Manchester (Washington)

Manchester is located on the Kitsap Peninsula in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.

Understand
Manchester is a charming waterfront village with spectacular views of Puget Sound, a public boat dock, bike routes, shopping, and a restaurant. Manchester, a subdistrict of Port Orchard, is uniquely located between ferries to Bremerton, Vashon Island and Fauntleroy in West Seattle and a convenient stop over when exploring the area by boat.

Manchester was established in the 1860s and was originally known as Brooklyn, after the borough in New York City. The name was changed to Manchester in 1892 in honor of the city of Manchester, England. Like many communities in Puget Sound, Manchester was only accessible by boat until a permanent dock was built in 1908. After then, regular steamboat service connected Manchester to nearby communities.

By car
Located between Southworth and Port Orchard near Manchester State Park. The three main streets in Manchester are Colchester Dr SE, E Chester Rd and Beach Dr E.

Get around
Manchesters few shops, library and restaurant are all centrally located around the pier and within walking distance.

Beach combing
What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains scatter on the horizons. Manchester has a small beach that is great for a picnic or letting the kids play in the sand or the more adventurous could head over to nearby Manchester State Park which is an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering 3400 feet of beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sites and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.

Sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed, however the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.

Crabbing
Manchester is an excellent place to launch a boat to search out the elusive and meaty Dungeness Crab, but other less popular crabs are plentiful in the area. Crab season starts with a two-day opener July 1st and 2nd and follows up with crabbing every Thursday through Monday through Labor Day weekend. A wide array of crab traps are available from a variety of area sporting goods stores and the red and white buoys marking the traps are a common site on the water during the short crabbing season. Fishing permits are required and can be purchased from a variety of local stores, more information is available from the Washington Department of Fishing and Wildlife.

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) however not all beaches are safe for shellfishing and you should always check the states website for any safety concerns or beach closures before proceeding and like all fishing in Puget Sound permits are required. Nearby Manchester State Park is closed to shellfishing however nearby Blake Island has some wonderful public beds.

Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Kitsap Peninsulas 371 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 Manchester that cater to kayakers with shops and restaurants accessible from the water. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sites while the occasional viewing of an Orca or Grey Whale is not out of the question.

Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate and scenic travel destinations and Manchester is located on the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails.



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. The state has offers a guide to parks with launch sites.

Conservation areas

 * Well-known to regional scuba divers, Orchard Rocks Conservation Area is located north east of Manchester State Park in the waters and bedlands of Rich Passage within a 400-yard radius of Orchard Rocks day marker and accessible by boat.  The natural bedrock and boulders provide habitats for rock associated fish and invertebrate species. Copper rockfish and quillback rockfish once were common at this site but now are rare. Brown rockfish  are common as are lingcod, red Irish lord, buffalo sculpin, striped seaperch, and pile perch . Kelp greenling, painted greenling, cabezon are consistently present in the reserve. Dominant invertebrates include red rock crab, spider crabs, red sea cucumber, and orange sea cucumber. Harbor seals frequently visit the site and are often seen hauled out on the exposed rocks at low tide. California sea lions are also commonly observed at the site and may be seen hauled out on nearby navigational buoys.

Drink
The Manchester Family Inn also has a bar area.

Sleep

 * Camping is also available at nearby Manchester State Park.
 * Camping is also available at nearby Manchester State Park.
 * Camping is also available at nearby Manchester State Park.

By car
Southworth and its ferry terminal are to the south, Port Orchard is to the west.

By boat
Manchester is the closest boat launch to Blake Island State Park but there are many other areas to explore as well including Vashon Island and Bainbridge Island and the many communities along the Sinclair Inlet including Port Orchard. Nearby Manchester State Park has several camping sites reserved for non motorized campers such as sea kayakers.