Latitude: 47º 11′ 7.8″ N (47.1855)
Longitude: 122º 56′ 0.99″ W (-122.933)
Hope Island Marine State Park is a treasure for Olympia and Mason County residents to explore and discover. This is the first Island State Park that I landed and explored extensively from 2016 to present. I have been on this Island several times and enjoy its peaceful beauty and majestic trees. There are campsites you can use at night and day use picnic tables to have a lunch and meditation.
My favorite thing to do in the sound so far is hunting for good crab. This past year crabbing season was closed but when open I always set a pot or two off of this island. The catch has not disappointed so far. In fact, I have great success finding them each time I pull up my simple hoop traps. I like using the hoop traps because it is impossible for a crab to become entangled and forgotten. The crab can get away anytime until you are attending to the trap and pull it up. Other traps may be set and if the tide or current takes your trap away all the crabs caught will die. So its something to consider when crabbing. A hoop trap it’s not really a trap in a set position. It’s only a trap when you pull the trap up. Below is the first crab I caught in the sound. It had only one claw and covered in barnacles so I thought I would return him to its natural habitat. I would also like to thank my neighbor Colleen Murray for donating the crab traps which she had not been able to use. As a perk she gets an occasional fresh crab!
Hope Island Marine Park has trails to explore. There are three environs to discover- old growth forest, salt marsh, and over one mile of beach. The trails and two park service employed to answer questions and maintain a fruit orchard. I am sure they do much more than this and you can talk with them about their duties when you visit. The impression I got with them about their work was they loved what they do and are exceedingly happy. The next time I travel there I will ask for a video interview. They are interesting people!
My friend Celeste went one afternoon to the Island with me on the Serenity. She found it a great place to meditate. It is all so peaceful and tranquil. The beach in some places is made from pulverized seashells from years of harvesting shellfish when it served as a major source of food for that native population. The Squaxin Island Indian tribe own the nearby island named after themselves. They have a lot of resources preserved on this island. One day at nearby Boston Harbor I watched a boat dock from this tribe and they had a huge catch of salmon they caught off their island. When you are meditating you can imagine what life was like back then with no city buildings and lots of nature living all around you.
So if you are near this Island I recommend this place to you. Stop in for a visit and bring a friend. But most of all leave your worries behind. Hope Island will help you melt all your troubles away. Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you like the story please give me a like and subscribe to my blog at my home page. Thanks!