Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor is a town on the Kitsap Peninsula in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.

Gig Harbor, the southern gateway to the Kitsap Peninsula and the Olympic Peninsula, lies just across the dramatic Tacoma Narrows Bridge from Tacoma. This tucked-away town sits on a scenic inlet framing a postcard-perfect view of Mount Rainier. Gig Harbor's strong Scandinavian and Croatian heritage has always influenced its nautical lifestyle and fishing-village character. Today specialty shops, creative boutiques, art galleries and waterfront restaurants add to its appeal and make it a wonderful get-away.

By car

 * WA-16.svg from I-5.svg: A car is really quite requisite to see the Gig Harbor area as a whole. Gig Harbor is easy to get to by car from the rest of the Puget Sound area. From Interstate 5 take the Washington State Hwy 16 west across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The first four exits after the bridge are all Gig Harbor exits.

By boat
The Shoreline Restaurant at the head of the bay and the Tides Tavern toward the entrance offer floats for patrons.



By bus
The major bus stations in Gig Harbor for Pierce Transit (Rt #100 & 101) and Sound Transit Rt #595 are at the and the, near downtown at Kimbell Dr, off of the Pioneer Way Exit from Hwy 16. The Kitsap Transit Bus only serve the Purdy P&R while the Olympic Bus Lines pick up and drop off at The Inn at Gig Harbor:
 * 595 goes up to downtown Seattle via Tacoma Community College, Tacoma Dome during the morning rush hours and returning to Gig Harbor in the afternoons, no weekend service.
 * 590,594 goes from downtown Seattle to downtown Tacoma via the Tacoma Dome Station at all hours during the week and weekends. Take the #1 or 2 bus from Downtown Tacoma to Tacoma Community College (TCC) and transfer to #100 bus to Gig Harbor. Transfer to Greyhound and Amtrak at the Tacoma Dome Station or in downtown Seattle.
 * 100 Goes from Tacoma Community College (S 19th & Mildred) to Gig Harbor, and provides local service through Gig Harbor (between Point Fossdick Dr & 45th to Purdy P&R).
 * 590,594 goes from downtown Seattle to downtown Tacoma via the Tacoma Dome Station at all hours during the week and weekends. Take the #1 or 2 bus from Downtown Tacoma to Tacoma Community College (TCC) and transfer to #100 bus to Gig Harbor. Transfer to Greyhound and Amtrak at the Tacoma Dome Station or in downtown Seattle.
 * 100 Goes from Tacoma Community College (S 19th & Mildred) to Gig Harbor, and provides local service through Gig Harbor (between Point Fossdick Dr & 45th to Purdy P&R).
 * 100 Goes from Tacoma Community College (S 19th & Mildred) to Gig Harbor, and provides local service through Gig Harbor (between Point Fossdick Dr & 45th to Purdy P&R).
 * 100 Goes from Tacoma Community College (S 19th & Mildred) to Gig Harbor, and provides local service through Gig Harbor (between Point Fossdick Dr & 45th to Purdy P&R).

By plane
The  (for general aviation only) is  south of downtown Gig Harbor and  from downtown Tacoma. The nearest airport for commercial passenger flights is in Sea-Tac. The Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter operates a regularly scheduled shuttle connection to Gig Harbor from Sea-Tac (see listing under By bus in the above).

Get around
The town name suggests that this is a harbor town. Boaters can moor in the harbor, a part of Puget Sound, and explore the many shops, cafes, and galleries downtown.

Those coming in on four wheels can struggle to find parking in downtown, but once they do, exploring the town by foot is well worth it.

By bus

 * Bus route 100 - Local service between retail centers at 45th St Ct NW & Point Fossdick Dr NW, Kimball Dr P&R, downtown and Purdy P&R. There's no bus service to most places west of Hwy 16 and Key Peninsula (KPN & KPS). During the summers, there is a local trolley bus numbered #101 along the same route as the #100.
 * Bus route 100 - Local service between retail centers at 45th St Ct NW & Point Fossdick Dr NW, Kimball Dr P&R, downtown and Purdy P&R. There's no bus service to most places west of Hwy 16 and Key Peninsula (KPN & KPS). During the summers, there is a local trolley bus numbered #101 along the same route as the #100.

See
Besides Gig Harbors maritime town center around the harbor, there are many things to see in the nearby area.

Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore Gig Harbor and 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. Thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees and hundreds of creeks and estuaries dot the coastline. Or just explore Kitsaps many harbor towns like Gig Harbor that cater to kayakers with shops and restaurants accessible from the water such as the Tides Tavern. With kayak rentals available nearby Gig Harbor is a popular place to spend a few hours exploring or set off or restock on a major expedition.

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



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.

Conservation areas

 * Well-known to regional scuba divers, Z's Reef Marine Preserve is a designated conservation area on the shores of Fox Island just south of Gig Harbor. 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.
 * Well-known to regional scuba divers, Z's Reef Marine Preserve is a designated conservation area on the shores of Fox Island just south of Gig Harbor. 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.

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 state's 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.

Buy
Gig Harbor has many locally owned and operated shops in its downtown area, ranging from dress shops to music stores and jewelry studios. There are quite a few art galleries and other stores that sell art of various types. There are other major stores, banks, clinics and small locally owned stores around the Hwy 16/NW Olympic Dr junction:



Sleep
There are several lodging choices in Gig Harbor from hotels, to bed-and-breakfasts, to motels, to vacation rentals.



Camping


Additional camping and moorage options are available at nearby Kopachuck and Joemma Beach State Parks.

By car
Tacoma lies to the south across the Tacoma Narrows Toll Bridge and Olalla and Port Orchard lie to the north.

By boat
Gig Harbor is 6.8 nautical miles to Cedrona Cove on Fox Island. It is also a launch to visit Eagle Island on Balch Passage north of Anderson Island which is 12.5 nautical miles. Penrose Point State Park is 13.8 nautical miles due south after passing underneath the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle 24 nautical miles away.