Days
<1
Motors Allowed?
Yes
Difficulty
Easy / Class A
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Hope Island is a hidden gem in the Puget Sound. While kayakers flock to the San Juans during the summer months, the South Sound and Hope Island remains relatively unknown. The park, once privately owned, can be accessed from a number of different places throughout the South Sound. Paddlers can choose to launch from Arcadia Point, Carlyon Beach Park, Oakland Bay Marina, or Boston Harbor depending on the desired length of the trip.

The park offers long beaches and miles of trails with informative signs that describe the flora and fauna of the island environment. Deer can be found grazing in the orchard on the south side of the island near the cottage where the island caretaker stays. From Hope Island, paddlers can explore the Pickering Passage, the Hammersly Inlet, or circumnavigate the remote Squaxin Island Reservation before returning to camp to enjoy great views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding islands.  

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Great views. Old-growth forests. Solitude. Easy access.

Cons

No fresh water on the island.

Features

Fishing
Picnic tables
Bird watching
Wildlife
Wildlife

Site characteristics: Water

Sound/Strait

Portage required

No

Location

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