By now you may have figured that Islands and destinations are being grouped according to general area. The Sucia group is big and has more destinations than you can properly visit in one or even two cruises. Some people will make this area their destination for a week long cruise and not go to any others. Others like me will stop by one or two spots, spend a night or two and move on. Kayaks are useful all over the San Juans, but at Sucia you will be in kayak paradise.
Tip Try to get to Sucia early, then you will have time to look around before settling down for the night, or just plan to move the boat the next day, once you have done some exploring.
- Sucia Island State Park
- Echo Bay
- Fossil Bay
- Shallow Bay
- Fox Cove
- Snoring Cove
- Ewing Cove
- Patos Island
- Matia Island
- West Beach Marina Resort
Echo Bay
Lets get right to it. Echo bay is huge but there is no dock or float, nada, none. They have lots of anchor buoys and something they call a linear float which is a heavy line strung between buoys that you tie to. The linear thing is ok, but a little weird and I guess it squeezes in a few more boats without them swinging. On shore, just a modest dinghy paddle away are trails leading to all the other bays. Also hidden in the woods is one of the famous composting facilities. Right on the beach at Echo Bay is a large group size fire ring for beach fires. (only one, so you may have some competition) The beach is great for dinghy landing at all tides. Echo Bay is where half the boaters will be. The rest will be at Fossil, and those that don't read this guide will be at Shallow.
Fossil Bay
This is where the floats are, two of them and both pretty big. Even though they can hold a lot of boats, don't count on there being room when you arrive, this place gets busy. Out a hundred feet or more are anchor buoys and lots of room for free anchoring. Just anchor and move over when someone leaves. Fossil Bay is also where the onshore campground is located. To make a reservation contact the Sucia Island State Park ranger directly by phone, not the online systems. The beach at Fossil Bay is not the beast dinghy beach due to mud flats at lower tides.
Fox Cove
Not really a cove, more like a channel created by a little island, so you will have current and mud beaches and not much room. However it is right off the beach from the campground so you may have a reason to anchor there.
Shallow Bay
This bay is known to be a rolly polly place to anchor, but there is quite a bit of room. The dinghy beach Is close to worthless at anything but high tide. On shore are some campsites (make arrangements by phone with ranger first) The famous China Caves are located in the cliff in the middle of the shoreline and are really worth exploring especially if you have athletic children, but you can always hike here from Echo or Fossil Bays.
Tip Anchor at Echo or use floats at Fossil Bay and walk 20-30 minutes over to China Caves. You don't need to motor into Shallow Bay and then slog through muck on a falling tide.
Snoring Cove and Ewing Bay
I'm combining these two and not saying anything because they are both just quiet places to anchor away from all the hustle of Echo and Fossil. The on shore trails are a little bit of a walk to, say China Caves but easy and mostly level.
West Beach
West beach Resort is on Orcas Island. They have a fuel dock and deli grocery at the top of the gang plank on shore. They also rent cabins and slips to overnight boaters or automoble travelers. West Beach is where you will make a beer and ice run if your at Sucia. West Beach is also where you will stop if your circling Orcas Island on your way from Bellingham to Roche or Jones or Stuart. And of course when traveling the other direction, once again West Beach is the only choice. Most of the time you should carry enough fuel and ice so you can go right on by but you need to know where it is.
Tip I suggest you make a point of visiting West Beach for waffle ice cream cones, then you will be familiar with it when it counts.
Patos Island You have to go to Patos, if for no other reason than its the most northern spot before you get into Canadian waters. There's no float but the bay (not really a bay) for anchoring is snug and mostly protected. You will have a short dinghy trip to an easy to use gravel beach. On shore is just a small handful of the usual tables, campsites, fire pits and bathroom. Patos is north of Sucia and many boaters quit at Echo Bay so there will be a lot less traffic, however its not all that big so your visit could go from loneliness to crowds on the same day. Out on the point about a ten minute walk is a picturesque lighthouse that is well worth the hike. You will be dealing with Georgia Strait currents out at Patos. (not in the bay) but around the area, so doing a little currents and tides homework may save you some time and fuel. Tip Read again the last sentence!
Fossil Bay
This is where the floats are, two of them and both pretty big. Even though they can hold a lot of boats, don't count on there being room when you arrive, this place gets busy. Out a hundred feet or more are anchor buoys and lots of room for free anchoring. Just anchor and move over when someone leaves. Fossil Bay is also where the onshore campground is located. To make a reservation contact the Sucia Island State Park ranger directly by phone, not the online systems. The beach at Fossil Bay is not the beast dinghy beach due to mud flats at lower tides.
Fox Cove
Not really a cove, more like a channel created by a little island, so you will have current and mud beaches and not much room. However it is right off the beach from the campground so you may have a reason to anchor there.
Shallow Bay
This bay is known to be a rolly polly place to anchor, but there is quite a bit of room. The dinghy beach Is close to worthless at anything but high tide. On shore are some campsites (make arrangements by phone with ranger first) The famous China Caves are located in the cliff in the middle of the shoreline and are really worth exploring especially if you have athletic children, but you can always hike here from Echo or Fossil Bays.
Tip Anchor at Echo or use floats at Fossil Bay and walk 20-30 minutes over to China Caves. You don't need to motor into Shallow Bay and then slog through muck on a falling tide.
Snoring Cove and Ewing Bay
I'm combining these two and not saying anything because they are both just quiet places to anchor away from all the hustle of Echo and Fossil. The on shore trails are a little bit of a walk to, say China Caves but easy and mostly level.
West Beach
West beach Resort is on Orcas Island. They have a fuel dock and deli grocery at the top of the gang plank on shore. They also rent cabins and slips to overnight boaters or automoble travelers. West Beach is where you will make a beer and ice run if your at Sucia. West Beach is also where you will stop if your circling Orcas Island on your way from Bellingham to Roche or Jones or Stuart. And of course when traveling the other direction, once again West Beach is the only choice. Most of the time you should carry enough fuel and ice so you can go right on by but you need to know where it is.
Tip I suggest you make a point of visiting West Beach for waffle ice cream cones, then you will be familiar with it when it counts.
Patos Island You have to go to Patos, if for no other reason than its the most northern spot before you get into Canadian waters. There's no float but the bay (not really a bay) for anchoring is snug and mostly protected. You will have a short dinghy trip to an easy to use gravel beach. On shore is just a small handful of the usual tables, campsites, fire pits and bathroom. Patos is north of Sucia and many boaters quit at Echo Bay so there will be a lot less traffic, however its not all that big so your visit could go from loneliness to crowds on the same day. Out on the point about a ten minute walk is a picturesque lighthouse that is well worth the hike. You will be dealing with Georgia Strait currents out at Patos. (not in the bay) but around the area, so doing a little currents and tides homework may save you some time and fuel. Tip Read again the last sentence!
Matia Island Matia is a close runner up for my favorite place. Matia and Jones are the two places we have hung out for extra days simply because we were enjoying ourselves so much. Rolfe Cove at Matia, once again not really a cove has a current at the float, but don't let that dissuade you, there are currents all over the place.
The float is small like at James holding only four medium size boats, on shore are two or three campsites and the standard com-posters. A few years ago they took out the fire pits and made all, of Matia campfire free. It was devastating news, but we got over it. Out in the non-cove are two anchor buoys, there is just a little bit of room close to the gravel beach to anchor, but all the way around on the other side of the island is a very protected cove with a view of Lummi where you will find peace and quiet. On shore at Matia is probably why we keep going back, there is an easy walking rain forest and shoreline trail unlike any other in the San Juans. Because Matia is so close to Sucia we will go there first and if there no room at the float or buoy, we run to Sucia, then come back later to try again.
This image was taken from the picnic area on Matia
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| wow! minus tide at Matia |
