Alex Sidles Kayaking Trips
Alex Sidles Kayaking Trips
Alex Sidles Kayaking Trips
Two- to Three-night Trips
 

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.

02 Hiking south side of Skagit Island.JPG

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.