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Sea Kayak - Henderson Inlet

We launched in the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area, at the canoe launch next to the parking lot. We then paddled out through Woodard Bay, into Chapman Bay, then north in Henderson Inlet, up to Cliff Point, where we turned around and returned to the launch site.

Tom Culhane Tom Culhane
August 10, 2023
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • We launched in the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area, at the canoe launch next to the parking lot. We then paddled out through Woodard Bay, into Chapman Bay, then north in Henderson Inlet, up to Cliff Point, where we turned around and returned to the launch site.

This was the Olympia kayak group’s Wednesday evening paddle. We launched in the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area, from the canoe launch next to the parking lot. Fortunately, we all were able to get parking spaces near the launch site, and there was no need to shuttle cars from the Chehalis-Western Trailhead parking lot.

Low tide was 7.6 ft at 7:20 PM, and the tide height was approximately 8.2 feet when we launched at 6 PM. The wind in Henderson Inlet was predicted to be about 9 mph, with up to 20 mph gusts, but since we were on the leeward side of the peninsula, we did not experience much wind.

Initially we paddled through Woodard Bay, past the extensive cormorant rookery, and then into Chapman Bay. After coming back out, we paddled north in Henderson Inlet on the west side of the pier, up to Cliff Point, where we turned around, then paddled directly back to Woodard Bay on the east side of the pier. We made sure we maintained a healthy distance from the pier, which is home to a significant bat colony, and we tried to maintain our distance from the many seals we encountered as we paddle through Henderson inlet. We returned to the canoe launch about 6:10. Everyone paddled well and seemed to have a good time.