Northwest Boating Information

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Marine Parks
Washington State has a number of state and county parks throughout the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands. You may anchor for free and most have buoys or dock space for a fee. Some even offer showers and moorage facilities. Memorial Day through Labor Day are pretty busy so if you're trying to get in for the weekend, early Friday arrival is a must. First come first serve is the norm but if you're lucky, some may let you raft off if the dock is full. You won't find shore power at all but Blake Island, and you'll need to pack out your own garbage, but the majority are wonderful family destinations. You can visit www.parks.wa.gov for more information.
 

 Puget Sound - Hood Canal - Lake Washington


Blake Island - Accessible only by boat. One of the most popular destinations on Puget Sound. Limited store, (with coffee & ice) camping, hiking and facilities including showers. Large marina northeast of island, Shore Power - 30amp, buoys north, east and west of island. Tillicum Village next to marina.

 

Cutts Island - Just north of Horsehead Bay in Carr Inlet. 8 buoys and toilets, but no camping. Be very careful, the island is next to Raft Island connected by a drying shoal.

 

Dockton Park - West side of Maury Island in Quatermaster Harbor. 58 guest slips, rafting ok, shower facilities, play equipment, firepits and more. Popular park but no services within walking distance.

 

Eagle Island - Balch Passage between Anderson and McNeil Island, only 3 buoys and no facilities but a wonderful park with good anchoring.

 

Fort Flagler - Narrowstone Island just south of Port Townsend. Only 244 feet of dock space & 7 mooring buoys. Very popular with nice facilities.

 

Gene Coulon Beach Park - South Lake Washington/ Renton. Good dock space, boat launch, restrooms, shower in summer only, picnic shelters, playground area, swimming area, tennis court, big grassy areas, Kidd Valley and Ivar's restaurants. Free 4 hour moorage. No over night moorage. Fun for the entire family!

 

Hope Island (Mason Co.) - South sound island located between Squaxin and Steamboat island.  Very quiet island with 106 acres and reachable only by boat.

 

Jarrell's Cove - Northwest end of Harstine Island. A large park with good dock space, buoys, great restrooms with showers. picnic areas, RV sites, Just across the bay is Jarrell's Cove Marina with fuel and store. Great destination - a must see...

 

Joemma Beach State Park - Southeast Case Inlet, Summer only, 500 feet of dock space, 5 buoys, picnic sites, restrooms, no showers. Very nice destination.

 

Kopachuck State Park - 2 miles north of Fox Island. 2 buoys, restrooms, showers, good anchoring but not very well protected.

 

McMicken Island State Park - Off the east side of Harstine Island on Case Inlet. 5 buoys, toilets, water, good anchorage, trails, no overnight camping. Watch your charts!

 

Mystery Bay - Kilisut Harbor on Marrowstone Island, 683 feet of dock space, 7 buoys, pumpout, day use of the park only, overnight moorage ok. A great destination!

 

Old Fort Townsend - 367 acre park located on Port Townsend Bay. Open summers only. 4 mooring buoys, washroom facilites, pinic area and play equipment.

 

Penrose Point - Carr Inlet west shore at Mayo Cove. Overnight use during summer, day only in winter except overnight weekend moorage, 304 feet of dock, 8 buoys, mooring float that grounds at low tide, picnic sites, restrooms, showers, pumpout & portapotty dump, showers, campsites. A very popluar destination.

 

Potlatch - South of hoodsport in Hood Canal, 5 buoys, camping, restrooms, showers, campsites.

 

Seward Park / Andrews Bay - Lake Washington south of I-90 bridge. The most poplular anchorage in Lake Washington...well, the only one. Nice trails around the area and a swimming beach.

 

Stretch Point - Stretch Island just south of Fair Harbor and north of Harstine Island, 5 buoys, no camping or facilities. Nice beaches.

 

Tolmie State Park - 8 miles northeast of Olympia, 5 buoys, restrooms, showers, trails, pinic sites and a nice beach.

 

Twanoh State Park - 8 miles west of Belfair in Hood Canal, 192 feet of dock space, camping, 7 buoys, restrooms, showers, pumpout, picnic area, seasonal concession stand. A large, popular park. No moorage or camping in the winter.

 

 San Juan Islands


Clark Island - Just northeast of Orcas Island. Exposed to the straits, so choose a calm day. Mooring buoys, picnic area, toilets, fire rings. If you wish to stay the night, the west side might be the ticket.

 

Deception Pass Park / Cornet Bay - Good dock space, overnight moorage at the T-dock, restrooms, showers, pumpout. Nearby are hiking, picnic areas, grocceries, laundromat.

 

Hope Island (Skgit Co.) - Just east of Deception Pass, 5 buoys, good anchorage.

 

James Island State Park - East of Decatur Island, 65 feet of dock space, 5 buoys, anchorage not very good,  toilets, picnic area, hiking.

 

Jones Island - West of Deer Harbor. Day & overnight mooring/camping, northend has dock space and buoys & good anchorage, southend has a few buoys and ok anchorage but subject to boat traffic, picnic areas, toilets, great beaches, hiking and deer!

 

Matia State Park - Just southeast of Sucia & northeast of Orcas Island, float in Rolfe Cove, 2 buoys, toilet, water, good anchorage. A great destination!

 

Patos Island - Due-North of Orcas Island. 2 buoys, toilets, campsites, only achorage is in Active Cove, can get rough because of the straits. Very popular destination.

 

Saddlebag Island - 2 miles northeast of Anacortes. Anchorage can be found on each side of the island. A few campsites, trail around the island.

 

Spencer Spit State Park - East shore of Lopez Island. 16 buoys for overnight stays, good anchorage, south side a bit more protected from boat traffic. The beach is great! A must stop if only for a few hours.

 

Stuart Island - Stuart Island State Park is an 85-acre marine camping park with 33,030 feet of shoreline. The park is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail and offers camping and moorage at Reed and Prevost harbors.

 

>Stuart Island / Prevost Harbor - Prevost on the east side of Stuart, 256 feet of dock, 7 buoys, camp sites, well protected harbor, good anchorage, water, toilets. Very popular destination and always busy in the summertime.

 

Caution: Unless arriving by kayak, boaters should not attempt to enter the harbor at the east end. This entrance is full of rocks and reefs. The only safe entrance is at the west end of Satellite Island. Stay in the middle of the channel and harbor until you are adjacent to the park dock. Consult your charts before you arrive. Once inside Prevost Harbor there are plenty of deep water anchorages available if the park buoys and dock are full.

 

>Stuart Island / Reid Harbor - Reid is on the west side of Stuart - easy entrance with chart, about 570+ feet of dock / 2 offshore, 15 buoys, same features as Prevost. You can walk from Reid to Prevost in 3 minutes. Lots of room for anchoring and like Prevost, it's a busy harbor.

 

Sucia Island - Northeast of Orcas Island. Overnight moorage & camping (camping reservations call 888-226-7688), toilets, picnic area, lots of beaches. Only the best island in the San Juans!

 

>Shallow Bay @ Sucia - Northwest Sucia. 8 buoys, good anchorage but don't get too close to the beach due to low tide.

 

>Fox Cove @ Sucia - Southwest Sucia & south of Little Sucia Island, 4 buoys. Nice little spot.

 

>Fossil Bay @ Sucia - Could be the most popular bay in Sucia, enter from the south. 16 buoys, 2 docks, great anchorage. good crabbing.

 

>Echo Bay @ Sucia - The largest of the bays and the most exposed, 2 linear mooring systems, 14 buoys, lots of room to anchor.

 

Turn Island - Southeast of Friday Harbor. 3 buoys - west side, anchorage not great, toilets, good crabbing. This is a great park.

 

We recommend to anyone that does not have a Waggoner Cruising Guide to purchase one. The Waggoner gives you detailed information on these and other Marine Parks along with every port, harbor and cove in the northwest. It's called "The Bible" for nothwest cruising and we agree.

 

Visit WaggonerGuide.com to order on-line.