A wonderful day on the water with Captain Amio!…read more Since we were on Lopez Island, and the ferry to get back to Friday Harbor was so complicated, Amio picked us up where we were staying, and took us on a fabulous ride. The weather was perfect. We saw porpoise, heron, eagles and seals-as well as a host of beautiful boats The whales didn't make an appearance but we got to see a number of the different harbors through & around the different islands. . Captain Amio's knowledge of the area enhanced our journey. Great day on the water. Noah's communication made it easy to figure out everything. The boat was clean, had a bathroom and OUR 3 hour tour ended successfully. (It was supposed to be a 4 hour tour, but we sacrificed a half hour on each end since he picked us up on Lopez, we thought it was worth it).

Noah and Friday Harbor Boat Rentals (FHBR) were fantastic. I rented the Nordic Sun for an…read moreafternoon island cruise on 7/17/2024 to show my mom and wife more of the San Juan Islands. He is very professional as he sent me a text in the AM asking if we needed anything special to help us prepare etc...so first the Boat...Nordic Sun is a wonderfully restored tug that easily accommodates 6 so having 3 on the boat with Noah was very spacious...the boat is very clean and has a full head!!! Our tour was awesome and Noah added color and history as we cruised while giving us our space to enjoy the beauty and have a glass of wine!!! CAN'T RECOMMEND NOAH ENOUGH....oh and I thought the price for a 4 hour private cruise was very fair!!! we will us Noah and FHBR again!!! Tim B.

Nat took my family out last month for an amazing half day on the water. It was truly the highlight…read moreof our month on Orcas! He has gorgeous boats but most importantly, is a very skilled sailor and guide and just such a kind human. We plan to do another sailing with Nat when we're next back on Orcas and I cannot recommend the experience highly enough!

We had an amazing lesson and a wonderful time with Orcas Island Sailing. Nat was so kind and…read morepatient in his learning style and also loads of fun. Highly recommend. We made our way over towards Blakely from the dock at Leiberhaven. Great teacher, great tkme

What a fun bioluminescence kayak experience! Caleb as our main lead was awesome. Super experience!read more

Did a bioluminescence tour with Brooke & Nellie out of Semiahoo (their north location). It was…read moreabsolutely fabulous! Nothing more magical than seeing the glow as you dip your hands and paddles in the water. Views of White Rock, BC at night across the bay & spyhopping seals added to the beauty of paddling at night. Many thanks also to Tori for her timely communication & recommendations for dining along the way! Recommend booking in advance as it they tend to fill up quickly.

We really enjoyed our kayaking trip. We thought our guide Brandon was rather unprofessional…read morecomplaining about trips and not being helpful assisting others who had reservation errors. He also would not allow the single experienced kayaker in our group to take a solo kayak for the trip even after that had been arranged with Amy on the phone that morning. We had a groupon deal and they insisted on charging us tax on top of our prepaid groupon. This was not mentioned anywhere in the fine print on our groupon.

The sailing experience aboard the Spike Africa was everything I hoped for. The entire family…read moreenjoyed the sail. The captain, first mate, and deckhand were all knowledgeable and friendly. The captain even let kiddo steer the ship for a while. Booking can be difficult if you're not standing in the office. Online booking isn't an option. When you click the link it merely has the customer fill out an information card and they're supposed to call you. If you cal the number listed you'll always be routed to an answering service. Basically customers just have to leave a message and hope someone calls you back. Even through all that, the experience was totally worth it.

Spike Africa turned one of our unplanned evenings into a delight. We were accidental guests on it…read morewhen we discovered that they had slots open for a few more when it was just about to sail. Everything about the sail was memorable. Right from the humorous introduction to sailing and water protocols to the camaraderie and warmth of the crew. First hand Chris is a very interesting person and knows how to make visitors feel involved in the sailing by drawing volunteers for stowing ropes and hoisting the mast. He is helped very ably by his crew Rosy! Captain Gunner keeps a leisurely pace allowing even the most hesitant of sea-farers to relax and take in the sights. Sunset over Pugetsound onboard Spike Africa will be one of my most-cherished moments from the San Juan Islands trip. The schooner allows for your own beverages on board and the open sea makes for an excellent place to have a sip of wine. The sail is pleasant with the added element of other like-minded strangers joining you on a ride, added to that, the very reasonable price makes for an offer hard to refuse! An evening well spent..

This is one of my favorite stops in the San Juans!…read more Moorage: Anchor only; dinghy dock for landing. This moorage is well protected, and you're almost guaranteed one of the calmest nights at anchor you've ever had in this bay. The biggest drawback is its popularity, so use a relatively short scope because you'll find this little bay gets crowded. We call this a 2-to-1 anchorage. But since it's so calm, extra scope isn't generally needed. Although another reviewer said the bay is shallow, we haven't had any problems in our sailboats finding enough depth. Head into the shore and explore British Camp, where several pre-US structures still stand, and they've been updated to include historical information about the camp and the military history of the camp in the Pig War. Hike up the hill for an amazing lookout. Take the dinghy for a 5-minute spin (maybe 10 if rowing) to the adjoining Westcott Bay to buy some fresh clams from the local farm. Although the stores of Roche Harbor are just a 10-minute walk from the shore in Westcott, we couldn't find any public place to land within walking distance. It would be great if there were a place to land and walk into town for provisions... Or maybe a massage at the spa!

Great Staff and clean bathrooms. The sunset Was amazing. The foxes were loud for a few minutes in…read morethe middle of the night so earplugs are recommended.

Campgrounds are full, kayaks are on the lake. A nice stop, it is shady and buggy here. No cold…read moredrinks or snacks. No beach for swimming

Being a few weeks removed from my day here helps me appreciate this lil' park for what it is. You…read moresee, I did not have the most five-star experience here, but that's unique to my visit. I'll spare the details as they're not relevant to the park, but it involved my very active dog and a very expensive camera lens. So what can I say about Obstruction Pass that is relevant? Well, it's a tiny little park. But almost everyone I spoke to about my time on Orcas said they actually like it more than its big neighbor Moran, to the north. Situated on the southern tip of the eastern point of Orcas Island, it only occupies 80 acres. But among that 80 acres is a bit of precious beachfront; some of the only public beach space on the island of private developments and no trespassing signs. These are San Juan island beaches, so you'll find millions of rounded pebbles, not sand, lest you imagine frolicking barefoot down the beach. To reach the beach, you have to hike. There's a shorter trail than sort of hugs the seashore, and a longer one that goes over land and abuts private property. I took the wooded longer one to the north on the way in, then the beach-hugger on the way out. It's a short hike, not too strenuous, but it's certainly not ADA approved and it will take you a little time to reach the waters. The park features the trail, beach, a small campground, and restrooms. You access the beach down a couple of staircases, and the thick woods above provide lots of shade. I was here in the dead of winter, but even then I shared the beach with a very loud family, and a couple of other parties. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Be careful on those rocks. If you're, say, carrying a full camera and tripod rig and slip, you'll bounce all the way down the rocks into the water. Probably. And then, after your dog damaged your lens before, and you ended up falling into the water, you'll just pack up and get back to your car and call it a day.

Situated at one tip of Orcas Island, Obstruction Pass State Park is home to campers and…read moreshort-duration hikers. This is a great (less than) a mile hike to the beach and back with a pretty PNW view. Its not as big and majestic as Moren State Park, but its a great feeler for Orcas Island, and because of the size, you will notice more people around, when there are people around. We did this as a group of 6, quick in and out on our first day here. We saw a boat parked out on the water and a little house situated by the water. We didn't see many hikers here when we went on a late Saturday afternoon, but we saw a number of campers. *Porta potty's were available