The east side of Whidbey Island offers some fun kayaking along a beautiful coastline in the protected water of Saratoga Passage.

A good personal watercraft access point is from the public access end of Borgman Road. However, beware that low tide there exposes a very wide and very mucky mud flat. At medium to higher tides, a kayak can be easily carried to the water’s edge. At low tide, you will encounter a leg-sucking muckfest up to your knees. While walking our kayak back to the road across this unexpected mud flat, we actually leaned on the kayak and slide it along the mud to give our bodies some buoyancy. We used our garden hoses at home, indeed!

Heading north from there, the shoreline is pretty and mostly forested. Occasional homes appear at the shoreline or up on bluffs. A nice stopping point is at Dugualla State Park. You will need a GPS map to find it, since there are no signs or obvious places that mark its location. Since trails from above do not appear to come down to its beach, you will likely have nice solitude for a relaxing picnic.

Enjoying the slimy mud tide flats at Dugualla State Park beach

Enjoying a walk through the slimy mud tide flats at Dugualla State Park beach

On beach by kayak at Dugualla State Park on Whidbey Island

On beach at Dugualla State Park on Whidbey Island

Mud covered legs after hauling kayak across sinking mud tide flats at Borgman Road end water access

Mud covered legs after hauling kayak across sinking mud tide flats at Borgman Road end water access