Blake Island Marine State Park had been alluding us for a while now. It is so close to us, yet somewhat tricky to get there. The mere fact that you can only access this state park by boat is intriguing. Previously this summer, we looked into launching our kayaks from Eagle Harbor in Bainbridge (where you can rent through Exotic Aquatics), but we weren’t able to dedicate the time needed to make that trek at the time. From Eagle Harbor, our kayak instructor estimated it would take 2-2.5 hours to kayak to Blake Island because it’s about a 4-mile paddle. This would make it a full day trip and we had other exploring to do! Exotic Aquatics does rent kayaks year-round (one of the few who do) if you call to reserve them ahead of time.
Manchester State Park
Because it’s colder and windier on Puget Sound at this time of year (November), we decided to try kayaking the shortest path to Blake Island. This is launching from Manchester State Park in Port Orchard. In season, there’s a place to rent kayaks right from the park, called Water Rentals . When we called to rent though, they said they were closed for the season. Looking quickly for other options, a simple idea came to mind to ask within our company. We found out we’re very fortunate to have a boss on this rotation who owns kayaks and he was kind enough to let us borrow them. So, we picked up a couple of his kayaks early on Saturday morning, strapped them to the top of our car and drove to Manchester State Park.
You will need a Discovery Pass (for Washington State Parks) or pay a $10 Day Fee to park at Manchester State Park. Once you enter the park, just follow the signs for the beach; go left at the fork and you will eventually find a spot where you can launch kayaks.
We launched from Manchester State Park
Paddle to Blake Island
From Manchester State Park, the paddle to Blake Island is about two miles and took us about one hour. The first third of the trek is pretty calm, as the water is protected by an inlet, but the latter two thirds can get a bit choppy, especially with higher wind gusts. If you’re not experienced in some sea kayaking, you may want to seek out an alternative way to get to the island. Sometimes people say they’ve seen whales while kayaking to Blake Island, but we only saw a few sea lions. You also need to be mindful of the ferry routes; they can easily be avoided if you check a map to see where they run.
From Manchester, it’s a two mile kayak to Blake Island.
Puget Sound started out calm, but did get pretty choppy.
From Manchester, it’s a two mile kayak to Blake Island.
Puget Sound started out calm, but did get pretty choppy.
NW Tip of Blake Island
The NW tip of Blake Island has a sandy beach that allows for easy access onto the island by kayak or canoe. We landed here and secured our boats behind some driftwood not knowing how drastic the tide changes might be. There are several primitive campsites at this NW tip of the island, each with a fire pit and picnic table. If it was summertime, this would be the perfect spot for a bonfire. From here you can see downtown Seattle, the Cascades in the background, Mt. Rainier, and across the southern portion of Puget Sound to the west.
We accessed the island at the NW tip and parked our kayaks here during our hike.
One of the primitive campsites at the NW tip of the island.
We accessed the island at the NW tip and parked our kayaks here during our hike.
One of the primitive campsites at the NW tip of the island.
Blake Island Perimeter Trail
Blake Island Perimeter Trl
There are a few trail options on Blake Island, but we decided to go with the full perimeter trail. You can find this easily from the NW beach. Just look for the sign and you can hop on the trail there and go left or right. The perimeter trail is about a 4-mile loop with 500 ft elevation gain. There are a few trails that jut off into the middle of the island if you are looking to explore the woods further. All we saw on our 1.5-2-hour hike were some pretty healthy-looking deer, as most island visitors unfortunately feed them. Taking the perimeter trail, you will hit many highlights of the island including west beach, the main harbor, and Tillicum Village.
These are the Blake Island trail options.
We chose the perimeter loop trail which was about four miles with just under 500 ft elevation.
The perimeter trail mostly followed the perimeter with views of the water…
But also went a bit inland providing for a more foresty, remote feel (with great fall colors at this time of year)!
We made a quick stop at the sunny west beach!
We also made a stop near the main port on the NE tip, where most of the tourism happens in season.
We saw several deer on the island.
The main port of Blake Island on the NE tip.
On a clear day, you can catch a great view of Seattle!
These are the Blake Island trail options.
We chose the perimeter loop trail which was about four miles with just under 500 ft elevation.
The perimeter trail mostly followed the perimeter with views of the water…
But also went a bit inland providing for a more foresty, remote feel (with great fall colors at this time of year)!
We made a quick stop at the sunny west beach!
We also made a stop near the main port on the NE tip, where most of the tourism happens in season.
We saw several deer on the island.
The main port of Blake Island on the NE tip.
On a clear day, you can catch a great view of Seattle!
Argosy Cruises
From what we’ve heard and read, it sounds like Blake Island gets quite popular in the summertime, and for good reason- just like everything else in Washington. Argosy Cruises offers tours via ferry from the downtown Seattle Pier to the island including Native American storytelling and a salmon dinner. These tours are only available April-September, so we were not able to partake, but it was interesting to see the island in a more remote state. We were three of maybe ten people on the island all day.
We were only able to peek in the windows of the Tillicum Village since it’s off-season.
Even if you miss Blake Island’s main tourism season like we did, there are still options for getting to the island year-round and it is a treat to have this beautiful island getaway almost to yourself!