Kayak Glamping Hill Island

by Debbie Leach

You can have a whole island to yourself for a week to explore the 122 acres as well as Sutil Channel like we did in September 2023. Ralph Keller, the owner and water taxi driver, met us at Heriot Bay government dock and answered all our questions on the short ride over to the island. The cabin is up a long dock which is quite a struggle to hump gear at low tide. There are two bedrooms each with double beds and the third with bunks and a single bed. The kitchen has a propane stove and fridge with on demand hot water. Both solar and electric lights were working. Out back are the shower and sink as well as 2 outhouses.

There is a “cell phone beach” reached by following the trail behind the cabin. The walk to the signposted swimming hole is about 15 minutes. A hike up the hill is a 1 ¹⁄₂ hour round trip.

We paddled across to Read Island exploring Evans and Burdwood Bays; circumnavigated the Penn Islands, paddled across to Cortes to go up Von Donop Inlet, Carrington Bay, Whaletown Bay and to Shark Spit on Marina Island.