Kingston (Washington)

Kingston is on the Kitsap Peninsula in the Puget Sound region of Washington state. Kingston, on the shore of Appletree Cove, is a 30-minute ferry ride from Edmonds for cars and walk-ons.

A rip-roaring lumber town 100 years ago, it's quieter now as the constant whine of the sawmill has given way to the occasional blast of a ferry whistle.

Known as the "Little City by the Sea", Kingston is the northern gateway to the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic National Park & Forest.

Understand

Boats docked at Kingston

An early settler named Michael King came to the area in 1878. He moved in along with 10 oxen and 10 men. They slowly logged the hills around Appletree Cove. Mr. King built many small buildings and shacks along the shore for his men and animals. In 1882, the trees were gone and King moved on. The shacks and bunkhouses were left behind and lived in by drifters, squatters and old loggers. People living in the area often referred to this as King's Town, probably as a joke. The name slowly evolved in to Kingston and stuck.

The Kingston townsite was platted on April 24, 1890 by C.C. Calkins and Samuel B. Brierly. Calkins dreamed of Kingston as a resort town for vacationers from Seattle. Calkins called it The Monterey of Washington. Calkins had drawings and designs for a giant hotel on the waterfront, with a boat launch, a church on the hill, along with a college. After Calkins and Brierly platted the town, a lower than expected number of people showed up to settle there. Calkins then gave up and left. The town slowly grew, but not at the pace that Calkins had dreamed and it eventually became the quaint harbor town we know today.

Get in

By car

to From Port Angeles, Olympic Peninsula Points: Drive east on U.S. 101 to State Route (SR) 104, crossing the Hood Canal Floating Bridge. Continue east on SR 104 for 8 more miles (through Port Gamble) to the Kingston Ferry Terminal.

to From Bremerton, Poulsbo: drive north on State Route (SR) 3 and take SR 307 for 6 mi (9.7 km) to the junction with SR 104. Continue east on SR 104 for 3 miles

By ferry

• 1 Washington State Ferries, 11264 State Route 104, ☏ +1 206 464-6400. Connects Kingston to Edmonds, all boats on this route accept both walk on and vehicle traffic. Ferry lines can get pretty long in the summer season so arrive early or just plan on waiting awhile for the next ferry. 
• Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry operates passenger only catarman ferries directly to Pier 50 in Downtwon Seattle from Kingston. Passengers transfer to King County Metro buses; and Sound Transit buses, trains and lightrail in downtown Seattle.

By boat

• Port of Kingston Marina, 25864 Washington Blvd (VHF: Channel 65), ☏ +1 360 297-3545. offers 49 guest slips ranging from 24 feet to 50 feet. They can accommodate larger vessels up to 80 feet. All 40 foot and 50 foot slips as well as fifteen 30 foot slips are reservable with 24 hours advance notice. They have four 20 foot slips and ten 30 foot slips that are first come first serve basis. Marina provides restrooms with free hot showers, laundry facilities, covered picnic shelters, WIFI, use of our small electric car, and 30 or 50 amp power service $1.00 per foot per day. 
• Kayak / Small Boat Facility, ☏ +1 360 297-3545. This facility provides a step launch and retrieval system that is user friendly for the novice and experienced allowing safe access to the waters of Apple Tree Cove and Puget Sound. 

By bus

• Travel Washington Dungeness Line (Operated by Greyhound Connect), (bus stops) pick-up/drop-off at the Ferry Terminal for going towards Seattle and Henery Hardware Store (10960 SR 104, Suite 107) for going towards Port Angeles, ☏ +1 360 417-0700. Connects Seattle and SeaTac Airport to Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles. The bus goes across the Puget Sound on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. They also pick-up and drop off at the major Seattle hospitals, west of downtown, with an advance 24 hour reservation (Arnold Medical Pavilion, Harborview, Poly-Clinic Madison, VA, Swedish First Hill and Virginia Mason Buck Pavillion). One way: $39 from downtown, $49 from airport; Round trip: $69 from downtown, $79 from airport. 
• Jefferson Transit #14 goes up towards Haines P&R in Port Townsend from the Kingston Ferry Terminal via Gateway Visitors Center and 4 Corners P&R. Alternatively one can also take Kitsap Transit #307 from Kingston to Poulsbo North Viking P&R and transfer to Jefferson Transit #7 to Port Townsend as the #14 operates less frequently than the #7 bus.
• Rocket Transportation, ☏ +1 360-683-8087, toll-free: +1 877-697-6258. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. offers door to door shuttles, by reservation, to Clallam, Kitsap and Jefferson Counties from Seatac, and Seattle. (updated Dec 2020)
• Kitsap Transit, ☏ +1 360 479-6962, toll-free: +1-800-501-7433, kitsapride@kitsaptransit.com. offers public transit services to Suquamish and Indianola (302); and to North Viking Transit Center in Poulsbo (307) from the Kingston Ferry Terminal. Passengers transfer from the 307 bus to other buses in the Poulsbo N Viking P&R to continue towards Bremerton (301); Silverdale (301, 332); Bainbridge Island (390); Port Angeles (123); Port Townsend (7), etc. full fare $2 and is part of the regional ORCA network system. 

Get around

Kingston at dusk

By bus

• Kitsap Transit, ☏ +1 360 479-6962, toll-free: +1-800-501-7433, kitsapride@kitsaptransit.com. Kingston Ride M-F 8AM-4PM; Saturday service during summers. Kingston Ride serves as a local shuttle between Downtown Kingston, George's Corner / Kountry Korners, Gamblewood, Jefferson Point, Little Boston, and a direct shuttle to The Point Casino & Hotel from the ferry terminal. full fare $2 and is part of the regional ORCA network system. 

Local taxi services

• A-Ward Taxi Towncar, +1 360 440-1517, +1 360 801-1235
• Bumblebee Taxi, +1 360 782-1966
• Red Top Taxi of Kitsap, +1 360 876-4949

Charter bus

• Janssen's Charter & Tours +1 360 871-2446

See

• Firehouse Theater, 11171 NE State Hwy 104 (4 blocks up from the Kingston Ferry), ☏ +1 360 297-4849. A theater in a former North Kitsap Fire and Rescue building. 
• Kitsap Regional Library Kingston, Community Center, 11212 State Hwy 104, ☏ +1 360 297-3330. Northwesterners are very proud of their libraries and Kingston is no exception, this branch offers many events for children and adults, including story time, writers' club, and kids' movies. See website for current events. 

Parks

• Arness Roadside Park (in Kingston, turn south on S. Kingston Rd from Hwy 104 and proceed about 2 miles; the park is on your left). one Acre - Saltwater beach access, picnic areas and viewpoint. 
• A Quiet Place Park (from Highway 104 in Kingston turn left on Ohio Street; parking is just below the entrance to the trail). 9.3 Acres - Walking trails, viewpoints. 
• Carpenter Lake/Nike Site/Saltmarsh - Park (take Highway 104 in Kingston to Barber Cut-Off Road; the park site is behind Gordon Elementary School off of Barber Cut-off Road.). 67.0 Acres - Walking trails, education center and view point Directions 

Do

• The Point Casino, 7989 NE Salish Ln, ☏ +1 360 297-0070. This casino also has restaurant and bars and is between Hansville and Kingston. 

Birdwatching

The Kitsap Audubon Society has been actively meeting since 1972 and has a broad coalition of birders actively tracking and sharing sightings since then. They also maintain an active website with updates of the latest sightings, suggestions on areas for birders and even a regular newsletter. They also developed a checklist of birds likely to be seen birds in the area.

The state Audubon society developed 'The Great Audubon Birding Trail' which includes key migration flyways. Flyways are major north-south routes of travel for migratory birds and likely areas to see birds along the route extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Point No Point County Park near Hansville just north of Kingston at Kitsap Peninsula's northern tip is particularly important for birds migrating the Pacific Flyway. The Audubon Society designated it an IBA or an Important Bird Area and it is easily accessible from Kingston.

Sea kayaking

Blue Heron on Puget Sound

Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Kitsap Peninsulas 371 miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings and making Kitsap one of the most popular areas to kayak in Puget Sound. Thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees and hundreds of creeks and estuaries dot the coastline. Kingston has a small craft launch and is an excellent area to start a sea kayaking adventure. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sites while the occasional viewing of an Orca or Grey Whale is not out of the question.

Kayak trails

Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate and scenic travel destinations.

• 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 

Buy

• Kingston Adventures, 26050 Illinois Ave, Ste B, ☏ +1 360 860-1717. Daily 10AM - 7PM. sea kayak and bike rentals, this is a great place to start an adventure in the area. 
• Kingston Farmers Market. Saturdays, May to Oct. 9AM-2PM. a lively, friendly market on a beautiful, grassy lawn at Mike Wallace Park at the Port of Kingston Marina where local farmers, producers, crafters, and artisans sell their goods. 

Eat

• J'aime Les Crêpes, 11264 NE St Hwy 104, ☏ +1 360 297-5886. Coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, crepes. 
• The Grub Hut, 11130 NE State Hwy 104, ☏ +1 360 881-0147. Serious hamburgers. It’s also really busy during peak times, so expect to wait for food for up to 30 minutes. 

Drink

• Hood Canal Brewery, 26499 Bond Road Northeast, ☏ +1 360 297-8316. W Th 2PM – 8PM, F Sa noon – 8PM, Su noon – 7PM, M Tu closed. try Dosewallips Special Ale,, Bywater Bay ESB, Dabob Bay IPA, Agate Pass Amber, Big Beef Oatmeal Stout and Breidablik Barley Wine. 

Go next

By ferry

Edmonds north of Seattle is a 30-minute ferry ride to the east.

By car

Many tourists use Kingston as a quick route to the Olympic Peninsula, coastal towns and Olympic National Park with perhaps a short stop at historic Port Gamble, however often overlooked is the area around Hansville with its wild natural beaches and historic lighthouse this is a side trip worth taking.

By boat

Kingston is well situated for exploring the northern half of the Kitsap Peninsula including giving good access to the nearby Hood Canal or a last stopping point on the way north to the San Juan Islands. If you are following the Kitsap Water Trails map Kingston is on the southern end of the run up to Foulweather Bluff near Hansville.

Routes through Kingston

Ends at N S ← Port Gamble ←

W  E

→ Car ferry → Edmonds