Lakebay

Lakebay is a small town on the Key Peninsula on the south end of the Kitsap Peninsula.

Understand

Lakebay is located at the head of Mayo Cove on the east side of the Key Peninsula, and at the gateway to Penrose Point State Park. The Lakebay Marina began as a farmer’s co-op and a way for farmers to transport their crops to other towns long before it was a marina. In 1875, a logger named Carl Lorenz built boats in Lakebay to carry his finished lumber to town. He later used these boats to ferry farmers and their produce to other areas. His boats were part of what later became known as the Mosquito Fleet.

The Lakebay Marina is one of the last marinas still in use from the Mosquito Fleet era

Get in

By car

Lakebay is one of the southern most communities on the Key Peninsula which is on the south east side of the Kitsap Peninsula 16 miles south of Purdy via Highway 302 west and the Key Peninsula Highway south.

By boat

• Lakebay Marina - Resort, 15 Lorenz Road Kp N, ☏ +1 253 884-3350, markscott@lakebaymarina.com. This marina is one of the last docks in the area that has been in continual operation since Puget Sounds early Mosquito Fleet days and offers both guest moorage, gas and diesel dock and a boat launch. 
• 1 Penrose Point Buoys, 321 158th Ave S. 8 state buoys and 304 feet of dock are available for visiting boaters at the State Park. 

Get around

Lakebay is located Penrose Point State Park at the shores of Mayo Cove and Carr Inlet and just north of Bay Lake making it an excellent place to explore by boat. Many of the nearby homes either have their own docks or some of them are even built on piers directly over the water. Directly south of Lakebay is a lake aptly named Bay Lake which also has a public water access near Sanford Ave KP S.

The dock and beach at Penrose Point State Park

See

• Bay Lake (directly south of the marina). Lakebay was named after the close proximity of this lake and nearby Mayo Cove. There is a public water access along Sanford Ave KP S. 
• Eagle Island State Park, ☏ +1 360 902-8844. 10-acre marine park with 2,600 feet of saltwater shoreline. There are 2 mooring buoys on the west side and 1 on the east side of this remote island accessible only by boat between Anderson Island and McNeal Island and Lakebay is one of the closer marinas to this park, there are also trails and camping spots and the area is known for the many seals that come to sunbath. The park was named after Harry Eagle, a member of the Wilkes Expedition. 
• Home Park, Key Pen Hwy S. at 8th Ave.. This park has a small historical marker in front discussing Homes anarchist past. It has generous play equipment and swings and the picnic shelter, which was sponsored by the Key Peninsula Lions Club, was constructed mostly by lumber that was milled from trees harvested from the local Volunteer Park. 
• 1 Joemma Beach State Park. On the Key Peninsula near Gig Harbor is a 122-acre marine camping park with 3,000 feet of saltwater frontage on southeast Kitsap Peninsula. Aside from the natural beauty of park and surroundings, the area is an excellent place for fishing, boating and crabbing. Provides a boat launch and water trail campsites, 5 buoys and 500' dock footage. 
• Maple Hollow Park, 4411 Van Beek Rd KPN. This 58-acre site offers a circle trail with mid-point access to a stretch of beach along the Puget Sound with views of Mount Rainier. The park includes an improved walking trail, picnic area and walking access to saltwater beach on Carr Inlet. 
• Mayo Cove. This tranquil clear waterway separates Penrose State Park from the mainland. Its many sandy beaches and nearby spit are best explored by boat but a drive along Lorenz Rd KP S gives ample views of the cove, the interesting regional architecture and nearby Von Glendern Cove on the drive back to Home. 
• Penrose Point State Park. This 152-acre marine and camping park is a small peninsula that sets on the shores of Mayo Cove and Carr Inlet and offers a wide variety of water activities. Impressive stands of fir and cedar share space with ferns, rhododendrons, wildlife and birds. The name honors Dr. Stephen Penrose, a Pennsylvania native who served as president of Whitman College in Walla Walla from 1884 to 1934. For many years, Dr. Penrose and his family spent their summers vacationing on what is now park property. A prominent church and educational leader in the Northwest, Dr. Penrose was a firm believer in outdoor recreation for children. A self-guided interpretive trail called "A Touch of Nature" was built by Eagle Scouts in 1982 and renovated by a second group of Eagle Scouts in 1991. The trail is located in the day-use area, and extends for 1/5 mile. 
• Volunteer Park & Sports Complex, 5514 Key Peninsula Hwy N. This 20-acre park includes softball fields, picnic shelter, skate park, soccer field, horseshoe pits, walking trail, restrooms, 9-hole disc golf course, and some camping. 

Do

Auto tour

• An Auto Tour through Key Peninsula History, Key Peninsula Historical Society: 17010 S. Vaughn Rd. KPN, Vaughn. A 50-mile historical route that connects almost 120 points of interest on the Key Peninsula that was assembled and curated by the Key Peninsula Historical Society. Brochures are available for free from the museum in Vaughn. 

Beachcombing

Penrose Point State Park is an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering 3 miles of 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.

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.

red sea star found at Penrose Point

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. Penrose Point State Park is only one of only seven locations in the area named to be on the list.

Sea kayaking

Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore nearby Mayo Cove and Carr Inlet 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. Or just explore Kitsaps many harbor towns that cater to kayakers like Lakebay with shops and restaurants accessible from the water. 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 rentals are available at the Lakebay Marina.

Kayak trails

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

• Key Peninsula Marine Trail. Lakebay is along this 40-mile Peninsular Marine Trail with fourteen legs between fifteen points of interest during a paddling journey around the Key Peninsula. 

Shellfishing

clams are plentiful on Kitsaps rural beaches

Shellfish are prized resources of the Puget Sound, the cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington State is the nation’s leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, geoduck, mussels and oysters). Maps of public shellfishing areas and health warnings and updates can be found online at the States Fish and Wildlife website, as with all fishing in Puget Sound permits are required and can be purchased online or in some sporting goods stores.

Public shellfishing areas

• Penrose Point State Park is open to shellfishing clams from March 1st through May 15 and Oysters open March 1st through May 15. The best area for clam and oyster harvest on this beach is in the bay between Penrose Point and the small spit to the northwest of Penrose Point. This area has been enhanced with Manila clams and oysters. Native littleneck clams, butter clams, horse clams, cockles and eastern shoft-shell clams are also found on this beach.

Buy

• Food Market at Key Center, 9021 Key Peninsula Highway, ☏ +1 253-884-3325. 8AM-9PM. locally owned and operated, this store is a busy hub of Key Center. 
• Home Country Store, 1309 Key Peninsula Hwy N, ☏ +1 253 884-2106. restock and resupply your basic needs here, not huge but there are not a lot of choices on this end of the peninsula. 

Eat

• Lulu's Home Port Restaurant & Lounge, 1509 Key Peninsula Hwy N, ☏ +1 253 884-3743. Off the beaten path hometown favorite. Family owned and attentive staff with old fashioned good cooking. 

Drink

• Blend Wine Shop, 8914 Key Peninsula Hwy N, ☏ +1 253 884-9688. Wine bar. 
• Trillium Creek Winery, 17812 G St, ☏ +1 253 884-5746. Tu-Su 11AM-6PM. Although they purchase their grapes in Eastern Washington, they are processed in their 1500 square foot wine cellar on their 15 acres in Lakebay and have a tasting room open to the public. 

Sleep

Cabins are available to rent from the Lakebay Marina as well as RV hookups and 82 campsites are available at the state park that are reservable online from May 15 thru Sept 15. There are also some limited camping spaces available at Volunteer Park.

• Frog Creek Lodge, 15003 64th St Kp N, ☏ +1 253 884-3188. This 5,000 ft² (460 m²), 8-bedroom lodge is available to rent as a group and has all the amenities for a family vacation. 
• Wisteria Hollow. 1930s Victorian Manor with three bedrooms, a loft, 2.5 baths, sleeps 6-12. One of three homes between Lakebay and Home on the same property that can be rented separately or as a group with access to 200 feet of private beach on Von Geldern Cove. 

Connect

• Key Center Library, 8905 Key Peninsula Hwy N, ☏ +1 253 884-2242. M-W 11AM - 8PM, Th-F 11AM - 6PM, Sa 11AM - 5PM, Su closed. Computers and internet access and a good place to learn more about the areas interesting history. 
• Peninsula Branch Library, ☏ +1 253 535-9300. 
• Lakebay Post Office, 1302 Key Peninsula Hwy N, ☏ +1 253 884-2389. In 1902, after charges of violation of the Comstock Act resulting from an article advocating free-love published in the local anarchist newspaper Discontent: Mother of Progress, neighboring Home's post office was closed by postal inspectors and moved two miles (3 km) to its current location here at Lakebay. Lakebay's ZIP code is 98349. 

Go next

By car

Assuming that you have already been to the state park, Lakebay is about 20 miles south west of Gig Harbor and Longbranch is a few miles to the south.

By boat

Cedrona Cove on Fox Island is about 7.9 miles east of Lakebay and would make a nice round-trip journey when exploring the area by boat. This also a good launching spot to explore Anderson Island and Eagle Island State Park. Camp Seymore YMCA is 5.5 miles north along the coast in Glen Cove. Longbranch is 6.9 miles south towards the south end of Key Peninsula while Gig Harbor is 13.8 miles by traveling under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, look for the lighthouse marking the small opening to the harbor.