Canada Satellite Island Sentinel Island haro strait Spieden Island Stuart Island State Park stuart island map kayaking speiden island haro strait Spieden Island Spieden Island
Starting at Roche Harbor boat launch
Sail boat heading for Reid Harbor
Spieden Island
Paddling around Satellite Island
Gossip Island in the distance
Kelp
Coming into Reid Harbor
East (kayak) entrance to Prevost Harbor
Stuart Island State Park dock in Prevost Harbor
On the north side of Stuart Island heading to Prevost Harbor
Lots of boats anchored on this trip because Canada was closed
Passing by Sentinel Island