Burrows Island Loop
Trip Stats
Miles: ~7 miles roundtrip
Time: ~ 2.5 hours, including stops
The Route
Dylan and I headed up to Anacortes last week to paddle around Burrows Island, taking advantage of yet another nice October day. With winds forecasted to pick up later in the afternoon we planned to be off the water around 1-2pm. We launched our kayaks from Washington Park around 10:15am and paddled around Fidalgo Head with a bit of help from the ebb current pushing us south. Conditions were flat calm as we pulled up to the beach near Burrows Island lighthouse on the western tip of the island.
Rather than climbing up the ladder from the water, we opted to scramble up the steep, rocky trail from the beach up to the lighthouse to take in views of Rosario Strait and the San Juans.
Burrows Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1906 and fully automated in 1973. It is maintained by the Northwest Schooner Society.
After checking out the lighthouse we got back into our kayaks and continued our paddle along the cliffy south end of the island. Here, we expected some current help from the waning ebb through Allan Pass, but we didn't feel much of a push. Landing beaches are few and far between on Burrows, particularly on the south end. It can feel a little like you’re paddling somewhere remote and wild, at least until you round the corner facing Anacortes.
We made one last stop on the east side of the island to scope out the WWTA campsites on Alice Bight. The spots are nice, even if the view from camp looks straight across the bay into town. Luckily, they’re tucked in the trees for a bit of privacy, and they have fire pits - crucial for year-round kayak camping when the sun goes down early.
Since we weren’t camping on this trip we continued north and hit Burrows Pass right around slack. Strong currents can rip through both Burrows and Allan passes, making it important to time your passage wisely. We crossed back over to Washington Park and were back at the boat ramp around 12:45pm.
Wildlife Watch
Saw a couple Harbor Porpoises off of Washington Park
Lots of Harlequin Ducks
Spotted several Cormorants and a Heron along the south end of Burrows
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