Hope Island a new favorite!

Now that Aeolus is in the South Sound we are eager to find places to get away, and though we have no expectation to replace our San Juan and Gulf Island favorites, we need at least a few places worthy of trips. We found one in nearby Hope Island State Park just up Budd Inlet from Swantown.

Aeolito at low tide on the south side. 

The island, like all others like it, is entirely a State Park and therefore you have freedom to roam. The trail that goes around does not go along the water the way they do on Jones or others up north, but the forest is pretty second growth with a lot of trillium and sword fern. The beaches are all pretty marginal, and disappear at high tide, but at anything less than high tide you have plenty of space to lay around and play frisbee, as we did.

You can evidently anchor around the entire island, as depths are suitable. We have gone twice and anchored on the south side both times. The east side seems to be most popular, between Hope and Squaxin islands. On the south side you drop in about 30 feet of water at high tide and get good holding in sand, gravel and mud. The current pumps through here but with a modern anchor you won't move.

Maturing 2nd growth forest

The island is great to circumnavigate at low tide, with the north side having the mud for clams and moon snails, which we found!

It is already a South Sound favorite and a place we will return to for as long as Aeolus is down south here.

Moon Snails are huge!