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Sea Kayak - Skagit & Hope Islands

Launched a few minutes before the schedule launch time to avoid a muddier launch experience from Snee Oosh Beach, paddlee between Skagit and Flagstaff Island to the northeast side of Kiket Island and a 1/4 mi north up the coast. We paddled back between Skagit and Flagstaff and landed on the SW corner of Kiket. 3 out of 4 in the group hiked up the hill, found the restroom and the picnic shelter and did a 20 minute loop hike on the Beach Trail. All 4 paddlers headed to Hope Island and paddled along the south shore and then returned to Snee Oosh Beach before 3pm.

Alison Mackenzie Alison Mackenzie
September 03, 2024
  • Road rough but passable

  • We launched  from Snee Oosh Beach on the Swinomish Reservation, east of La Conner. There is ample beach and easy launch –with a minimum 2 ft tide. It can be a very muddy/ mucky – boot-sucking launch at lower tide. We got a little bit of a taste of this on this day. If we had launched at 8:30 am we would have been fine.  The best launch site is at the point near the north end/ entrance of the parking lot.

     There is a restroom on Skagit Island and at the beginning of the trail on Kiket Island. There is also a restroom at the campground on Hope Island on the north central part of the island-although this wasn’t on our scheduled route.

    Although there appears as if there would be no or minimal current affecting the area between Snee Oosh and Kiket, we went through a bit of confused water as we headed northeast of Hope toward Kiket.

     Kiket Island and Flagstaff Island are both part of the Kukutali Preserve, managed by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Please visit this website before visiting or landing on any of the beaches. There is no landing allowed on the north side of the Kiket or Flagstaff Islands. Also, in August and September. We did paddle along the north.

    There is no access on the south side of the tombolo/ isthmus between Kiket and Flagstaff.

    Once you get off the beach and head uphill- where is shows on the map on the Kukutali preserve web site, the Beach Trail on Kiket is clear and well-marked with signs. The Beach Trail not obvious as you land on the beach, although you can catch a glimpse of the picnic shelter on the hill as you come from the southwest. The restroom is near the beach shelter. There is no shellfish harvesting allowed on Flagstaff or Kiket Island. You can take the trail to the mainland –where there is a parking lot.

     We paddled to the west side of Hope  Island and at flood before slack, we saw a bit of a rip tide, and on this day quite a bit of boat traffic between Hope Island and Ala Spit to and from Deception Pass area and the east side of Whidbey Island.

    We landed back at Snee Oosh at about a 7 ft tide, which was still a bit of a carry up the beach, but not bad.

    We had estimated the mileage to be about 7 miles, but we ended up paddling about 1 extra mile. 

There are no permits or fees to park at Snee Oosh Beach. There is no sign at the turn off, but you'll know if you've gone too far, as you will see private beach signs. There is no restroom at the beach/ launch There are several large bushes. There are public restrooms in La Conner  @ 618 1st St, La Conner, WA 98257 and @ 302 Morris St, La Conner, WA 98257 as well as at stores, etc. in La Conner. There is a basic porta potty under the bridge in La Conner and on the west side of the bridge on the Swinomish Reservation.

We had estimated the mileage to be about 7 miles, but we ended up paddling about 1 extra mile.