Fox Island

Fox Island is located off the Kitsap Peninsula in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.

Fox Island is a 5.2 square mile island off the south end of the Kitsap Peninsula. Semi-rural with bridge access; near Gig Harbor and across the "Narrows" from Tacoma.

By car
Fox Island is connected to the rest of Kitsap Peninsula by a bridge located south of Gig Harbor and conveniently close to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

By boat

 * The Beachside Bed and Breakfast listed below offers deep water moorage and a gentle beach for landing small craft for guests staying there.
 * Buoys and a dock are available with basic facilities at nearby Kopachuck State Park with addition buoys available at Cutts Island.
 * The Beachside Bed and Breakfast listed below offers deep water moorage and a gentle beach for landing small craft for guests staying there.
 * Buoys and a dock are available with basic facilities at nearby Kopachuck State Park with addition buoys available at Cutts Island.

Get around
A car is necessary to navigate the center of the island but exploring the area by boat offers unparalleled views of Fox Island's terrain and Mt. Rainier across Puget Sound.

Shellfishing
Shellfish are prized resources of the Puget Sound, the cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington State is the nation’s leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, geoduck, mussels and oysters) and with Kitsap Peninisulas dozens of Public Clam and Oyster Beaches and miles of coastline it is a popular place for individuals to find these elusive and sought after shellfish. Maps of public shellfishing areas and health warnings and updates can be found online at the States Fish and Wildlife website, as with all fishing in Puget Sound permits are required and can be purchased online or in some sporting goods stores.

Scuba diving


Scuba diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than other warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible. The area contains some of the best diving in the world and many areas are accessible from the Kitsap Peninsula. Many dive sites are completely covered with colorful sea creatures that defy description. Giant Pacific Octopus are common, along with friendly wolf eels. Colorful sponges, sea cucumbers, sea stars, soft corals, anemones and fish can be seen on nearly every dive. The state has offers a guide to parks with launch sites here.

Conservation areas

 * Well-known to regional scuba divers, Z's Reef Marine Preserve is a designated conservation area on the shores of Fox Island. A variety of fishes typically associated with rocky habitats congregate at the site and in such quantities that are unusual for southern Puget Sound. The dominant fishes include copper rockfish, brown rockfish, and quillback rockfish. Other common fishes include lingcod, kelp greenling, painted greenling, wolfeel, and striped seaperch. Pregnant rockfishes are observed at the site during the spring indicating that at least some fishes use the site for reproduction.  Other marine organisms include sea stars, encrusting organisms such as giant barnacles, red sea cucumbers, shrimp, and red rock crabs. Seastars are common including sunflower seastar and gumboot chitons are also frequently observed.

Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking is a rewarding way to explore the Kitsap Peninsulas nearly 400 miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings and making Kitsap one of the most popular areas to kayak in Puget Sound. Fox Islands south Puget Sound location allows excellent viewing of thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees in the area and is an excellent place to launch from their public boat launch at 2607 Fox Island Bridge Road. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sites and sea kayaking is an excellent way to explore the local tidal pools.

Kayak trails
Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate and scenic travel destinations.



Camping
Buoys, dock and camping facilities are available with basic utilities are available nearby at Kopachuck State Park with addition buoys available at Cutts Island.

By car
Gig Harbor is to the north and Tacoma is to the east via the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

By boat
Fox Island is a good starting place to explore the area, Penrose Point State Park and the marina at Lakebay is about 2 miles to the west.