There's so much fun to be had exploring the Hood Canal...

HOOD CANAL ADVENTURES

These awesome folks are your hook-up for any sort of tour you can imagine. Wanna go chasing waterfalls? They do that. Kayaking? Yup. Mushroom hunting? Of course. And DON'T MISS THE BIOLUMINESCENT KAYAK TOURS during the summer. Seriously, it magical.  They also have a kayaking and crabbing adventure, as well as crab pot rentals. They even rent kayaks by the hour, all just a few minutes from our house. We love them and we think you will too. Check out their Web site for all the inspiration and info.

PALLIN' AROUND CHARTERS

Hard to put into words how much we love Katherine and Kelly, but we'll at least tell you why. These beloved locals have their finger on the pulse of the area. Kelly captains their boat that is the homebase of their many adventures. Catherine, meanwhile is both a certified dive leader capable of leading SCUBA adventures in the Hood Canal AND a gourmet chef for those of us who just want to cruise the canal and be pampered. If you know you're coming to stay at our place, reach out to them NOW and see if you can book a cruise of either a gluttonous or adventurous sort. Whatever you want, they're up for it.

JADE SCUBA ADVENTURES

The only possible way you're gonna live out that dream you have of befriending an octopus in the Hood Canal is to go deep with the pros. (But ya, even then, that's probably a dream.) Jade SCUBA adventures are the best dive shop in the area, fully certified, leading tours of all types. It's not tropical, but it is absolutely magical. They do tours all over the world, but The Hood Canal is home, right here in Brinnon. 

ROCKY BROOK FALLS

This popular spot is about 15-minutes North of our house and is a super easy walk to a breathtaking waterfall. Not wheelchair accessible, but my 90-year-old dad with a cane loves to walk there. Absolutely stunning, especially in the winter and spring! During the summer, you'll find people swimming in the pool, which is cold, refreshing and probably dangerous. So we should remind you that it's a "do it at your own risk" sorta thing.

DOSEWALLIPS STATE PARK

This is a huge state park, and you should look online for more info. You can go "in" and find creeks, falls, woods and maybe magical mossy critters. You can go "out" for an easy walk to the shore of the hood canal, and even shellfish harvesting if you have a fishing license. If you're lucky enough to be at our place during a Northern Lights flare, there's a structure by the shore that is great for watching them. (The entrance to the shore part of the park is N on the 101 from our place, over the little bridge but before the Brinnon store.)

RANGER HOLE

This GORGEOUS hike is easy most of the way to the swimming hole, and then there's a little scramble to get to it (which means it's a little scramble back up.) But it's worth it. The hike is dog friendly until you get to the swimming hole, but there's no way for a dog to scramble down, so we never bring ours. Braver people than us jump off, but please, please, please don't do that unless you are with people who know how this spot works. It's dangerous and we do not recommend it. (Well, one of us does, but that's not the one writing this, who is also the worrier in the family.) You can, and totally should, scramble down to the place that you can just walk into the incredibly clear and cold water for a swim!

WHITNEY GARDENS & NURSERY

While not a typical "wilderness" adventure, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful place. The botanical gardens side of Whitney Gardens is a stunningly manicured journey through rhododendrons as big as mountains, and anything else you can grow in the beautiful Northwest. It's an easy ramble, perfect for people with limited mobility and / or people who like their beauty without sweat and effort. The Nursery side is a great place to buy the plants you just admired, or little garden trinkets to remember your vacation. (Also to pet the two sweetest golden retrievers you'll ever meet.) This place is an institution and too many people drive by without stopping. Just head North on the 101, you'll see it right as you pass through "town."

LENA LAKE TRAILHEAD

This is an easy, and beautiful, drive from our place, and you can treat yourself to oysters at Hama Hama when you're done. Look it up online, because there are a few different trails you can take for hikes of various exertion. Some short, some days long. It's a great area, but you can learn more online, or in some of the guidebooks on the shelf by the front door. 

CLAMS AND OYSTERS AND GEODUCKS AND FISHING, OH MY!

Yup, there are loads of public beaches where you can harvest shellfish and fish off the shore. When it's open, you'll see people all up and down the coastline doing it. You do have to have a WDFW license, and they do check, so play by the rules. That is also where you check to find out what's open, what's safe, where to go and all that. If you have super specific questions, let us know. (No, you can't fish the Duckabush on our property during the fall run. Those fish are old and tired and so close to where they need to be to lay their eggs. Many don't make it, and the eagles and other wildlife feed on them, which can be quite a show.)

If you want guided hunting / fishing / harvesting, check out the page we made for that! 

TIDES

The tides are important around here. If you're playing in the river at our place, you'll have a lovely sandbar for chairs and snacks at low tide, but it will be covered, and everything will be washed away, by high tide. Tides are important for shellfish harvesting (you want them low, but freshly so, so that oysters haven't been sitting in the sun.) And if you brought kayaks and want to kayak out to the Hood Canal from our place, the lower the tide is, the higher the chances you'll have to hop in and push your kayak into the estuary. But if you time it so that the tide is coming in when you are, it'll help you. There are tide books by the front door, but I always just check online.

GUIDED HUNTING AND FISHING

There are also lots of options for guided hunting, fishing and harvesting trips. So we made a page just for that. There's nothing like local experts to help you get the most out of adventure. And by "most" we mean fun, but also "catch!"