San Juan Islands Family Multisport
Midway between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island sit the San Juans, an idyllic cluster of hilly islands that offer a wealth of outdoor pursuits. There is a magical combination of natural beauty, welcome solitude and an easygoing pace of life - one you'll adopt before you know it. Our multisport adventure is a perfect way for your family to experience what Northwest island life is about. Explore scenic Friday and Roche Harbors on historic San Juan Island, journey to rugged Orcas Island and pedal on peaceful Lopez Island. Each isle has a unique appeal, and each activity you choose - be it biking, walking, paddling or simply sitting back and savoring the view - provides a different perspective of the area's natural attractions. And at night, enjoy the comforts of two waterfront resorts.
Days 1-3 San Juan Island
Meet in Anacortes 
Catch the ferry bound for San Juan Island and Friday Harbor, whose quaint streets, lined with shops and galleries, invite a stroll Savor a bountiful picnic at historic British Camp, then walk to the summit of Young Hill for a sweeping view of the San Juan Islands Bike along the stunning west side of the island to a bluff with vistas of Haro Strait and enjoy a thrilling descent to Cattle Point Lighthouse Kids have fun exploring the tide pools at False Bay Embark on a sea-kayaking excursion through peaceful inlets and vast kelp beds.
Days 4-6 Orcas Island
A wildlife-watching cruise to Orcas Island gives you the chance to view orcas, eagles, osprey, herons and harbor seals in their natural habitat Hike along the cedar-lined shores of Cascade Lake Kids enjoy a night out at the Fun House, an interactive center designed especially for children Ferry to Lopez Island to take advantage of its gentle terrain and beautiful rural scenery Back on Orcas, ascend Mount Constitution for inspiring vistas of surrounding islands and the Cascades.
NORTHWEST FUN: Casual Inns
Roche Harbor Resort (3 nights): Located in the charming waterfront hamlet of Roche Harbor, this popular island destination offers spacious condos with private decks, a swimming pool and tennis courts.
Outlook Inn (2 nights): Set on picturesque Eastsound, this historic country inn provides cozy guest rooms perfect for relaxing.
Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain
Day 1
- Level 1 1 Route Option Available
- Hiking 2 miles
- 625 feet elevation gain
Day 2
- Levels 1 to 3 3 Route Options Available
- Biking 7, 13, 34 miles
- 100 - 2000 feet elevation gain
Day 3
- Levels 1 to 2 3 Route Options Available
- Biking 6, 11, 22 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
- Sea Kayaking 3 hours
Day 4
- Level 1 1 Route Option Available
- Hiking 2.5 miles
- 50 feet elevation gain
- Wildlife-Watching Cruise 3 hours
Day 5
- Levels 1 to 3 4 Route Options Available
- Biking 14, 20, 26, 31 miles
- 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 6
- Levels 1 to 3 2 Route Options Available
- Hiking 1.5, 4.5 miles
- 300 - 2100 feet elevation gain
On this Family Trip, our routes follow rolling terrain. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Activity Level | Average Time | Biking Average | Walking Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 2-3 hours | 10-20 mile | 2-5 miles |
| Level 2 | 2-4 hours | 21-30 miles | 5-7 miles |
| Level 3 | 3-5 hours | 31-40 miles | 7-9 miles |
| Level 4 | 4-6 hours | 41-55 miles | 9-11 miles |
| Level 5 | 5-7+ hours | 56-75+ miles | 11-13+ miles |
2010 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
- 7/5-10Price: $2498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $600 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/19-24Price: $2498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $600 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/2-7Price: $2598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $600 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/16-21Price: $2598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $600 for sgl. occ.)
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years
Minimum age restrictions to ride own bike: 9 years
Minimum age restrictions to kayak: 6 years
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:
- 12+ cultural appreciation, difficulty/restrictions of activities and route
- 9+ several long adult dinners; difficulty/restrictions of activities and route
- 6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.
Guest Trip Reviews
This was our best family vacation! Our leaders were just wonderful - helpful, friendly and working constantly to make a perfect trip for us. The kids adored them. We are already thinking of where we should go next year with Backroads. Thank you!- San Francisco, CA
The overall trip exceeded my highest expectations. The activities were well planned for all levels. The leaders were enthusiastic, encouraging when needed and a lot of fun.- Chestnut Hill, MA