Deserted southern Puget Sound a paddler's delight
SOUTH PUGET SOUND, Wash. -- During summer, when every Seattle resident and his visiting mother-in-law seem to embrace the great Northwest outdoors, you can often hear the day-trippers in the parking lots and on the trails before you even spot them.
The stampede of feet rattling along the gravel paths. The echoes of large groups chatting. Barking dogs drowning out the tranquillity.
But rest assured, there's always Hope Island.
That's because few tourists -- or locals, even -- have heard of this state marine park. Or they confuse it with the Hope Island by Deception Pass Park.
Nestled between Shelton and Olympia, this park remains one of the area's best-kept secrets -- a poor man's San Juan Islands day trip and a favorite with many sea kayakers.
I saw more seals peekabooing around Hope Island in one afternoon than in all my trips to the San Juans. And I didn't hear motorboats. At least not hordes of them.
This park, a hot spot for bird-watching, clam-digging and mushroom-hunting, enjoys anonymity for several reasons. The once-private island didn't become public until 19 years ago, and it's accessible only by small boat.
I kayaked there recently on a sunny, shorts-and-T-shirt day, and it looked as deserted as ever.
It's about a two-hour trip to Hope Island from Seattle: an hour to the launching dock of Boston Harbor, north of downtown Olympia, and another hour to kayak to the island when the tides are out.
We glided effortlessly, not breaking a sweat, thanks to a generous tide that had us going 5 mph, according to the Global Positioning System.
Gerry Hodge, founder of the South Sound Area Kayakers Club, leaned back on his kayak as if relaxing in a La-Z-Boy.
"There's no one here because everybody goes to the San Juans," he said. "That's why it's never crowded."
Sure, we spotted three-story houses along the banks on our way, but the area seems like some forgotten coast. So few folks fishing. Hardly anyone frolicking in the sun.
Instead, we heard flocks of seagulls on both sides of the shores. We saw about a dozen harbor seals wallowing on the dock of Carlyon Beach, west of us.
It's not the next San Juans, of course. No five-star resorts. No stores selling T-shirts or trinkets. In fact, no vendors selling anything.
The 106-acre Hope Island, sandwiched between a tiny residential island and a reservation, remains mostly undeveloped.
But the trade-off is the promise of peace.
As the tides pushed us closer to Hope Island, I could see part of the 1.5-mile stretch of pebble-and-sand shoreline, a hotbed for geoducks and clams in the spring.
Once ashore, we headed inland. A second-growth forest of towering cedars, Douglas firs and surprising Pacific yews awaited, with bald eagles, woodpeckers and a dozen other species hovering above.
There are orchard trees near the shore. But the real bounty, a park ranger once told me, is found below, all across the island: chanterelles, oyster mushrooms and morels, a well-kept secret for seasoned mushroom hunters.
We hiked along the 2-mile interpretive trail, a flat path manageable for children and senior citizens, with five exit points to the beach. On a clear day, you can see Mount Rainier from the southern and eastern sides of the island.
Because the island is so small and quiet, the movements and sounds of wildlife are more pronounced. It's hard not to run into deer.
"It's to the point where they (the island caretakers) will even name the deer and watch the fawns grow up during the season," said park ranger Mischa Cowles.
During the past century, this private island was mostly a summer getaway for a couple of wealthy families. In 1990, the state purchased it for $3.1 million and designated it a public park.
Campgrounds are located near the beach, along with kayak racks, picnic tables and bathrooms.
But the drawbacks are that you have to bring your own water because no fresh water is accessible, and campfires aren't allowed.
Your guide -- or at least the closest thing you have to a visitors center -- is the island caretaker, who lives near a windmill left over from the homestead a century earlier. Other than that, the park is a sprawl of meadows and trees.
On our visit, the tide was low enough that we could have walked around the island along the beach, but we opted to circle Hope Island on kayaks, especially because the landscape is more sandy than rocky under the shallow water.
You can, of course, venture out on more challenging routes, navigating between the narrow inlets and little islands along the way.
Paddle around nearby Hartstene Island, where from the south side "You see crabs, sea stars and anemones. It looks like a saltwater aquarium," Hodge said.
Or launch at Walker County Park near Shelton, or at Shelton Marina, to the narrow Hammersley Inlet, where the water moves faster -- a favorite route of seasoned kayakers.
Less adventurous souls can launch from Arcadia Point Public Boat Ramp, north of Olympia, to Hope Island, the route recommended by the Washington Water Trail Association. You paddle in flat water and cross no major channels.
Our plan was to wait for the tide to turn at 3 p.m., then paddle past the nearby residential Steamboat Island and along the shores of the reservation Squaxin Island on the way back to the harbor -- an easy 10-mile round trip.
There are other places to explore offshore. Or if you request ahead, a park ranger will give large groups a guided tour of Hope Island.
If you go Paddling Hope Island and South Puget Sound
Most day-trippers will launch from Boston Harbor Marina, about 6 miles north of downtown Olympia. It's the only launch area with kayak rentals.
To get to Boston Harbor, take I-5 to Olympia, Exit 107, turn right at Pacific Avenue Southeast onto State Avenue Northeast, right at East Bay Drive Northeast onto Boston Harbor Road Northeast, then turn left at 73rd Avenue Northeast to the kayak rental center.
To paddle to Hope Island, count on an hour to 90 minutes, depending on your kayaking skills and the whims of the tides.
More launching points are accessible if you have your own kayak. The easiest route is from Arcadia Point Public Boat Ramp to Hope Island, where there are no channels to cross.
The most popular route is from Walker County Park near Shelton or Shelton Marina to Hammersley Inlet.
Or launch from Latimer's Landing, near the Hartstene Island bridge, north of Hope Island.
The South Sound Area Kayakers Club is a great source of information on kayaking around Hope Island and South Sound. The members organize free weekly kayak trips, including paddles to Hope Island. Visit www.ssak.hctc.com.
The Washington Water Trails Association also recommends Hope Island. Visit wwta.org/trip_planning/trips.