Just returned from a 3-day, 2-night, multi-modal (ferry, bus, bike, hike) camping trip using Maury Island Marine Park as my base. It was a perfect outing for me as my first trip after finally getting C-V-D to get a little conditioning in after recovery. Was also great trip to get away from it all — including other people, as I had a lot of solitude on this mid-week trip.
I rode my bike and gear to downtown Seattle, hopped on Rapid Ride C to the Fauntleroy Ferry, then hopped on the route 119. The route makes flag stops and the best one to get off at is near the golf course’s tennis courts — 75th Ave SW and SW 248th Street. (Just tell the driver when you board, or pull the cord with ample time and tell the driver where you’d like to get off.)
Then hike east on 248th until to come to one of two trailheads - the farthest being at the viewing deck just as the road curves left. If you’re hiking, these are the best trails to take down to the main park and to the campsites, though be sure to grab or print the county’s map (goggle is useless here, I should know better by now) because there is almost no signage beyond the trailheads. If you’re biking, you’ll want to make your way to the main parking lot, as the gravel service road is much more amenable to loaded touring bikes, even though bikes are permitted on all the trails at MIMP. There were a few folks out with kids and dogs in the picnic area, maybe for post-workday decompression, but they left by dinnertime. Once established at my campsite I had the company of seals just offshore, an otter, and geese with goslings. Only occasionally punctuated by motorized fishing boats or the churn of tugs and freighters during the day, camp was peaceful. And Tahoma often visible across the sound.
I had not packed enough water into camp (there is none available at MIMP), so on Thursday I hiked out up of MIMP through the trails and then a bit along local roads to sample the trails at Maury Island Natural Area, staying above the beach to enjoy yet more vistas of the sound and mountain. The main trail up here is fairly exposed; expect a sunny hike. I had a little company here in the form of three sets of other hikers. From here I easily made my through Dockton Forest, with its well-kept and variable terrain trails (sometimes gravel, sometimes typical rooty PNW forest, some wide, some singletrack) and cooling canopy. Lots more solitude here, as I encountered no other hikers or cyclists (though I hear these trails are popular for MTB). Across the road from Dockton Park there is a spigot near the playground, and restrooms.
You can also do one or more of these trail systems as a longish day hike trip via transit. Probably other options, but I’d take a morning water taxi and connect to the 119 (it has a limited schedule) and do the same on return. Plan to get off the bus at Dockton Park to fill up on water and do an out and back, or bring water with you and get off at the flag stop mentioned above, hike MIMP and MINA and make your way through Dockton Forest to Dockton Park, where you can flag the 119 at the crosswalk at the Dockton Forest trailhead parking lot across the street to head back. The trails down and back to the beaches at MIMP and MINA offer a good opportunity to get some elevation gain in, so I could see this being a great outing for conditioning for a longer trip.
Many but not all of the trailheads have portapotties; MIMP has two down near the campsites as well as one at the trailhead just east of the viewpoint. MINA has one at the Bluffs Trailhead on 79th Avenue.
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