Seabeck is a historic mill community on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state, along Hood Canal. Once a bustling seaport, it has few traces remaining of its early logging years, but has found its footing as a tourist destination and a quiet community with basic services.
Understand
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The name Seabeck comes from the Twana /ɬqábaqʷ/, from /ɬ-/, "far", /qab/, "smooth, calm", and /-aqʷ/, "water".
History
[edit]Seabeck was founded in 1856 by Marshall Blinn and William Adams, doing business as The Washington Mill Company. Due to the California Gold Rush, their lumber was in such demand that they built a second mill, then a shipyard to build boats to haul the lumber to California. Eventually, the town had two general stores and two hotels, along with four saloons. In 1876, there were over 400 people living in Seabeck.
After decades of success, in the 1880s demand for lumber had eased, and most of the easily accessible trees had been harvested. In 1886 a fire consumed both mills, along with other buildings. Rumors flew that the mills would not be re-built, so most residents moved to other towns with mills, notably Port Hadlock, turning Seabeck into a virtual ghost town. The old townsite was revived as a retreat for Puget Sound's YMCA and YWCA clubs, and the surrounding area slowly resettled.
Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]The community is on the Seabeck Highway NW, about a 16-minute drive west of Silverdale.
By boat
[edit]- 1 Olympic View Marina (Seabeck Marina), 15376 Seabeck Hwy NW, ☏ +1 206 450-9261. Open, but no transient moorage is available.
- 2 Misery Point Water Access, 15376 Seabeck Hwy NW (Southwest from Seabeck .6 mi on Seabeck Holly Rd, right .6 mi n Miami Beach Rd, left 1.4 mi on Miami Beach Lp Rd to public fishing sign, access on right.), ☏ +1 360 830-4839. Concrete boat launch open year round and has overflow parking.
By bus
[edit]- 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 and connects with Mason Transit (Mason County), Pierce Transit (Pierce County), and Jefferson Transit (Jefferson County) offering connections outside of the area. full fare $2 and is part of the regional ORCA network system.
Get around
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Seabeck is a small town and everything is easily accessible by foot.
See
[edit]The Hood Canal, despite its name, is not a canal but is actually an inland fjord that stretches for over 70 miles inland separating the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula. It is a prime destination in the area for outdoor recreation and nature viewing with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and lush forests.
- 1 Big Beef Creek Viewpoint, Seabeck Hwy NW (2.4 mi NE of town). A roadside pullout at the mouth of Big Beef Creek. It's the first dramatic view of the Olympic Mountains from Seabeck Hwy, and also a popular birdwatching spot.
- 2 Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve, 19235 Stavis Bay Rd NW (from Seabeck Holly Rd, turn right on Miami Beach Rd; turn right - drive to Y in the road; veer left onto Stavis Bay Rd. Drive 4.5 miles to the entrance and parking lot). 9AM-Dusk. 184 acre nature preserve along a creek draining into a small cove, preserved by the original landowner as habitat for birds and other creatures. Hiking trails through mature forest lead to beach access and several old structures. No restroom facilities are available at this site.
- 3 Scenic Beach State Park, 9565 Scenic Beach Rd NW, ☏ +1 360-830-5079. 8AM-dusk. An 88-acre camping park with 1,500 ft (460 m) of saltwater beachfront. Terrific picnic areas and campsites as well as the historic Emel House, which can be rented for meetings, family gatherings or weddings. The park is known for its wild, native rhododendrons and stunning views of Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains. Discover Pass required ($10/day, $45/year).
Do
[edit]- 1 Seabeck Conference Center, 15395 Seabeck Hwy NW, ☏ +1 360 830-5010. 8AM-5PM daily. Established in 1915 by the Seattle YMCA, the Seabeck Conference Center became an independent non-profit corporation in 1936. The facilities are located on 90 beautiful acres with sweeping views of Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains. The grounds are reminiscent of small village, complete with walkways that meander past manicured lawns, fruit orchards, and wooded trails. The mission of the center is dedicated to the moral, social, and spiritual well-being of its guests and staff by providing a non-profit, non-sectarian setting conducive to education, renewal, and character development.
What Hood Canal beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains Olympic Mountains scatter on the horizons. Nearby Scenic Beach State Park is excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering accessible beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sites and tide pools can offer hours of exploration. Hood Canal is considered the warmest water in Puget Sound but it's still pretty cold.
Be warned that sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed, however the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.
Crabbing
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Sport crab fishing is popular in the area with most fishermen looking for the elusive and meaty Dungeness Crab, but other less popular crabs are also plentiful in Hood Canal. Crab season starts with a two-day opener July 1st and 2nd and follows up with crabbing every Thursday through Monday through Labor Day weekend. A wide array of crab traps are available from a variety of area sporting goods stores and the red and white buoys marking the traps are a common site on the water during the short crabbing season. Fishing permits are required and can be purchased from a variety of local stores, more information is available from the Washington Dept of Fishing and Wildlife.
Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the isolated Hood Canal allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings. Thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees and hundreds of creeks and estuaries dot the coastline.
Seabeck offers Marina Beach Launch, perfect for launching smaller boats.
Kayak trails
[edit]Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate lengths and scenic travel destinations.
- Cascadia Marine Trail. This inland sea trail is a National Recreation Trail and designated one of only 16 National Millennium Trails by the White House. Suitable for day or multi-day trips, the Cascadia Marine Trail has over 50 campsites to visit. People can boat to the campsites from many public and private launch sites or shoreline trailheads including Hood Canal.
- Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails. The National Parks Service Named the this 'Trail of the Month' in the entire USA for the month of December 2012, PDF copies of the water trails map are available and Seabeck is an excellent place to launch and see Hood Canal.
Scuba diving the cool waters of Hood Canal takes a bit more gear and training than most warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible.
Misery Point Reef is an artificial reef close to Seabeck created when the WDFW sank the debris here for a fish habitat and to create a fishing reef and is comprised of huge grey concrete slabs and steel I-beams, remnants from the old Hood Canal Bridge. The shallow end lies about 45' deep and it extends to 80'. This is a great location to find lingcod, cabezon, rockfish, perch and greenling and invertebrate life such as plumose anemones, cucumbers and sea stars. Located north of the navigational marker north of Misery Point near Seabeck Bay.
Sund Rock Marine Preserve. is one of the more popular dive areas on Hood Canal and can be reached via boat from Seabeck and is located just north of Hoodsport on Hwy 101. This site has a wide variety of interesting natural features and even a shipwreck for wreck diving and an abundance of marine life as well including many Wolf Eels and Giant Pacific Octopus and many species typically found in Hood Canal such as schools of colorful Striped Seapearch and Pile Perch and Quillback and Brown Rockfish. Gobies are also in abundance, as are Sea Cucumbers, seastars, anemones, shrimp, sea gherkins, an assortment of nudibranchs, and crabs of all different varieties.
Buy
[edit]A general store, restaurant, gallery, dockside pizza place, post office and the Seabeck Conference Center dot the waterfront now.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Seabeck Pizza, 15376 Seabeck Highway NW (at the marina), ☏ +1 360 830-4839. Offers pizza by the slice or whole, salads, and sandwiches. Dine in, take out, or delivery including boat delivery.
Sleep
[edit]Go next
[edit]- Silverdale is about 16 minute drive to the east.
- Continue down Seabeck Hwy to Tahuya.