3. Waterfront Park and City Dock
The Waterfront Park is located just south of downtown Bainbridge Island. It’s a popular spot for festivals and special events. The park overlooks Eagle Harbor, and there are plenty of grassy areas for picnics. The park has a children’s play area as well as a city dock for boat moorage.The park is located about a half mile from the ferry dock.
4. Exotic Aquatics
One of the best ways to see the island is by kayak! At Exotic Aquatics, you can rent a single, double, or tandem plus kayak. They also offer stand up paddle boards. Just be sure to book online in advance. They also offer guided kayak tours around the island. At the time of this writing, there are seven different kayak tours to choose from!
5. Bainbridge Island Historical Museum
Learn all about Bainbridge Island’s history at the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum. Current exhibits highlight the Suquamish Tribe, Early Exploration, Logging, Transportation, Shipbuilding, Agriculture, War Time, and the Japanese American Exclusion. Currently the museum is open Friday through Sunday.
6. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is located within a quarter mile of the ferry dock. This contemporary building hosts a number of permanent exhibits showcasing local Pacific Northwest art. The museum believes art is for everyone, and so admission is free of charge thanks to generous donors and museum members.
7. Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
During World War II, Japanese Americans were unjustly placed in concentration camps. On Bainbridge Island, 276 Japanese residents were forced to leave their homes on the island. The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial was built to honor those residents and serve as a reminder to never let it happen again. The memorial is a “story wall” made of cedar wood and granite. All 276 names are written upon the wall.
8. Halls Hill Lookout and Labyrinth
Halls Hill Lookout and Labyrinth overlooks Blakely Harbor and was built to be a meditative space. The area features a stone labyrinth, a bronze prayer wheel, and carvings. There are a number of paths and benches located at this small park.
9. Kids Discovery Museum
The Kids Discovery Museum (KiDiMu) on Bainbridge Island features a number of play spaces and interactive exhibits. If you have young children, they will definitely enjoy an afternoon at the Kids Discovery Museum.
10. Chartered Sailing
At Sail Bainbridge, you can charter a sailboat to sail through the waters surrounding Bainbridge Island. There are a number of packages available. At the time of this writing, a two-hour sail costs $395. Whether you choose a two-hour sail, half-day sail, or overnight sail, you will have an unforgettable experience!
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11. Head to One of the Many Beaches on Bainbridge Island
As you’d expect, Bainbridge Island has many excellent beaches! Here’s a few you may want to check out while you’re visiting:
- Fay Bainbridge Park: Located on the northeast corner of the island, this beach has views of the Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, and Mount Baker on a clear day. This beach is also a sandy beach, which is pretty rare to find in the Puget Sound! There are also tent and RV campsites, as well as two picnic shelters.
- Pritchard Park: This beach is an important historical site. Because Japanese residents were first interred here during World War II, the site was chosen for the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. An industrial site was also previously located on this beach, and the community has worked hard to work towards restoring the beach.
- Fort Ward Park: At this beach, you can watch marine traffic along the Rich Passage. This is one of the larger parks on the island at 137 acres. There’s 4,300 feet of shoreline, historic military structures, an underwater park for scuba divers, 12 picnic shelters, and a boat ramp.
- Hawley Cove Park: One thing we really like about this park is that there is a 600 foot boardwalk. The beach is along wetlands with views of Eagle Harbor.
- Point White Pier: This beach is fairly small, but the pier makes it unique from other beaches in the area.
- Lytle Beach: This beach is located at a road-end, meaning that the area at the end of the road was converted for public use. There’s not a ton of parking, but the beach is a popular place for locals. (And a bit less off-the-radar.) There’s typically equipment (paddle boards or life vests) that has been donated by island residents.
- Rockaway Beach Park: This beach has a view of the Seattle skyline. It’s a smaller park that is popular with scuba divers. At low tide, it’s a good place to go to see marine life.
12. Battle Point Park
Battle Point Park is a large park that has soccer fields, baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a public garden, a large playground, two ponds, a jogging trail, and a disc golf course. It’s the perfect place to run around on a sunny day.
13. Bainbridge Brewing
Bainbridge Brewing has two locations on the island: the Brewery & Taproom (located at Coppertop Park) and Bainbridge Brewing Alehouse (located in downtown Winslow). If you have children in your party, you can head to the location at Coppertop Park. The downtown location is only for adults 21 years old and over. Bainbridge Brewing is an independent craft brewery and they serve some truly excellent beers. If beer isn’t so much your thing, they also sell hard ciders, wine, and locally made Kombucha.
14. Bainbridge Organic Distillery
Located adjacent to Bainbridge Brewing’s Coppertop Loop location is Bainbridge Organic Distillery. We visited both in the same day for a mini pub crawl. The distillery created Washington State’s first USDA Certified organic vodka, gin, and whiskey. (We tried their whiskey the last time we visited, and it was delicious!) As of this writing, they are open for tastings Wednesday through Sunday (12-5pm).
15. Visit a Winery
One of the best things to do on Bainbridge Island is visit one of their many wineries. There are a total of 7 wineries we recommend:
- Bainbridge Vineyards: All of the grapes used in their wines were grown on the island and are certified organic. If you want to try a wine that is purely Bainbridge, this is the place to go. Their outdoor heated patio is open for wine tastings and glass pours. They are kid and dog-friendly.
- Amelia Wynn Winery: Their wines are award-winning. Their tasting room is located within walking distance of the ferry.
- Fletcher Bay Winery: This winery specializes in limited releases from their grapes grown in Eastern Washington. Their wines are then aged in oak barrels. (Barrel tasting available on request.) They have two locations on the island. One is next to the distillery and brewery, and the other is located in downtown within walking distance from the ferry. We visited this winery on our last trip to Bainbridge Island and we thought their wines were excellent!
- Perennial Vintners: This is the smallest commercial vineyard in Washington State at just 2.5 acres. Try one of their wines and stay for a vineyard tour. Their Frambelle (raspberry dessert wine) is made exclusively from Bainbridge Island raspberries.
- Eagle Harbor Wine Co.: This winery creates Bordeaux-style red wines. They have a downtown tasting room in addition to their primary winery location.
- Eleven Winery: This is the largest winery on the island. They create unique varieties such as Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, and Roussanne.
- Rolling Bay: Their tasting room is open on the weekends with reservations. They are a small winery that creates wines from grapes grown on Snipes Mountain.
16. Go for a Hike
Whether you’d like a wooded hike or one with views of the Puget Sound, there are tons of options on the island. Here’s some you may want to check out:
- Grand Forest: In the middle of the island you will find the Grand Forest. There are over 7 miles of trails within the forest. The trails are fairly easy, with up to 350 feet of elevation gain. The most popular sections of the forest are the West and East sections, which each have a main loop trail.
- Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve: This 6.8 mile trail takes you through a second-growth forest. Most of the trail is flat, and then finishes with a steep section. The total elevation gain is 500 feet.
- Waterfront Trail: This short .6 mile trail will take you along the waterfront with views of Eagle Harbor.
17. First Friday Art Walk
On the first Friday of each month, the downtown district in Winslow transforms into an art walk. Art work from galleries and local artists will be on display, as well as lots of food options.
18. Bainbridge Island Farmers Market
During our last visit on Bainbridge, we were lucky to visit the Farmers Market. The market is open on Saturdays from April through November (10am to 2pm). The market features local produce, art, flowers, and products.
19. Bainbridge Gardens
Bainbridge Gardens is a large nursery that sells local produce, house plants, and gifts.
20. Bainbridge Island Troll
Pia the Peacekeeper is the name of the brand new troll that was constructed on Bainbridge Island. The wood sculpture was created by the artist Thomas Dambo, who has constructed similar trolls across the northwest in a project called “Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King.” Pia the Peacekeeper can be found at Sakai Park on Bainbridge Island. The troll was a collaboration between the Danish artist and the Coast Salish people. The troll will be installed for at least three years.
Don’t miss our full guide on the nearby seaport of Port Townsend!
