Lummi Island Circumnavigation
(The Forgotten San Juans!)

Rating: SKIII

Distance:   19 NM

Date:  June 26-27, 2004

Leader:  Pete Schwab                          Participants:  3

Launch:    0930 Sat.                              Return:  1:00 pm Sun.

Weather: Clear skies probably in the low 80's in the afternoon and ~60F at night.  Light breezes.

Description:  This has to be one of your destinations!  Lying at the extreme eastern edge of the San Juans and just a mile from the mainland, it's convenient, a beautiful paddle, and sports one of the nicest camp sites around.
    Our paddle was pretty straightforward.  We circumnavigated Lummi in a counterclockwise direction.  Launching from the beach just behind the mini mart, we crossed to the low lying north end of Lummi, rounded the point into the Strait of Georgia, and headed south on a gentle ebb.  The low lying north end of Lummi is all private land.  There are homes all along the way.  Just a few miles south the island becomes a significant mountain.  The homes disappear and Lummi Rocks come into view.
    Lummi Rocks provide a fantastic lunch stop.  You can't miss the gently sloping beach sheltered between two of the "rocks".  You could probably camp here in a pinch. After lunch we continued south under a rather hot afternoon sun (boy, are we spoiled out here or what?).  Rounding the south end of Lummi we paddled the final mile to the DNR camp site.  The small cove leading to the camp sites is easily located.  There as sign announcing it up on the rocks.  The beach is rocky (small rocks at high tide) with lots of beach logs up by the berm.

Lummi Rocks.  An excellent choice for a lunch break.

    The camp site keeps you honest.  As always you're going to have to haul all of your gear up the bluff.  The stairs are in excellent shape and the campsites are great!  The tent sites have been leveled with gravel, there are fire pits, and picnic tables. 
    There were only two other folks camping that evening.  They were over from Bellingham in their sailboat doing a little gunkholing.  Later another sailboat anchored in the cove.  We shared our camp fire with them and had some seafaring conversation over a couple of bottles of wine.

    Sunday the weather continued clear and warm.  We paddled the Lummi shore for a couple of miles and then crossed over to Portage Island and followed it's shore back to the ferry landing.  Maximum flood was only 0.6 knots on that day but we still experienced a significant current assist in Hale Passage.  Getting back to the cars was effortless.

Tides/Currents: 
1.  The currents through Hale Passage are often opposed by strong winds which can funnel down the passage.  Currents can reach 2.5 knots+.

Charts:
1.  Sea Trails Marine Maps - WA005 Lummi Island/Bellingham and Samish Bays (Recommended!  Shows topography, current directions).
2.  NOAA Chart # 18421.  Strait of Juan de Fuca to Strait of Georgia.
3.  San Juan Current Guide, Pages 3, 4.

Location of the WWTA/DNR Campsite (SE Lummi about 1.5 NM from the southern tip)

(Aerial photo copyright by the State of Washington Department of Ecology). For
additional photographs of Lummi Island visit:
http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/shorephotos/scripts/mapsearch.asp?id=1005

The Campsite:  As you paddle into the cove you'll see the stair leading up the bluff to the sites.  Take the path to the left to find the vault toilets and some campsites.  If you take the trail to the right, you'll find yourself on top of the bluff.  There are a few really cool camp sites up there.  Picnic tables, fire pits, and views!  The camping is great.  And by the way....there's no fee!

Directions to Launch Site:   In Tacoma from the intersection of I-5 and Hwy 16 it's 140 miles (~2 hours 30 minutes) to the launch site near the Lummi Island ferry dock.  Drive north of I-5 for 129 miles to Exit 260 (Slater Road).  Drive west on Slater Road for 3.22 miles to Haxton Way.  Turn left (south) on Haxton Way and drive 7 miles to the Whatcom County Public Works Lummi Island Ferry. The launch site is at the Fisherman's Cove Mini Market, on your right,  about 100 yards before you get to the ferry dock.

Map of the Lummi Island Area:

Facilities:

Parking:  We parked across the street from the Fisherman's Cove Mini Market next to the fence and let the folks at the mini market know that we would be gone overnight.

Sample Magazine Submittal:  Lummi Island Overnight and Circumnavigation (SKIII). 18 NM. Join us for a totally cool trip on the edge of the Strait of Georgia. Saturday we’ll paddle 13 NM and spend the night at the DNR camp site on Lummi. Sunday we’ll add another 5 NM returning to our cars. It’s a good opportunity to practice loading your boat for those long summer adventures. Wet or dry suit required.

References: 

Lummi Island Ferry Website:  http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/ferry/index.jsp