Waterfront Lodging on Puget Sound in Washington State

Hood Canal has miles of shoreline for kayaking, nature observing, photography. Bring your binoculars and camera to capture sunsets, wildlife and Olympic peaks in the distance. Enjoy shrimp and salmon fishing, beach combing and spectacular scenery. Hood Canel is a fjord, open to the ocean on one end and bordered by steep cliffs and hills. More info

Twanoh State Park, a 182 marine park with a saltwater shorline on the Hood canel. Enjoy picnics, shallow water play, swimming and water skiing. There is a boat launch. Come in the fall when the salmon migrate home. More info

Belfair, 25 miles north, is a popular destination for many boaters, scuba divers, and backpackers. It is a touristy little town with small shops and cafes, located on the Union River, headwaters of the Hood Canal. More info.

Theler Wedlands is in Belfair's backyard. Birdwatchers, photographers and nature lovers enjoy 75 acre wetlands, where they'll see kingfishers, heron and other birds. Map of Trails.

Union, a picturesque town on the shores of Hood Canel offers world calss restaurants, a boat launc and Marina. 16 miles south of Belfair on Hwy 106. More info

Shelton, a historic logging town with great restaurants, antiques, a microbrewery and a museum located in the town's original town hall and library. More info

Allyn, 19 miles away is a picturesque little town where you can get Bubba Burgers and chain saw art. It is home to the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving. More info

Olympia, the state capital, is 35 miles from Pirate's Cove, and offers classy dining, shops, theater, music and all the frills of the small town city.

Day Trips:

Olympic National Park: Nearly 1 million acres, this park protects an ecosystem that includes icy peaks, ocean beaches, tide pools, rain forest and a stunning variety of plants and animals. Roads allow access to the outer edges or the park, but the heart of the Olympic Park is wilderness, and a sanctuary for wild animals and hikers. Take a day trip and drive Highway 101 loop around the park and visit Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Hoh Rain Forest or Realto Beach. Olympic National park has more than 500 miles of trails. More info

Take a drive up Highway 3 to explore the small towns that hug Washington's Puget Sound. Port Ludlow, a recreational community built on the shores of Ludlow Bay offers hikes, wooded trails, clam digging and oyster collecting. Golf, windsurf, fish, sail. A Victorian town, Port Townsend, Washington's was the state's first seaport, settled in 1851. By the 1890's the boom was over, and the town's historic buildings remain. Paulsbo, known as "Little Norway", offers dozens of quint shops and restaurants. Explore scenic Liberty Bay from a kayak or electric boat, or take the historic walking tour of the town.