Everett’s Jetty Island


Hike Length: 3 miles (weekday), 8 miles (weekend)
Elevation Gain: minimal
Hike Difficulty: easy
Map: City of Everett street map
hike overview map


Located in Everett’s Port Gardiner Bay, Jetty Island is an odd creation of both artificial and natural forces. The construction of the jetty was started in 1895 in an attempt to trap the waters of the Snohomish River and convert the bay into a fresh water harbor. However, the project never worked as intended. Over the years, river and tidal currents deposited sand around the jetty, converting it into a broad island. Eventually, plant life took hold on the island, making it increasingly naturalized and attracting birds and other wildlife.

Today Jetty Island functions as a important wildlife refuge. It’s also a popular destination for humans, who enjoy the sandy beaches, Puget Sound vistas, and unusually warm (at least by Sound standards) swimming. On a warm summer day, it’ s about the closest thing to Waikiki Beach there is in the Seattle area. A free ferry running in July and August provides transportation to the island.

The Everett waterfront is still quite gritty and industrial, offering little attraction to hikers or tourists. When Jetty Island is not accessible, which is the case most of the year, it’s probably not worth coming out for a visit--unless you like things gritty and industrial.

Getting There:

A trip to Jetty Island is a multimedia affair, involving two different bus systems, a ferry ride, and a long walk on weekends. There is no ferry service to Jetty Island on Monday, Tuesday, in any season other than summer, or in bad weather anytime. What route you use to get to the ferry dock depends on whether it is a weekday or weekend:

On Weekdays:

From downtown Seattle (4th and Union) catch the ST 510 express bus and ride it to downtown Everett. Get off at Pacific St and Wetmore Ave, a short ride beyond Everett Station. [GPS N 47 deg 58 min 34 sec, W 122 deg 12 min 31 sec].

At Wetmore Ave, transfer to the northbound Everett Transit (ET) bus 23, Your Community Transit transfer is valid for this ride. Get off at the 10th St Marina stop, on the Everett waterfront [N 48 deg 00 min 15 sec, W 122 deg 12 min 51 sec].

On Weekends:

From dowtown Seattle (4th and Union), ride the ST 510 bus to Everett Station [N 47 deg 58 min 29 sec, W 122 deg 11 min 51 sec].

At Everett Station, transfer to ET bus 9, and ride to the Everett Community College stop at Broadway and 9th [N 48 deg 00 min 19 sec, W 122 deg 12 min 03 sec].

From here, walk to the 10th Street Marina as described below, a distance of about 2.5 miles.

The Hike:

If you arrived at the 10th St Marina by ET 23, then it’s only a short walk west along the marina access drive to the Jetty Island Ferry, located at the waterfront near a park with restrooms and picnic tables. The ferries depart every half hour. Riding the ferry requires a reservation, which you can pick up at a kiosk in the park.

Once on the island, you can wander at will along the two mile length of the island. On a clear day the views over Puget Sound (technically Possession Sound here) to the jagged skyline of the Olympic Mountains is breathtaking. Many people make a beach holiday out of their island visit, bringing picnic supplies and blankets and just lounging in the sand. Swimming is best when the tide is high. There is no shade on the island, so bring plenty of sun protection.

If you arrived in Everett on a weekend, you’ve got a bit of a walk (about 2.5 miles) to get to Jetty Island. From the recommended stop at Everett Community College, walk west through the campus to Wetmore Ave. Go right (north) on Wetmore to its intersection with Alverson Blvd. Follow Alverson north past the American Legion Memorial Park, where you can find a small garden, lawns, and restrooms. There’ s also a nice view out over the Everett harbor from here.

Shortly past the park, Alverson Blvd. intersects Marine View Drive. Carefully cross the wide, high traffic Marine View Drive to the north side, where there is a generous sidewalk. Go left (west) and follow the drive over a bridge spanning railroad tracks and on down to the waterfront. Despite the industrial nature of the Everett waterfront, the walking is not half bad. You often meet joggers on the sidewalk as you head south along the harbor. Pleasant views out over Possession Sound and bracing sea breezes will keep your energy up, and soon enough you will arrive at the 10th St Marina. Follow the access driveway to the Jetty Island ferry dock as described above.

Of course, you can do this walk on weekdays if you so wish. In this case, you have the option of riding the ET 23 back to downtown Everett when you are finished with Jetty Island. If you are a weekender, you will have to walk back, either by the same route as previously described, or you can continue south down the waterfront, along the way passing the U.S. Navy home port base and a huge paper mill. Go left (east) at Everett Avenue to get back to downtown Everett, where you may catch busses back home.

Getting Back

If you walked back to Everett Community College, ride ET 9 to Everett Station. Transfer to ST 510 to get to downtown Seattle.

If you walked or rode ET 23 to downtown Everett, go to Wetmore Ave between Hewett and Pacific St, and catch the ST 510 to get the University District and downtown Seattle. 

Rev 02.18.07