Sullivan Island State Marine Park sits in the Lynn Canal near Haines, offering a remote marine park experience in one of Southeast Alaska’s most dramatic waterways. The Lynn Canal is the longest and deepest fjord in North America, and Sullivan Island provides a front-row seat to its towering coastal mountains and glacier-fed waters.

Accessible only by boat or kayak, the island draws paddlers exploring the waters between Haines and Juneau. Sea kayaking is the primary way most visitors experience Sullivan Island, with protected coves offering landing spots along the shoreline. The surrounding waters are rich with marine life — watch for humpback whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and bald eagles hunting along the tide line. Fishing for halibut, rockfish, and salmon is productive in the deeper channels nearby.

As a state marine park, Sullivan Island is designed primarily for boaters and paddlers seeking overnight anchorage or a shore break during longer Lynn Canal passages. Expect primitive, undeveloped conditions — there are no maintained facilities, so visitors should come fully self-sufficient with water, supplies, and proper bear-country food storage.

The best time to visit is June through August, when longer daylight hours, calmer seas, and warmer temperatures make water travel more feasible. Even in summer, Southeast Alaska weather shifts quickly — pack layers and rain gear regardless of the forecast.

Sullivan Island rewards those willing to work for it. This is raw, quiet Alaska at the edge of the Inside Passage, far from crowds and close to the wild.

Explore Nearby

• Lincoln Rock Light — Lighthouse in Alaska
• Eldred Rock Light — Lighthouse in Alaska
• Haines Highway-Valley of the Eagles — Scenic Byway in Alaska