San Juan Islands Circumnavigation: the route, the season and the permits

There is no single official circumnavigation route — paddlers stitch their own loop between public launches and boat-in marine camps, and the currents decide the order. The points below are the anchors most loops use. Plan legs around tidal exchange in Cattle Pass, Spieden Channel and Obstruction Pass rather than around mileage.

Self-planned loop; published club itineraries run roughly 80 nautical miles over four days.

Open the San Juan Islands Circumnavigation route map · compare it with the other nine trips

• Friday Harbor to Jones Island and Stuart Island — the classic marine-trail loop
• Anacortes to Cypress Island — short crossings, non-motorized island trails
• Odlin County Park on Lopez to the outer islands

Best window: June – September.

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.

WA State Parks — marine state parks ↗

Full permit page for this trip

• Tidal currents that can exceed 5 knots in the passes — plan crossings at slack
• Commercial shipping lanes in Haro and Rosario Straits
• 45–55°F water year-round — hypothermia in minutes without a dry suit
• Fog banks that drop visibility to zero in minutes
• Steep chop and whitecaps on exposed crossings
• Many marine-trail islands have no fresh water and no cell service

Most marine-trail islands are dry — there is no potable water on sites like Blind, James or Posey. Carry at least a gallon per person per day and know the tide and current predictions for every crossing.

Monitor VHF Channel 16, carry a PLB or satellite messenger, and file a float plan with a shore contact. The Coast Guard covers these waters but you must be able to call and be found.

• Jones & Stuart loop · 3 days — Friday Harbor to Jones Island, on to Stuart Island and Turn Point Light, and back.
• Cypress Island crossing · 2 days — Anacortes across Guemes Channel to Pelican Beach on Cypress Island.
• Jones Island overnighter · 2 days — Friday Harbor to Jones Island Marine State Park and back — the shortest trip that still sleeps on an island.

Build your own dates in the San Juan Islands Circumnavigation trip planner

Southern Resident killer whales, harbor seals, Steller sea lions and bald eagles. Federal 'Be Whale Wise' rules require staying hundreds of yards from orcas — know the distances before you launch.

Use designated Cascadia Marine Trail sites, pack out all trash, use the composting toilets where provided, and give seal haul-outs a wide berth.