Tracyton, WA Road Trips

The Kitsap Peninsula is "almost" an island, accessible primarily by ferries or bridges with highway access from the south. With its nearly 400 miles of coastline and dozens of public marinas and boat launches the Kitsap Peninsula is a popular place to arrive and explore by boat and many harbor towns cater to boaters. A combination of Native American, Scandinavian, military and pioneer heritage give the region a rich and diverse set of historical attractions. Kitsap County covers most of the peninsula. Pierce County covers the SE portion, also extending across the Tacoma Narrows to Tacoma. Mason County covers the SW portion, and also extends west into the Olympic Peninsula. English is the most common language spoken in the region. The Suquamish people called Puget Sound x̌ʷəlč (pronounced "wulch"), which means “place of clear salt water” in the Southern Lushootseed language that was spoken in the area. Many of the names in the area come from the Southern Lushootseed language, including 'Kitsap' which was named after their chief, and even 'Seattle' which was named after Chief Seattle. Visit Kitsap tourism website

The Kitsap Peninsula is known not only for busy sea ports and picturesque towns but also for its rolling hills, thick forests, miles of coastline, scenic farmlands and public parks. Lighthouse viewing on the Kitsap Peninsula is an excellent way to explore the area. Many lighthouses are accessible to the public, and some offer tours and can even be stayed at overnight. Fox Island Lighthouse is the southern most lighthouse in the area, on Fox Island near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The Gig Harbor Lighthouse, which, at only 15 ft (4.6 m) tall, is one of the smaller lighthouses in the region but nonetheless plays an important role marking the opening to Gig Harbor. The Point No Point Lighthouse, built in 1879 near Hansville, is the oldest and most historically important lighthouse on Kitsap Peninsula. The Skunk Bay Lighthouse is on Skunk Bay at the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula near Hansville. Museums offer visitors a welcome change of pace and an opportunity to learn more about the Kitsap Peninsula's maritime history. The Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor explores the history of the Gig Harbor Peninsula, its maritime industries, and a well preserved school house. The Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport shows what life is like under the sea. In Bremerton, the Puget Sound Navy Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the naval heritage of the Pacific Northwest from 1840 to the present and has more than 18,000 objects in its collection; and the Kitsap Historical Society and Museum exhibits the diverse culture, heritage and history of Kitsap County.

The Kitsap Peninsula's 14 state parks are the coveted jewels of the area. Offering miles of public access beaches and forested trails, many also offer camping and moorage opportunities and are well distributed throughout the area. These parks are described in the articles for towns and villages listed above. There are two State Forests: Green Mountain State Forest, a few miles west of Bremerton, offers horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, camping, and other uses; and Tahuya State Forest on the southeastern portion of the Hood Canal west of Belfair in Mason County, offers off-road vehicle riding (ORV), horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, and camping. The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island is a garden that is so popular that reservations are required. The Kitsap Audubon Society has been meeting since 1972 and has a broad coalition of birders tracking and sharing sightings since then. They maintain an active website with updates of the latest sightings, suggestions on areas for birders and even a regular newsletter. They also developed a checklist of birds likely to be seen birds in the area. The state Audubon society developed The Great Audubon Birding Trail which includes key migration flyways. Flyways are major north-south routes of travel for migratory birds and likely areas to see birds along the route extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Point No Point County Park near Hansville at Kitsap County's northern tip is particularly important for birds migrating the Pacific Flyway.

Like the rest of the Puget Sound, seafood is a specialty, so look for seasonal specials and locally sourced ingredients. Dungeness crabs, clams, oysters, mussels and salmon can all be found in abundance. Blackberry season, towards the end of summer, means these tasty local berries will find their way into local dessert menus. Look also for fresh produce from local farms and roadside fruit stands. The Kitsap Peninsula has an abundance of farm land. Some farms have their own stores and offer locally grown foods and goods. Many villages have farmers' markets that are open one day a week from May to September, while some start as early as April and continue into October. Christmas tree farms are also seasonally popular and offer families the opportunity to select their own trees.

As with the rest of the Puget Sound, people on Kitsap Peninsula take their coffee seriously. In rural areas, you may find yourself closer to a coffee stand than any other kind of business. Try locally brewed beers from Chaos Bay Brewery, Silver City Brewery (Bremerton) and Hood Canal Brewery (Kingston). Craft distilleries in the region include Heritage Distilling Company in Gig Harbor and Bainbridge Organic Distillers on Bainbridge Isle. The Kitsap Peninsula has several wineries that offer a nice change of pace when exploring the region. Bainbridge Island Wineries Group has seven members wineries on the island. Olalla Vineyard & Winery in Olalla and Trillium Creek Winery in Lakebay have tasting rooms open to the public.

The Kitsap Peninsula offers a wide variety of places to spend the night, from cozy bed and breakfasts to isolated waterfront campgrounds. More urban areas such as Gig Harbor boast a wider variety of places to stay but travelers in the know can search out more off the beaten path options like staying at the historic lighthouse in Hansville.

The Kitsap Peninsula is just a short ferry ride from Seattle or a picturesque drive across the Tacoma Narrows or Hood Canal bridges. Washington State Ferries (WSF) operates the following from Kitsap County (Kitsap Pennsula) to King and Snohomish Counties on the other side of Puget Sound: Edmonds and Kingston downtown Seattle (Pier 52) and Bremerton downtown Seattle (Pier 52) and Bainbridge Island West Seattle (Fauntleroy) to Vashon Island and Southworth All Washington State ferries are for both vehicles and passengers. Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry is operated by Kitsap Transit which operates the following passenger only ferries from Pier 50 in Downtown Seattle to: Bremerton From Bermerton they operate another smaller and slower moving passenger only ferry to Port Orchard. Kingston Southworth No stops in Vashon Island. From ferry terminals, passengers can transfer to Kitsap Transit buses to go onward without a car. With its nearly 400 miles of coastline, boating is a major tourist draw on the Kitsap Peninsula and many businesses cater specifically to boaters. Some restaurants and shops provide their own docks for easy access and some golf courses offer shuttles from major marinas. Larger marinas can be found in Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Brownsville, Gig Harbor, Poulsbo and Port Orchard, and some smaller towns such as Lakebay offer marinas with services and fuel. Even some of the state parks, such as Blake Island, offer docks with restrooms and picnic shelters. Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, ☏ +1 360 902-8500.

Kitsap Transit Foot Ferry, ☏ +1 360 373-2877. Shuttles passengers between Port Orchard, Bremerton and Annapolis ferry terminals using two passenger only ferries, 'Admiral Jack' and the 'Carlisle II' a historic Mosquito Fleet era boat that is nearly 100 years old. Foot ferry service is a great way to tour a historic boat and get an up close and personal view of the marinas and the harbor. $2. Kitsap Transit, ☏ +1 360 479-6962, toll-free: +1-800-501-7433, [email protected]. Kitsap Transit offers transit services throughout the area including pickup from all ferry terminals to Bremerton, Silverdale, Kingston, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bainbridge Island and Port Orchard on multiple routes with the following being the main routes for travelers to get across between Purdy (or Southworth) to Kingston (or Bainbridge Island): Full fare $2. It is part of the regional ORCA network system. Bus route 86 Southworth Ferry Terminal to Port Orchard Ferry Terminal Bus route 301 Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo Bus route 307 Poulsbo - Kingston Ferry Terminal Bus route 390 Poulsbo - Bainbridge Island Ferry The Purdy Connection bus connects Port Orchard to Purdy P&R, north of Gig Harbor. Transfer to Pierce Transit #100 or 595 to continue to Tacoma and the Kitsap Ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton. Kitsap Fast Ferries go to downtown Seattle from Kingston, Bremerton and Southworth on three separate routes while the slower Foot Ferries go across from Bremerton to Port Orchard and Annapolis on two separate routes.

Though many animals in the area are used to seeing humans, keep wildlife wild and do not feed or disturb animals. Stay at least 100 yards (91 metres) away from black bears, and 25 yards (23 metres) from all other wild animals. Look for postings at trailheads and parks for recent activity. Don't disturb resting seal pups, and keep children and dogs away. Seal pups 'haul out' to get much needed rest when they are young and are often alone for many hours. They are extremely vulnerable at this time and should be left alone. Only about 50% of Puget Sound seal pups make it through their first year so please help to protect their health. While boating, keep a distance from whales and other marine mammals. Regulations for orcas require that boaters stay 200 yards (180 metres) away and keep the path of the whales clear. These federal regulations apply to all vessels (with some exceptions) in inland waters of Washington.