When cruising Puget Sound, getting away from civilization is easy, yet major cities — Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, and Bellingham — and their amenities are always close by. Views toward Mt. Rainier, the 14,410-foot snow-capped volcano, dominate many vistas. Islands and peninsulas tend to be tree-covered or pastoral. Calmer waters are found in the south — good for year-round cruising — and the meteorological convergent zone in the north can cause weather and sea conditions to change. Marine parks, museums, many marinas, and cozy anchorages mean you’ll always have something fun to see and do while boating in Puget Sound.
Top Destinations
South Puget Sound
Olympia • Case Inlet • Carr Inlet • Tacoma Narrows
Central Puget Sound
Gig Harbor • Tacoma • Vashon Island • Seattle • Bremerton • Poulsbo • Bainbridge Island
North Puget Sound
Kingston • Admiralty Inlet • Port Ludlow • Port Townsend • Edmonds • Everett • Langley •Saratoga Passage • Coupeville
Skagit Bay to Bellingham Bay
Oak Harbor • La Conner • Deception Pass • Anacortes • Bellingham
Lummi Bay to Point Roberts
Semiahmoo Bay • Blaine • Point Roberts
Plan Out Your Trip
Puget Sound is fully covered in the latest Waggoner Cruising Guide. It provides all you need about marinas, anchorages, passages, and attractions. Plan your day’s route with the guide’s detailed planning maps. Get your copy of the Waggoner Cruising Guide book!
Plus, there’s more to help you plan a great cruise through Puget Sound. Read on…
Bremerton Renaissance
If you haven’t been to Bremerton lately you will be pleasantly surprised. The city has leveraged its long naval presence and capitalized on its convenient waterfront location to provide a destination for tourists, especially for us recreational boaters that enjoy a...
What was the Mosquito Fleet?
In the days before roads and railways, Puget Sound residents and cargo traveled by waterways and rivers from community to community. The inlets and bays of Puget Sound made for a natural transportation route. From the 1850’s to around 1930, hundreds of steamers moved...
“#MindTheZone” Campaign – Floatplane Zone in Seattle’s Lake Union
Kenmore Air and Harbor Air have resumed service to and from Canada so the floatplane zone on Lake Union will once again be busy with planes arriving and departing along the designated operations area. A vertical line of 5 lighted buoys extending north from the Museum...
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
Eagle Harbor is the most visited harbor on Bainbridge Island, home to many nice marinas, a waterfront park and public boat dock, and easy walking access to many shops, restaurants, and museums. Cathleen and I have visited many times, but only recently discovered the...
The Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington
The United States Naval Undersea Museum is located in Keyport, Washington near the very popular boating destination of Poulsbo. In fact, when you boat to Poulsbo, you pass directly in front of the Port of Keyport Marina that provides a convenient access point to the...
What’s Happening at Lakebay Marina?
After the successful purchase of historic Lakebay Marina through the cooperative efforts between DNR (State Department of Natural Resources) and RBAW (Recreational Boating Association of Washington), cleanup activity has begun at Lakebay Marina. The Purchase-Sale...
Washington State Parks Mooring Buoy Fee Payment
A pilot program for Marine Park mooring buoy fee payment began in 2021 at Jarrell Cove Marine State Park. With this program, boaters my pay the nightly fee by telephone. Each mooring buoy is posted with a phone number and a buoy identification number. Boaters can save...
Purchase of Lakebay Marina in Mayo Cove is Official
Boaters have much to celebrate with the successful purchase of the Lakebay Marina property in Mayo Cove on the Key Peninsula. Plans to purchase the 18-acre property were in play for over two years, while logistics were resolved and funds secured. Thanks to the...
McNeil Island in South Puget Sound – Boaters Beware
McNeil Island, roughly 7 square miles, has been owned by the government for most of its modern history and has long been an island of intrigue and untold stories. The island lies just north of Anderson Island in Carr Inlet, off the Key Peninsula of South Puget Sound....
The Peace Arch City – Blaine, Washington
The Peace Arch City is one of Blaine, Washington's slogans. The other is “Where America Begins.” Both are rooted in its northwest Washington location on the US-Canadian border. Many people know Blaine as the place where they drive across the border in their vehicles....
Rediscovering Oro Bay on Anderson Island
Over the past five years we’ve visited Oro Bay, located on the southwest corner of Anderson Island, about half a dozen times. We enjoy the rural tranquility, the scenery – made dramatic by the derelict Ocean City ferry – and the wildlife. It’s one of our go-to South...
Respectful Play, So We Can Stay in Andrews Bay
Lovely Andrews Bay on the southwest end of Lake Washington, adjacent to the Seward Park neighborhood, has long been one of the favored destinations on this 22-mile lake, situated between the cities of Kirkland and Bellevue on the eastern shore, and Seattle spanning...
Quartermaster Harbor – Hidden Trails and New Docks
One of the main attractions in Quartermaster Harbor is the labyrinth of trails, 12 miles worth, that meander through Dockton Forest. These forest trails are often overlooked by boaters who visit Quartermaster Harbor, unaware of the hidden forest trails...
Dyes Inlet and the Silverdale Marina with Europa
In early June we visited the Silverdale Marina. We had departed our home port of Tacoma on June 1st for an extended cruise – we had no set itinerary but planned to stay in the central Puget Sound area before heading north later.We were thinking about...
Ajax Café — Good Food, Good Times
by Lorena Landon Ajax Café is one of the most unique dining venues in all of Puget Sound, offering excellent cuisine and presentation. The Café is housed in the historic Galster House, built in the late 1800’s, located within steps of the public dock at...