9 minute read
Welcome to the Wild Side of WA
from Summer Fjord 2019
by Imagination
Situated between the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains in Mason County, is Hood Canal. A place filled with world-class activities, wild-caught fare, lively events, and plenty of places to hide away from it all when you just want the world to yourself.
KAYAKING
Whether you seek tide-ripped saltwater passages, challenging whitewater, or lakes big and small, Hood Canal is a kayaker, canoer, or paddle boarder’s ideal destination. A rich paddling community supports any adventurer’s vision; rental packages and lesson opportunities for the budding kayaker or paddleboarder are not in short supply. Get out on the water and enjoy a fresh perspective of the canal with colossal peaks towering overhead.
Like a giant fish hook weaving beneath the Olympics with a web of inlets, Hood Canal is poised to catch your imagination and reel in memories for years to come. This majestic saltwater fjord hosts unparalleled shellfish, shrimp, crab, and salmon and is renown as a diving mecca with its glacial formation causing underwater biomes that appear nowhere else.
Venture away from the Canal to Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest for hiking and thrilling vistas. Choose from hundreds of easy access freshwater lakes or revel in waterfall views including the iconic High Steel Bridge.
Ablaze with wildflowers in the spring, hidden swimming holes in the summer, a chance to see spawning salmon in the fall, and snow-capped peaks in the winter, there is never an inopportune time to visit Hood Canal.
FALL FOR WATERFALLS
Hamma Hamma & Lake Kokanee are just two of the many falls waiting to be explored. The best time to view area waterfalls is in the spring while the weather is warmer but there is still plenty of run off from the mountains.
HIGH STEEL BRIDGE
Soaring 420' above the Skokomish River, the High Steel Bridge (1929), is the highest steel truss arch bridge in Washington. You won’t event need to leave the car for this breathtaking view. Follow Skokomish Valley Rd 11 miles from Hwy 101 to reach the bridge.
MOTORSPORTS
The Ridge Motorsports Park racing course near Shelton includes a fantastic road course that's geared towards club racers and competitors. Head to the DNR forests for some unmatched off-road trail rides.
TRAILS & WALKS
World-class hiking trails lace the Olympic Mountain wilderness, leading from mountain stream beds through old growth forest to high-altitude ridgelines with breathtaking views of Hood Canal and beyond.
TAKE A LEAP
We love the folks at SKYDIVE KAPOWSIN! Feel the adrenaline pumping rush of free-fall, and experience the freedom of the air with highly trained professional instructors. Views of the fjord and the Olympics and a seven minute free fall adrenaline rush from 13,000 feet will definitely change your outlook.
PICK A PEAK
Mason County is shadowed by amazing heights! From easy day hikes with the family to overnights or “experience needed” excursions – you don’t have to go far for spectacular memories!
TASTING YOUR WAY AROUND THE CANAL & SOUND
You can do the loop tasting farm-to-table dining experiences— pairing with stops at the best tasting rooms in the northwest.
Hama Hama Oysters
FISHING
From open water trolling on the sound to throwing dry flies on small lowland lakes, there are plenty of fishing opportunities in the area. Seek colossal coho in the fall and hungry trout in the spring to see why every season is fishing season in Hood Canal.
BIKING
Don the helmet and clip into your pedals, for there is no shortage of road or trail from which to experience the beauty and thrill of this landscape.
SIX DESTINATION GOLF COURSES
Meticulously nestled in the forests and hillsides of Hood Canal, these highly rated courses will showcase the best of your golf game. Enjoy incredible views of the Olympic Mountains as you drive down lush fairways and putt on pristine greens. With a different course to play every day of the week and dining nearby to celebrate the 19th hole, Hood Canal is an ideal destination for the golfing enthusiast in all of us.
ALDERBROOK
ALDERBROOK (360) 898-2560 | Union, WA alderbrookgolf.com Rated as one of the top 25 courses in the Northwest for spectacular scenery and playability, this par 72 course follows the natural contours of the land. Restaurant, lounge & Proshop.
LAKE CUSHMAN
LAKE CUSHMAN (360) 877-5505 | Hoodsport, WA lakecushmangolfcourse.com Nestled in the forest of the Olympic Mountains above Hoodsport & Hood Canal is this 9-hole course with dual tees which plays an 18 holes. Open driving range, putting green, and practice bunker.
LAKE LIMERICK
LAKE LIMERICK GOLF CLUB (360) 426-6290 | Shelton, WA www.lakelimerickgolf.com A quiet and picturesque tree lined course. Gentle hills make this a challenging Par 72 and a fun round of golf. Facilities include Pro Shop, Cafe, and Cart Rentals. Social Memberships Available.
LAKELAND VILLAGE
LAKELAND VILLAGE (360) 275-6100 | Allyn, WA lakelandliving.com Majestic views of the Olympics and Rainier, 27 holes with driving ranges, putting greens, practice chipping, and bunker areas. Dining clubhouse.
SALISH CLIFFS
SALISH CLIFFS (360) 462-3673 | Kamilche, WA salish-cliffs.com Salmon-safe 18 hole par 72 championship golf course created by architect Gene Bates. Clubhouse serves lunch and dinner. Adjacent to the Little Creek Casino Resort, a full service luxury resort & casino.
SHELTON SPRINGS DISC
masoncountydiscgolf.com Looking for a different type of golf? This 18 hole disc golf course is located at the intersection of Wallace Kneeland Blvd & Shelton Springs Rd.
DEEP RUN THE WATERS
Depths exceed 600’ in Dabob Bay, averaging 500’ in the channel. FJORD
SCUBA DIVING
Hood Canal is known among scuba divers worldwide for its gentle currents and curious rock formations. Lessons and equipment are available at various locations in Hood Canal.
BIRDING
With a majestic and varied landscape as a background, Hood Canal is a gorgeous place to come search for the over 250 species that call the Olympic Peninsula home. Chock full of life-birds like bald eagles, rhinoceros aucklets and more on premiere birding trails with helpful self-guided trail maps, this is a birder's paradise!
MUSIC & FESTIVALS
There is endless entertainment to be enjoyed in Hood Canal. With a packed event calendar, there is never an inopportune time to come, stay, and play.
ON THE WATER
Hood Canal occupies 150 square miles of the OlympicPeninsula and bellies up to the Olympic National Park. It'shome to thousands of species of fish and marine mammalsand invertebrates like orcas, oysters, and wild octopi whileproviding habitat to an array of seabirds. There's hardly abetter way to take it all in than on the water.
SHELTON
Shelton is the westernmost city on PugetSound, practically with one foot inOlympic National Park. Featuring abustling heritage core, Shelton’slandscape is dominated by colossal cedar,spruce, and fir trees which lend naturallyto its self-proclaimed title of “ChristmasTree Capital.”
HIKING & BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING
Clamber up the rugged trails, tiptoe through the quiet old growth forest, or careen through the pristine meadows of Olympic National Forest & National Park. Shoulder your pack and experience the sights and sounds of the vast wilderness home to some of the most beautiful flora & fauna in the world. Ablaze with wildflowers in the spring, cool hidden swimming holes in the summer, a chance to see spawning salmon in the fall, and snow capped peaks in the winter, there is never an inopportune time to hike Hood Canal.
ALLYN
ALLYN & GRAPEVIEW enjoy gorgeous views of the protected harbor waters of Case Inlet. The area features quaint shops, waterfront lodging, restaurants, and beach parks. Annually, the Grapeview area hosts the Water and Art Festival, a day-long event featuring entertainment and juried artists.
A CUT ABOVE
The largest chainsaw carving outlet, BEAR IN A is a great place to explore this unique art. They also teach chainsaw carving.
Belfair
Situated on the southernmost point of the isthmus connecting the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas, Belfair is the perfect place to begin an adventure. Whether you're headed north to explore Dewatto and Tahuya or plan to follow the Canal through Union, and Hoodsport, the journey begins here.
SALMON STRONG
THE SALMON CENTER provides environmental education and recreation opportunities through a series of collaborative activities at their certified organic farm and throughout the area. pnwsalmoncenter. org
VISITOR INFORMATION & RESOURCES
HOODSPORT VISITOR CENTER
150 N Lake Cushman Rd, Hoodsport, WA (360) 877-2021 | (800) 576-2021
NORTH MASON CHAMBER VISITOR CENTER
30 NE Romance Hill Rd, Belfair, WA (360) 275-4267 | northmasonchamber.com
SHELTON VISITOR CENTER
The Red Caboose at 230 Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA (360) 426-2021
UNION VISITOR INFORMATION
Located at Hunter Farms, E 1921 SR 106, Union, WA
KAMILCHE VISITOR CENTER
31 West State Route 108, Kamilche, WA (360) 432-0921
RIDE FREE IN MASON COUNTY
From ferries in Seattle to trailheads in Hood Canal, Mason Transit offers free rides – masontransit.org
Visit explorehoodcanal.com
