I will share with you a bit of info based in my experience visiting my family, feel free to contact me if you have any question! To reach there, you can travel from Bainbridge to Seattle for free if you take your bike or walk. If you are an adult taking a vehicle, you must pay $14 for the car and $9.85 for each adult. Tickets for children are free, while seniors are half-price.
Seattle-Bainbridge Escapade
You can find so many fantastic things to do on a Seattle to Bainbridge escapade. There are so many wonderful options that you will find it easy to fill more than one day with adventures, so consider staying in a Bainbridge hotel. Fantastic options include:
- The Marshall Suites
- The Inn at Pleasant Beach
- Quality Inn and Suites
- The Eagle Harbor Inn
- Inn at Vineyard Lane
There are also numerous bed and breakfast facilities available.
Bainbridge Visitor Information
A great place to start your visit is at the Bainbridge Visitor Information Center. While there is a kiosk outside the ferry terminal, take the walkway to downtown Winslow and visit the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce, where maps, brochures and additional visitor helps are available 24 hours a day. During the week, you will want to visit with the ambassadors to learn about special events that might be occurring around the island during your visit. The Town & Country Market next door is a terrific place to stock up on snacks and things you may have forgotten at home. You will also want to visit the farmers market, which is open on Saturdays from April through December.
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
As you follow the boardwalk from the ferry to the chamber’s office, you will pass the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and this is a fantastic place to stop and explore. Exhibits at the museum change at least every three months, so if you have visited before, stop as you will love seeing new things. This museum contains exhibits by many artists working in different media, including sculptures, jewelry, paintings, recycled art and photography.
Bainbridge Historical Museum
I always love learning the history of any area I visit, and you will want to go to the Bainbridge Historical Museum to learn more about the exciting history of this island. The island is the ancestral home of the Suquamish Tribe, whose members have lived on the island for at least 14,000 years. They ceded over the island through the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855.
Timber was an important industry on Bainbridge Island in the late 1800s. Many people from Japan came to the island to work in the mills, and they quickly became welcomed neighbors.
The museum is a great place to learn more about the logging industry’s rise and decline. In addition, you can learn more about the businesses and farms these residents built after its decline at the museum.
Bainbridge Public Library
Heading a little north of the Bainbridge Historical Museum brings you to the Bainbridge Public Library. You will love exploring this building’s art. Most of the pieces have been generously donated to the library.
You will also want to visit the library’s two gardens. On the west side of the main building is the Haiku No Niwa, Japanese Haiku Garden. The island’s Japanese-American community created this garden as a tribute to their ancestors. You will especially love seeing the haiku stones with haikus written on them scattered around the garden.
The second garden is the fern garden. This garden contains almost 100 fern species and quiet nooks for reading and contemplation. Therefore, I love spending time reflecting in this area.
Grand Forest
Heading even further north will bring you to the Grand Forest. Some Bainbridge Island residents have worked tirelessly together to restore some of the island’s natural look, and the Grand Forest is a fantastic opportunity to see their efforts. You will love hiking under the canopy of lush firs, cedars maples and a few giant conifers on the eight miles of trails at this park that was ceded to the city by the Washington Department of Natural Resources in 1989. Residents have worked tirelessly to restore the second-growth forest.
The Grand Forest is divided into two parts, Grand Forest East and Grand Forest West. The Forest to Sky Trail connects the two parts, and it is a fantastic way to see all this park has to offer, including its small pond. It is easy to see the Seattle ferry on Bainbridge Island’s landing from the highest point in the Grand Forest.
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
Directly across the water from the Seattle to Bainbridge ferry landing is the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, one of the most emotionally powerful places on the island. This site uses a story wall to tell the tale of the Japanese residents forced from the island during World War II. Operated by the National Park Service, it is at the historic Eagledale ferry dock landing site. The wall also contains the names of the 276 residents who were forced off the island and into confinement.
Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve
After visiting the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, I love spending time in nature to reflect on how the island has changed because of the contribution of the citizens who chose to return to the island after being released. A perfect place to do that is at the Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve, the largest nature preserve on the island.
This preserve was created through grants to protect wildlife. More than 115 bird species have been spotted at this 312-acre preserve, and you can see some of them while you hike on the preserve’s trails. You are also likely to see some of the 27 species of amphibians that live here. The scenery is stunning, especially near the lake, with the mountains in the background.
Pleasant Beach
People who love shopping and dining in an upscale environment will not want to miss visiting Pleasant Beach. One of my favorite ways to unwind on Saturdays is to attend the musical events at the Lynnwood Theater, constructed in 1936. They also frequently show foreign, classic and indie films. You will love the intimate setting.
With so many fantastic things to do on Bainbridge Island, you will want to take the Seattle to Bainbridge ferry soon. The ferry schedule from Seattle to Bainbridge Island has the first ferry leaving at 6:30 a.m. From then, the Seattle ferry schedule to Bainbridge has them leaving about every 50 minutes until 12:53 a.m., so getting to and from the island is easy and convenient. Therefore, you should go from Seattle to Bainbridge on your next visit.
And if you are more of videos, this video from Diana transmit quite well a visit to Bainbridge, enjoy !