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| Walker
County Park/Hammersley Inlet |
Directions to Launch
Site: To Walker County Park. From I5 @
Hwy 16 it takes about 1 hour (48 miles). Take I5 south to Olympia, then
take Exit 104 to Shelton (Hwy 101). Follow 101 to Hwy 3 to Shelton. As you
enter Shelton and pass the "Arcadia" road you’ll start
downhill towards the bay and city…..near the beginning of this downhill
turn right on Fairmount. Fairmount goes down to the inlet and becomes
Walker Park Road. Follow it until you see the Walker Park sign on your
left. Launch from a pebble beach. |
| Mercer Slough
Nature Park |
From I-405:
1. Head west on I-90.
2. Go about 1/2 mile and take Exit 9 to Bellevue Way SE which heads north.
3. Go about 1/4 mile and turn right at first intersection onto an obscure
gravel road.
4. Follow this road about 2 blocks distance where it ends at the boat ramp
to Mercer Slough.
From I-5:
1. Head east on I-90.
2. Go across Lake Washington and take Exit 9 to Bellevue Way SE which
heads north.
3. Go about 1/4 mile and turn right at first intersection onto an obscure
gravel road.
4. Follow this road about 2 blocks distance where it ends at the boat ramp
to Mercer Slough.
|
| Point
Defiance/Owen Beach |
Get on Highway 16 (the one that goes to Gig Harbor
and Bremerton)
Eastbound Highway 16 (from Gig Harbor):
Take the Pearl Street Exit, which will dump you onto
Pearl Heading north. Continue on Pearl all the way to the Park.
Follow signs for the 5 mile drive, and watch for a sign for Owen's beach,
which will curve down to the right.
Westbound Highway 16 (from I-5):
Take the 6th Ave Exit, which will bring you
immediately to a light. Take a left on 6th Avenue, and quickly get
into the right lane. Take the next right onto Pearl. Follow
Pearl north all the way to the Park. Follow signs for the 5 mile
drive, and watch for a sign for Owen beach, which will curve down to the
right.
|
| Steilacoom/Saltar
Point Park |
There are several ways to get to
Steilacoom, depending on where you are coming from. I'll leave
getting there up to you. Once in Steilacoom, find the Union Avenue,
which is the main North/South Street. Turn West onto Martin Street,
take a left on 4th Street, then a right on Champion Street. The
parking lot is at the corner of Champion Street and 1st Street.
There is a short carry from the lot, up and down 30-40 steps to get over
the railroad tracks. |
| Sand Point, Seattle |
Driving directions from the south: From
I-5 northbound, take the WA-520 exit (number 168B) towards
Bellevue/Kirkland but don't cross the lake. Take the Montlake Blvd.
exit north, it will turn into NE 45th st., veer left onto Sand Point Way
NE and continue north for 1.5 miles to NE 65th St. Look for the park
entrance and follow the signs to the boat ramp. From the north, take the
NE 45th st exit off of I-5 and continue east veering north onto Sand Point
Way NE continue 1.5 miles and look for the park entrance and follow the
signs to the boat ramp. |
| Deception Pass |
Driving directions:
Coming from the south, find your way to La Conner. As you come into La
Conner, bear left on Pioneer Parkway (I think) to cross the Swinomish
Channel Bridge (arching steel bridge just south of town, visible in the
distance from most roads). If you end up in downtown
La Conner, work your way south until you come to the bridge. Continue
across the bridge on Pioneer Parkway for about 1/2 mile, turn left on
Snee-oosh Road. Bear left at 1.9 miles onto Hope Island Road. Turn left at
.2 miles onto Chillberg Ave. Take first left into gravel parking area.
The general idea is to launch at Snee-oosh Point (near Hope Island), ride
the ebb tide 4 miles (NM) to Deception Pass, wait for slack tide to
transit west through the pass, transit back before the current gets too
fast, and return to the launch point on the flood tide.
|
| Commencement Bay |
From I-5, take the I-705 exit near the
Tacoma Dome. Follow signs for Schuster Parkway (right lane) and keep
on this mini freeway through downtown Tacoma. It will split in two;
keep in the left lane for Ruston Way. You will drive along the
waterfront past the grain silos and 2 big ships. Eventually get in
the left lane and it will curve up and over as it turns into Ruston Way.
You will pass a sign announcing "Commencement Park", where we
will launch. Pull into the first parking lot on the left. We
will launch from a small beach right across from the very first parking
lot. If this is full, another lot is available to the right directly
after the stop light (this might be a better choice...it is a longer
carry for the boats, but you don't have to cross the road). |
| Titlow Beach Park |
From Highway 16, take the Jackson Street
Exit (either right before the Bridge or right after, depending on where
you are coming from). Turn South onto Jackson Street (if you are
coming from I-5, this would be left; if you just crossed the Narrows
Bridge, it would be to the right). In just a few blocks, turn
right onto 6th Avenue, which curves downhill as it winds towards the park.
Keep following past the park swimming pool and eventually it dead-ends at
a small parking lot and restaurant. Park in the lot near the
railroad tracks. |
| Boston Harbor |
I am taking these directions from guidebooks and
maps, and they differ from I-5 North and Southbound. Check maps
before you go so you can see where you are headed please!
From I-5 Southbound (from Tacoma): Take Exit
105B (Plum Street) in Olympia. Go north (right) on Plum Street,
which will after a mile or so, turn into East Bay Drive, which eventually
becomes Boston Harbor Road. Continue another 7 miles to 73rd Avenue NE and
turn left. The ramp and parking lot are 0.25 miles beyond, next to
Boston Harbor Marina. The paved parking lot across the street is
public. The marina store carries basic lunch and snack items.
From I-5 Northbound (from Oregon): Take Exit
105. Immediately on the ramp you can go left or right; keep curving
around to the right and go the street below the overpass you just drove
over. Go right on this street (it is named either Henderson Blvd or
Plum Street at this point; sorry it is unclear on the map). Keep
traveling north on this street, which will become named Plum Street,
which will after a mile or so, turn into East Bay Drive, which eventually
becomes Boston Harbor Road. Continue another 7 miles to 73rd Avenue NE and
turn left. The ramp and parking lot are 0.25 miles beyond, next to
Boston Harbor Marina. The paved parking lot across the street is
public. The marina store carries basic lunch and snack items.
|
| Horsehead Bay |
From Highway 16, take the Wollochet Drive
Exit (the second Gig Harbor Exit coming from Tacoma). Travel SW on
Wollochet Dr. NW (going AWAY from downtown Gig Harbor). Keep on Wollochet
at "Y" with Artondale Drive, curving left. Take next right
onto 40th St, following about 4 miles until it turns left and becomes 92nd
Ave NW. Take next right onto 36th St. NW, and keep going straight on
this street. It becomes narrower and narrower, and eventually ends
at a small boat launch. |
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