San Juan Islands Kayak planning
San Juan Islands Kayak permits & access
What you need before you go, straight from the managing agency — with the verification date on every claim.
No permit required
No permit is needed to paddle the Salish Sea itself, but overnight camping is almost entirely at Washington State Parks marine-trail sites (per-night fee, first-come) or BLM sites in the San Juan Islands National Monument with their own capacity rules. Cascadia Marine Trail sites are reserved for non-motorized, beachable craft.
Official permit source: WA State Parks — marine state parks ↗ · Verified 2026-09-15
Closures & advisories: Washington State Parks alerts ↗
Access points
- Anacortes (Washington Park boat launch)
- Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
- Roche Harbor, San Juan Island
- Odlin County Park, Lopez Island