Stroke after stroke, we paddled further and further away from safety. Should we be here with our two precious kids, I thought as we headed out toward open water. As we rounded the corner it became clear and I let out a sigh of relief—yes, we can do this. 

Over Labor Day weekend, my wife and I and our two young children canoed to Washington State Parks’ smallest marine park, Posey Island. I can’t believe we didn’t know this place existed until the week leading up to our trip! The island is just one acre; you can walk the perimeter in about five minutes. There are two reservable campsites with picnic tables and a day-use area, which several guided kayaking groups used during our stay.  

We were “trapped” on the island for two nights, but far from feeling stuck, we felt relaxed and in tune with our surroundings. We became friends with a seal we named Beeley, watched bald eagles flit about, and even witnessed an orca whale swimming just a hundred yards from our island sanctuary. 

Posey Island is part of the San Juan Islands, about a 30-minute paddle from Roche Harbor and a quick two-minute crossing from Pearl Island. Pearl Island is home to several residences, so our campsite didn’t feel far from civilization, making it a perfect safety net for first-time paddle campers. We used a canoe because that’s what we own, but most people use sea kayaks to get around the islands. The island only allows human-powered boats, so no motorboats clog up the space. 

Our one-acre home for the three-day weekend.

Photo courtesy of Washington State Parks Foundation

At first glance, there isn’t much to do on the island. But once we adjusted to the rhythms of the tides, and our senses slowed down, the magic of the island revealed itself. At low tide, we explored small tide pools full of hidden fish and scuttling hermit crabs. The kids entertained themselves by climbing trees, “fishing,” and tossing rocks into the water. We picked sea beans from the shore, which we later sautéed with butter—a salty side dish to remember our time by the sea. 

The San Juan Islands feel worlds away from Seattle, and Posey Island feels like another planet. Kristy and I took turns on short paddling excursions around the island, and I unsuccessfully attempted to catch fish with a fly-reel. We watched fishing trawlers, sightseeing boats, and luxury cruisers float by, and listened to the roar of seaplanes splashing down nearby. The only low point (besides the occasional tantrum from one of the kids) was hearing loud DJ music from Roche Harbor weddings that carried over the water at night.

Paddling to Posey Island opened our eyes to future camping ideas with the kids. Ross Lake in the North Cascades, Lake Wenatchee, Lake Chelan—check. The beauty of canoe or kayak camping is that you can easily bring a lot of gear and creature comforts without feeling weighed down. And there are many relatively short paddles to campsites that would be inaccessible on foot.

Our younger son, Luca, left Roche Harbor hesitantly on our first day, a little leery of being on the boat and nervous about a short open-water crossing. By day three, on our way back, he was in his element, “paddling” the canoe, laughing, and not ready to leave. After three days of rest and full immersion in nature, I wasn’t either.