Take a visual journey with us on a guided kayak tour of Ballad Locks by kayak boat. As the second most-visited tourist attraction in Seattle, Washington, this unique paddling route launches in a saltwater harbor, journeys through Shilshole Bay, past resident harbor seals and a migrating sea lion feeding on fish, and then through the “water elevator” of Ballard Locks to a freshwater lake.

This fascinating and action-packed sea kayaking adventure was one for the books! Read on to learn more about which guided tour we took, see photos and videos, and learn some tips & highlights from this Seattle kayaking trip….

This website contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase through my link, I’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting our site.

Reserve a guided kayak tour to the Ballard Locks

Local kayak shop business: Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard

Location: Shilshole Bay Marina. This launch point is just north of downtown Seattle, and about four hours from Portland, Oregon.

Phone number: 206-494-3353

Pro tip: Kayak rentals are available through October.

Our rental experience: We reserved a tandem kayak (two people), and paid just over $200 for our tickets with taxes and fees (each ticket costs $98 per person). It was easy to book a date and time on their website guided kayaking tours calendar, so shout out to Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard for making that easy for us.

Included with the kayaking tour fee was a life jacket/PFD, tandem sea kayak, paddle, an expert guide, and a nearly 3-hour paddle trip, and an up-close experience through the historic Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks (technically entry through the Locks by paddle or boat is paid for by taxes). They also offered to lock things up at the shop or provide a dry bag if needed. In advance of your reservation, you receive an email about what to bring, but some items we brought along were light rain jackets, water bottles, sunglasses, and our favorite hats.

Ballard SUP & Kayak states that the Ballard Locks guided tour is beginner kayaker and family-friendly. I’d say I mostly agree with this assessment. My middle school-aged son is a beginning paddler, and he did great in the front cockpit of the two-person kayak. But a 3-3.5 hour paddle may be a long time for some to be out on the water.

Our Ballard Locks kayak tour experience

After an introductory lesson on properly fitting a PFD, using a sea kayak, paddling strokes, and other important safety information, we launched from the dock into Shilshole Bay. (Shout out to our guide Lindsay for captivating storytelling, an inclusive and welcoming spirit, and the occasional Puget Sound pun).

Wildlife observations

What an incredible kayaking journey for animal lovers – this really is an epic paddle route for anyone who wants to see many unique and beautiful Pacific Northwest wildlife species from a boat.

On our paddle, we observed countless wild harbor seals, even little pups! – in the water, and on the rocks – as well as a lone migrating sea lion in the Bay.

We also spotted an osprey flying overhead (did you know they’re the bird namesake for the Seattle Seahawks?), great herons, and a giant bald eagle nest. Additionally, small crabs, sea stars, and fish were abundant.

Kayak passage through Ballard Locks

From the marina and Bay, we paddled to the historic Ballard Locks, which originally opened in 1916. This human-made channel acts as a unique water passageway for watercraft moving between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, and keeps the freshwater separate from the salt. Additionally it forces migrating fish (like several species of salmon) to funnel into a narrow tunnel to a salmon ladder upstream to spawn.

While we waited for the small Locks elevator to open for us (our guide walkie-talkied the facility), we relaxed and saw many jumping, migrating Chinook salmon – quite a thrilling experience for our kayaking group! Our tour guide informed us that due to La Nina, the cycle of warmer waters contributed to the best salmon populations in ten years through the Locks.

When we entered through the 100+ year old gates (did you know they weigh 30 tons?), we paddled to the wall to hold on to the sides. People were cheering from above as the gate closed and water slowly filled up the “water elevator.” We rose gently to the Lake Union’s fresh water level. I had never experienced anything like this before, and it was such a fun and memorable kayaking trip (even on the typical Seattle cloudy afternoon)…

Check out this video highlight reel to get more of a glimpse of this unique guided kayak tour experience!

All in all, this is a fantastic kayak tour for any paddle lover visiting or living in the great Pacific Northwest. Even my middle schooler loved it! And if you go, let us know what you think in the comments below.

[READ MORE: Sunset kayak tour in the Columbia River Gorge.]

About Flatwater Kayak Club

Flatwater Kayak Club is a leading woman-owned online platform dedicated to supporting beginner and intermediate kayakers in the Pacific Northwest. Our company founder, a former writer for The National Geographic Channel and a current ACA member, guides our mission with her passion for kayaking, nature, and storytelling.