Overnight kayak expedition recommendations

you can usually just walk into the ranger station at Bear valley in Pt reyes and get an overnight permit.  Neighbor is constantly doing it.
Angel island is another spot

Wow. Thanks for that info. Angel island sounds very interesting.

Alex

This adventure is more like 4 to 5 hours north of you and would be a summertime excursion:  Bear Harbor in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park.  About a 10 mile paddle to the south from Shelter Cove.  Ideally the trip would include ground support - that would require backpacking in about 2.5 miles from parking at Needle Rock where the visitor's center is.  I've Wheeleezed a yak in from Needle Rock for an overnighter that Ron and I did in late 2017 - last year of abalone harvest.  It was pretty brutal.  Paddling down there wouldn't be bad - 10 miles of salmon trolling.  It's the coming back that could get hectic - currents and wind could make it a tough 10 miles.  The alternative would be to roll out to Needle Rock, but I'd rather paddle a hard 10 than to roll the yak out over those hills again.

This is a trip that I'd love to set up for a group of us.  I've been there many times and know the camp, the reef and the launch well.  I consider the campsites right near the mouth of Orchard Creek to be world class - no doubt about it.  Too bad that abaloneing isn't available any more because the place is incredible.  Ron pulled an eleven incher on our trip - I've pulled many 10's in the area.

You can search NCKA for "Bear Harbor" and see some pretty amazing past adventures there.

Good luck - I dig your quest.   

Best me to it. I’ve been trying to do this one fir awhile but haven’t found any people that would commit.
I’m going to make it happen this summer, even if it ends up being a well prepared a solo adventure. I think 3 days would be ideal, 1 day to meander and fish down the coast , 1 day to explore that area and a little south or out to the reef, 1 day to fish back up the coast.

A group would be more fun, especially if there were, oh, I don’t know, someone ahem on here with a stealth skiff  powered by an outboard that could haul the cooler of beer, ice and water.

Yeah, Eric's idea is a good one.  No surprise there 

Angel Island or Kirby Cove

Yeah, Eric's idea is a good one.  No surprise there 

It does sound like a great adventure. 10 miles straight shot on a good day wouldn’t be bad. Put out the salmon gear and zigzag down makes it a little longer, but it would be more fun looking for salmon. I might start researching this a bit more hmmm......

Yeah, Eric's idea is a good one.  No surprise there 

It does sound like a great adventure. 10 miles straight shot on a good day wouldn’t be bad. Put out the salmon gear and zigzag down makes it a little longer, but it would be more fun looking for salmon. I might start researching this a bit more hmmm......

Perhaps planning on continuing south and landing at usal or rockport then shuttling back to the cove.

If you're interested in Lake camping/fishing.  Either Caples Lake (Hwy 88)  or Loon Lake (Hwy 50) would work.  For caples just need to make sure you stay on the National Forest side of the lake, and not the Wilderness (unless you have wilderness permit)  I think both are froze over right now though

This adventure is more like 4 to 5 hours north of you and would be a summertime excursion:  Bear Harbor in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park.  About a 10 mile paddle to the south from Shelter Cove.  Ideally the trip would include ground support - that would require backpacking in about 2.5 miles from parking at Needle Rock where the visitor's center is.  I've Wheeleezed a yak in from Needle Rock for an overnighter that Ron and I did in late 2017 - last year of abalone harvest.  It was pretty brutal.  Paddling down there wouldn't be bad - 10 miles of salmon trolling.  It's the coming back that could get hectic - currents and wind could make it a tough 10 miles.  The alternative would be to roll out to Needle Rock, but I'd rather paddle a hard 10 than to roll the yak out over those hills again.

This is a trip that I'd love to set up for a group of us.  I've been there many times and know the camp, the reef and the launch well.  I consider the campsites right near the mouth of Orchard Creek to be world class - no doubt about it.  Too bad that abaloneing isn't available any more because the place is incredible.  Ron pulled an eleven incher on our trip - I've pulled many 10's in the area.

You can search NCKA for "Bear Harbor" and see some pretty amazing past adventures there.

Good luck - I dig your quest.   

Best me to it. I’ve been trying to do this one fir awhile but haven’t found any people that would commit.
I’m going to make it happen this summer, even if it ends up being a well prepared a solo adventure. I think 3 days would be ideal, 1 day to meander and fish down the coast , 1 day to explore that area and a little south or out to the reef, 1 day to fish back up the coast.

A group would be more fun, especially if there were, oh, I don’t know, someone ahem on here with a stealth skiff  powered by an outboard that could haul the cooler of beer, ice and water.

Would absolutely love to get in on this! Like backpacking from a kayak!

This adventure is more like 4 to 5 hours north of you and would be a summertime excursion:  Bear Harbor in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park.  About a 10 mile paddle to the south from Shelter Cove.  Ideally the trip would include ground support - that would require backpacking in about 2.5 miles from parking at Needle Rock where the visitor's center is.  I've Wheeleezed a yak in from Needle Rock for an overnighter that Ron and I did in late 2017 - last year of abalone harvest.  It was pretty brutal.  Paddling down there wouldn't be bad - 10 miles of salmon trolling.  It's the coming back that could get hectic - currents and wind could make it a tough 10 miles.  The alternative would be to roll out to Needle Rock, but I'd rather paddle a hard 10 than to roll the yak out over those hills again.

This is a trip that I'd love to set up for a group of us.  I've been there many times and know the camp, the reef and the launch well.  I consider the campsites right near the mouth of Orchard Creek to be world class - no doubt about it.  Too bad that abaloneing isn't available any more because the place is incredible.  Ron pulled an eleven incher on our trip - I've pulled many 10's in the area.

You can search NCKA for "Bear Harbor" and see some pretty amazing past adventures there.

Good luck - I dig your quest.   

Best me to it. I’ve been trying to do this one fir awhile but haven’t found any people that would commit.
I’m going to make it happen this summer, even if it ends up being a well prepared a solo adventure. I think 3 days would be ideal, 1 day to meander and fish down the coast , 1 day to explore that area and a little south or out to the reef, 1 day to fish back up the coast.

A group would be more fun, especially if there were, oh, I don’t know, someone ahem on here with a stealth skiff  powered by an outboard that could haul the cooler of beer, ice and water.

Would absolutely love to get in on this! Like backpacking from a kayak!

Here here! I would be into this as well and know of a few other fishy dudes in the humboldt area that would be keen.

- Max

I've always wanted to camp overnight in Tamales Bay from the kayak. Good luck if you go. Thanks everyone for posting all the helpful links. Erics reply about the camping spot south of shelter cove sounds incredible as well!

If you're interested in Lake camping/fishing.  Either Caples Lake (Hwy 88)  or Loon Lake (Hwy 50) would work.  For caples just need to make sure you stay on the National Forest side of the lake, and not the Wilderness (unless you have wilderness permit)  I think both are froze over right now though

Yep Caples is still covered in a blanket of snow. Just drove past it a couple days ago on our way back from the eastern sierra.

I have been wanting to do this for years! If anyone plans a camping trip to angel island or anywhere on the coast and they would like company please hit me up! There are some books on amazon "sea kayaking the central and norther California" that look like they have detailed information on camping spots and safe landings. I remember seeing a book written by a guy that paddled from Oregon to Mexico and detailed all the landings and obvious hazards but I cant seem to find it now... A trip like this has the potential to be super fun or if planned improperly, a total disaster.     

I remember seeing a book written by a guy that paddled from Oregon to Mexico and detailed all the landings and obvious hazards but I cant seem to find it now...

I saw Mike's Kayak Journal many years ago, and it blew me away how he'd solo'd the entire coast. 

http://www.mikeskayakjournal.net/index.php

It's a different gig on SOT's, but, with proper gearing, time and energy, basically the only limit is our own imagination.