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Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board
Eagle Island, Puget Sound
Posted By: George Burns In Response To: What is your favorite wilderness day trip? (Nick Schade)
Date: Tuesday, 9 February 1999, at 3:55 a.m.
Eagle Island is a marine state park in Puget Sound. It lies in Balch Passage between Anderson and McNeil Islands. It makes a good day trip if you launch from the ferry dock in the town of Steilacoom. Steilacoom is a 15 to 20 minute drive from most parts of Tacoma, about 30 minute from Olympia, and is probably within an hour drive of south Seattle, traffic permitting.
Eagle Island a tiny, uninhabited, wooded island measuring about 100 X 300 yards. The beaches are gravel, and there is a short trail inland. No camping is allowed, but it's a great spot for lunch. There are no facilities on the island. You will no doubt see many harbor seals and maybe a river otter or two. Clam digging is supposed to be good on the west side of the island, but the day we were there it was posted for Red Tide, (pariletic shellfish poisoning).
One-way paddling distance is about 3.9 NM straight line from the ferry dock, but it's pretty much open water. A better way to go is from the ferry dock to Ketron Island, Ketron to Anderson Island, then follow the shore of Anderson Island to Eagle Island. This involves a shorter 1.3 NM open water crossing, although the total distance is now about 4.5 NM. Make sure you watch the tides. The tidal currents in Balch passage are pretty strong.
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Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board is maintained by Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks with WebBBS 5.12.
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