Can you canoe?
/Go ahead - say it three times really fast! Can you canoe? Can you canoe? Can you canoe?
At Camp Sound View, we are blessed to be located on an amazing sandy beach on Puget Sound. Part of our property is this huge sandbar (quite a navigational hazard at low tide) but a wonderful place to explore at low tide and a perfect starting place for canoeing adventures.
Let's refer to the map, shall we?
- Drayton Passage. This separates the Key Peninsula from Anderson and McNeil Islands. It is navigable and occasionally larger boats and tugs can be seen.
- The Devil's Head. Not sure why it is called this. Maybe it was a bit tricky and shallow when sailing vessels and underpowered steamers (Mosquito Fleet) plied the area. It is a great short destination for canoe adventures from camp.
- Filucy Bay. A nice cove with a marina to explore. 100 years ago, it was destined to be quite a tourist place but that fizzled out. There is not much in downtown Longbranch anymore but a nice canoe trip nonetheless.
- Lakebay. For a longer trip, getting to Lakebay will reward you with a real store and restaurant.
- Oro Bay. On Anderson Island - this is one of the destinations for the Expedition campers.
- Eagle Island. This is a state park and a worthy mid-range trip when the weather is nice. The island is fun to explore but keep a close eye on the tides, the wind, and the weather.
- Nisqually. This is a wildlife sanctuary. Birds abound in this area. Not a beginner trip. Maybe next year with longer range sea kayaks.
- Andy's Marine Park. On Anderson Island. A great place to have lunch and explore. There is a good nature trail that leads up away from the rocky beach.
- YMCA Camp Coleman. A hearty trip for maybe teens, LITs, with a chance to learn from seeing another camp.
So you see that with such a remarkable location, and summer being a fantastic time to play and explore, we take canoeing very seriously at Sound View. The canoe, for the Native Americans and the early pioneers, was the perfect mode of travel - stable, able to carry cargo, easy to get into tight places, easy to build and maintain. Our area is so rich in history it really comes alive while paddling a canoe.
