PHOTOS: 2026 Canoe Journey arrivals at Alki

(First four photos by Anne Higuera for WSB)

1:41 PM: If you’re interested in watching the Native canoe families arrive for the Alki stop on the 2026 Tribal Canoe Journey route to Nisqually, they’re landing now.

More than 20 have come ashore.

3:10 PM: Though dozens of canoe families are here, a few are still on the way. Two canoes from the Suquamish Tribe – who hosted last night’s stopover – and one canoe family identifying themselves as from “Alaska’s only Indian reservation – are the newest arrivals. The canoes will remain on the beach overnight – guarded by uniformed security from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, which is transporting the visiting canoe families to Auburn.

(Photos from here down are by Torin Record-Sand for WSB)

3:29 PM: The landings have concluded, with the Muckleshoot’s own canoe family paddling in, and the Samish arriving too.

The canoe families will depart tomorrow morning, headed for Puyallup, and then this year’s Canoe Journey destination, Nisqually.

(Backstory in our preview.) If you go see the canoes while they’re here, don’t touch, but do look for details like this:

Katie Bucy July 29, 2026 (7:41 pm)

The Alaskan canoe is from Metlakatla. They’re Tsimshian.

Jo July 29, 2026 (11:24 pm)

Is there an estimated time they will leave on Thursday morning?

WSB July 30, 2026 (12:01 am)

Reply

Between 6 and 8 am was what our reporter Anne was told when researching one of our previews.

Cynthia July 30, 2026 (8:23 am)

They just paddled past Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park heading south toward Lowman Beach. (8 AM.) I heard beautiful singing in my front yard and ran to the back where I can see the water. The singing was so beautiful and so were the canoes! A couple canoes were way ahead, then I counted seven bringing up the rear. (There could have been many more that I didn’t see.) What a blessing to see and hear them this morning!