Patos Island — Wednesday, Sep. 6, 2023

If you can get to Patos Island, this is a lovely spot to camp or spend the day walking the 1.5 miles around the island.  There are only about 8 camp spots, but there is room in a meadow for overflow. In late summer, wasps/yellow jackets are present in the millions (they wake up at sunrise and leave their holes in the ground, resulting in an amazing "start your engines" buzz everywhere) but they were not aggressive. They stay near the ground: don't go barefoot! Mosquitoes and no-see-ums are present at dusk and dark as well.  Otherwise this spot is idyllic. The lighthouse was open and is well worth a visit to learn about its history and check out the library there. There was a wheelbarrow to help cart your gear from the beach to your site. Composting toilets well maintained.  We saw otters, lots of seals, and the transient orca whales came by twice. It's true there is no water on the island and the currents rushing by the beach and camp area can be extremely strong.  The 1.5-mile hike is mostly flat (one hill on he far side) and mostly skirts the edge of the shore.  You pass numerous beaches with views toward Mount Baker and White Rock to the southeast, Vancouver and Gulf Islands to the north, and Orcas Island and the San Juans to the West.  Sucia Island's Fox Cove can been seen from the camp area, to the south.