Hood Canal
Hood Canal, Washington
10–12 September 2024
Wind and waves, bridges and bombs, and a few precious stretches where it is just me, the trees, and a sky full of clouds.
Cape Kiwanda, Cape Lookout, and Cape Falcon
North Coast, Oregon
31 July–2 August 2024
Just half a mile from the highway is a wilderness whose existence most people will never suspect.
Lopez Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
1–3 July 2024
Circumnavigating the island in the summertime proves easier than trying it in the wintertime.
Tenasillahe Island
Lower Columbia River, Oregon
26–28 January 2024
Columbian white-tailed deer are a threatened subspecies found among the islands and sloughs of the lower Columbia River.
Cypress Head
San Juan Islands, Washington
2–4 September 2023
Hundreds of porpoises welcome me, Grandpa John, and the kids to this, the kayaking backyard of Washington.
Hein & Salmon Banks
Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington
8–10 July 2023
A search for whales leads to an unexpected overnight at the Dungeness Spit lighthouse.
Skagit River
Rockport to Sedro-Woolley, Washington
22–25 June 2023
Our family has so much fun kayaking the Skagit River we decide to make it an annual tradition.
Anderson Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
3–5 September 2022
The kids romp around the island all weekend, finding their own adventures.
Whidbey Island
North Puget Sound, Washington
1–4 July 2022
Circumnavigating what might be, if you look at it from just the right angle, America’s longest island.
Gabriola Island
Gulf Islands, British Columbia
19–21 February 2022
Gabriola Island boasts spectacular rock carvings, both manmade and natural.
Strawberry Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
4–6 September 2021
After years of anticipation, I finally get to take Maya to my favorite place on Earth.
La Push to Destruction Island
Olympic Coast, Washington
29–31 May 2021
Visiting a coast this wild is like coming home.
Lake Chelan
North Cascades, Washington
13–15 February 2021
A vast, frozen wilderness, all to myself.
Thormanby & Jedediah Islands
Strait of Georgia, British Columbia
6–8 March 2020
For scenery, wildlife, isolation, and comfort, the campsite at Home Bay can’t be beat.
Portland & Rum Islands
Gulf Islands, British Columbia
15–17 February 2020
Two of the prettiest islands in the national park are mine alone during the off-season.
Freeman Island & McConnell Rocks
San Juan Islands, Washington
27–30 December 2019
I squeeze in a little camping on BLM islands before the proposed Resource Management Plan places them off-limits.
Saddlebag Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
31 August – 2 September 2019
Rachel, Maya, and I spend Labor Day weekend camping, beachcombing, and picking pears.
La Push to Cedar Creek
Olympic Coast, Washington
2–4 August 2019
Puffins, sea otters, sea stacks, and long, sandy beaches—a west coast paradise.
Cape Flattery
Olympic Coast, Washington
7–9 June 2019
Sea caves, secret grottoes, and towering stone arches greet me at the northwesternmost point in the contiguous United States.
La Push to Goodman Creek
Olympic Coast, Washington
25–27 May 2019
Cassin’s auklets elude me, but the beautiful, rugged coast is its own reward.
Strawberry Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
3–5 May 2019
In the middle of the night, the water is full of luminscent plankton, and the sky is full of meteors.
Harstine Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
16–18 February 2019
Perfect solitude—unless you count herds of sea lions and a pair of extraordinarily rare dolphins.
Posey, Stuart, and Jones Islands
San Juan Islands, Washington
29 December - 1 January 2019
With careful planning to avoid dangerous winds, it’s possible to enjoy great camping even in the dead of winter.
Cabbage Island
Gulf Islands, British Columbia
1–3 September 2018
My brother and I spend two nights on this lovely outpost across the border from the San Juans.
Quadrangle of Fire
Admiralty Inlet, Washington
24–26 August 2018
The old forts guarding the entrance to Puget Sound are relics of a war that never happened.
Skagit Island
North Puget Sound, Washington
16–19 February 2018
A cold-weather Robinson Crusoe.
Patos and Sucia Islands
San Juan Islands, Washington
21–23 September 2017
The weather can often be rough in the northern San Juans, but this time, it’s perfect.
Hammersley Inlet
South Puget Sound, Washington
5–7 May 2017
My plan to introduce dad to a pod of orcas goes even better than hoped.
Posey Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
19–21 March 2017
Spring is upon us, and what better way to welcome it than to spend a couple days on this tiny but beautiful island?
Point Doughty & Sucia Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
17–20 February 2017
After a decade, I finally complete a visit to each one of the public campgrounds in the San Juans.
Lopez Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
19–22 December 2016
Strong winds first cause delays and then an emergency abortion of an attempted circumnavigation.
Saddlebag Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
7–9 October 2016
Turning lemons into lemonade by changing an itinerary to include two nights on this delightful little island.
Lummi Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
1–3 July 2016
With clever site selection, it’s possible to avoid crowds in the San Juans even during Independence Day weekend.
Hope Island
South Puget Sound, Washington
27–28 February; and
29 April – 1 May 2016
Camping on Hope Island is so much fun I come back a second time with Rachel.
Strawberry Island
San Juan Islands, Washington
21–23 September 2015
Rachel and I discover wild onions on the best island on Earth.
Burrows & Strawberry Islands
San Juan Islands, Washington
21–23 August 2015
It’s too dark to find the campsite, and I don’t have my camping gear, but there’s always a good place to sleep in the San Juans.
Nisqually to Seattle
Puget Sound, Washington
21–24 June 2015
Long, sunny days under the watchful eye of Mount Rainier.
Matia & Sucia Islands
San Juan Islands, Washington
19–21 January 2013
A winter solo, short on paddling but long on hiking, to two of the loveliest islands in the northern San Juans.
Baker Lake
North Cascades, Washington
12–15 December 2012
When bad weather strikes in the San Juans, Baker Lake makes for an unexpectedly beautiful alternative destination.