Weekend cruises off season offers several remote spots near Shelter Bay to spend a quiet time on the boat away from the marina.
The east side of Cypress Island is a two hour sail from our marina and has three very nice coves with Washington State DNR (Department of Natural Resources) mooring balls that have no fee and considered first come first serve.
Southern most is Cypress Head which has three moorings with adequate water, weather protection, camping facilities ashore with hiking trails. I've never gone ashore, but kayakers frequent this small cove.
In the middle is Eagle Harbor with twelve mooring balls. This used to be a log dump many years ago when the island was harvested of its timber. Use care with some of these moorings as they are marked to indicate very thin water at zero tide. There are camping and dry toilet facilities at the bottom of the harbor. Well marked trails lead south and north from the old log dump on the south side of the Harbor. I have been ashore here many times and the heavily forested island offers much to see and explore.
Further north is Pelican Beach named after the Pelican boat manufacturer from a nearby island. The owners regularly visit this beach as do kayakers. There are six mooring balls that are very close to shore. The Beach has camping and dry toilet facilities. Well groomed trails using the remnants of the old logging roads will take you to Eagle Cliff, which has a panorama view of the islands, or Duck Lake that is covered with pond lilies.
Cypress Island is one of our most favorite of the San Juan Islands. This time of the year it is very quiet with little boating traffic. Pelican Beach can get a bit lumpy from passing traffic. Eagle Harbor seems to be the most protected.
The east side of Cypress Island is a two hour sail from our marina and has three very nice coves with Washington State DNR (Department of Natural Resources) mooring balls that have no fee and considered first come first serve.
Southern most is Cypress Head which has three moorings with adequate water, weather protection, camping facilities ashore with hiking trails. I've never gone ashore, but kayakers frequent this small cove.
In the middle is Eagle Harbor with twelve mooring balls. This used to be a log dump many years ago when the island was harvested of its timber. Use care with some of these moorings as they are marked to indicate very thin water at zero tide. There are camping and dry toilet facilities at the bottom of the harbor. Well marked trails lead south and north from the old log dump on the south side of the Harbor. I have been ashore here many times and the heavily forested island offers much to see and explore.
Further north is Pelican Beach named after the Pelican boat manufacturer from a nearby island. The owners regularly visit this beach as do kayakers. There are six mooring balls that are very close to shore. The Beach has camping and dry toilet facilities. Well groomed trails using the remnants of the old logging roads will take you to Eagle Cliff, which has a panorama view of the islands, or Duck Lake that is covered with pond lilies.
Cypress Island is one of our most favorite of the San Juan Islands. This time of the year it is very quiet with little boating traffic. Pelican Beach can get a bit lumpy from passing traffic. Eagle Harbor seems to be the most protected.
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