Things to Do on Vashon Island Off the Beaten Path

I’ve compiled a list of things to do on Vashon Island because, well, I friggin’ love this little island. It’s only a 20-minute ferry ride from Seattle and makes the perfect Seattle day trip. Plus it’s full of artsy, creative people who take pride in farming and artisanal craftsmanship. Basically, my soulmates!

Staying true to my style, here are my favorite Vashon Island activities that give you a sense of what to do on Vashon if you want to experience the island more like a local than a tourist.

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Things to Do on Vashon Island

You can get to Vashon via the Fauntleroy terry terminal in West Seattle or the Point Defiance Ferry Terminal in Tacoma. Since the ferry ride is only 15 to 20 minutes from both departure points, you can easy explore most of what to do on Vashon Island during a day trip.

Visit my favorite Vashon Island restaurants

One of my favorite things to do on Vashon Island is eat. There are a bunch of amazing Vashon Island restaurants next to each other on the main street in downtown Vashon, so it’s easy to do a quick crawl and try a lot back to back. Here are some of my favorites you shouldn’t miss.

May Kitchen + Bar

website | 17614 Vashon Hwy SW | cuisine: Thai

One of my favorite Vashon Island restaurants is May Kitchen and Bar. They block the windows with silk curtains to transport you to a posh lounge in Thailand. You’ll find trendy bartenders making cocktails and cool music to really set a mood.

Make sure to get the pad Thai. During normal dine-in service, they complete it table side and let you choose the heat and sugar level (I prefer less sugar). They also let you try the banana blossom they put in it. It’s quite gross on its own, but in the dish it adds a depth of flavor you can’t quite put your finger on.

Make sure to get a reservation because this place gets crowded. Even their takeout pick up slots sell out!

Snapdragon

website | 17817 Vashon Hwy SW | cuisine: vegetarian

A lot of people go to The Hardware Store for American fare, but I’m obsessed with Snapdragon. It looks like your typical bakery and cafe, but after you order and go to find a seat, you discover a surprise hidden gem: there’s a den with a 21-and-over speakeasy-esque lounge! You’ll often see art from a local artist lining the walls in the lounge, giving it a cool exhibit vibe.

This feels quite out of place for a small vegetarian bakery, but it just works alongside their homemade baked goods, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and soups, all of which rival the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Seattle.

If they’re on the menu, definitely get the breakfast egg sandwich and lentil shawarma sandwich. The egg sandwich has brie, caramelized onion, arugula, and mustard, kind of of like a Croque Madame. The lentil shawarma is sweet and nutty, with an irresistibly soft homemade pita.

Sip at a Vashon winery, brewery, or cidery

There are a handful of wineries, breweries, and cideries on Vashon Island. Here’s a rundown of the alcohol-centric things to do on Vashon Island.

Palouse Winery

website | 12431 Vashon Hwy SW | best for: epic views

Palouse Winery is open year round on the weekends from 12 – 5 pm. Husband and wife, George and Linda Kirkish, underwent a career shift to start making wine. They now produce about 1,400 cases a year using grapes from eastern Washington state.

They have a lovely back porch overlooking the woods with views of the Olympic Mountains in the distance. This is usually reserved for club members, but they told me last time I was there that Sundays are less crowded. When that happens, they seat non-club members back there to soak in the ambiance.

Maury Island Winery

website | 6927 SW Maury Park Rd | best for: estate-grown wines

Maury Island Winery is a small, family-owned winery that grows its own grapes. Owner Bill Riley fell into winemaking and growing after a wine friend told him his property would be great for growing grapes. He hasn’t looked back and now him and his wife, Jan, make about 150 cases a year of pinot noir and pinot gris.

They’re only open for tasting during the summer, so check their website for tasting room hours. I recommend prioritizing this place because it’s super special to try grapes grown in the Puget Sound AVA. You’ll find white varietals like Siegerrebe and Madeleine Angevine you don’t get elsewhere in the United States!

If you’re interested in trying the other Vashon wineries, Pollard Per Se, Andrew Will, and Allie Lanphear sell at the Thriftway grocery store in downtown Vashon. This unassuming food store has a ballin’ wine selection, including bottles from all these local producers.

Camp Colvos Brewing

website | 17636 Vashon Hwy SW | best for: beer garden vibes

Camp Colvos is right across the street from Snapdragon in an old Shell gas station that they transformed into a colorful brewery. They have a large outdoor seating area where you’ll often see crowds enjoying a rotating tap of beers and light bites. They’re known for their savory pies, but I personally enjoy their meatball sub best. Get that if it’s on the menu!

Dragon’s Head Cider

website | 18201 107th Ave SW | best for: cider

Dragon’s Head Cider makes its cider from apples mostly grown in their Vashon Island orchard. They’re open on weekends for tastings and also have a cider club where members can get 4 shipments a year of their beverages.

Nashi Orchards

website | 25407 Wax Orchard Road SW | best for: cider

Nashi Orchards is another cidery that uses mostly the apples grown in their Vashon Island orchards. They also make “perry”, an Asian-pear based cider. Their tasting rooms are open year round on the weekends or on the weekdays by appointment (where you can also request a tour).

Take one of many Vashon Island hikes

Vashon Island may be relatively small, but there are Vashon Island hikes worth taking. Here’s a good resource from Alltrail, and below are some of my favorites.

Shinglemill Creek Preserve

Shinglemill Creek Preserve is an about 3- to 3.5-mile hike through shaded forest that leads you out to the beach after crossing a street. I’m not a hardcore hiker and I thought this was fairly moderate. However, there is a 1/4 mile steep part that is slippery when muddy and a pain in the A on the way back.

I hiked this in early November and loved watching salmon spawning in the river leading to the beach. You could hear the hundreds of salmon splashing around under the bridge and then making their way down the river. If you happen to hike during salmon season, make sure to stop and see if you can spot some of these magnificent creatures.

Point Robinson Lighthouse

This is more a stroll than a hike, but the view at Point Robinson Lighthouse can’t be beat. You’ll find a beach with driftwood that wraps around the curve of the island, often teaming with seagulls fishing. When you wrap around the curve of the island facing west, you’ll be met with strong winds and beautiful wave breaks. I remember laughing like a lunatic at the sudden gusts of wind flapping my cheeks and messing my hair.

You can take tours of the lighthouse on Sundays during the summer or schedule a tour during the offseason. You can also stay right in Point Robinson Park at the two restored keeper’s quarters. Being right on the beach makes for an idilic view of island life!

You can also view the beaches and Vashon Island shoreline by renting a kayak or paddle board through Vashon Adventures. On a sunny day you can see Mount Rainier looming in the distance, which makes for great photos.

Maury Island Marine Park

Near Point Robinson Lighthouse on the south eastern part of Vashon Island is Maury Island Marine Park. It boasts more than one mile of shoreline that you can access via a 3/4 mile gravel maintenance road not open to vehicles. It slopes down toward the beach the whole way, so know what goes down must come back up.

But once you’re on the shore you’ll be met with stunning views of the East Passage, Mount Rainier, and the Cascade Mountains. You’ll also have seen Madrona trees, a salt marsh, and maybe even some great blue herons on the wooded walk down to the beach.

Seek out food-focused Vashon Island activities

Vashon Island has a strong farming culture, so there are many food-related Vashon Island activities available.

Visit the farmers market

If you’re on Vashon Island on a Saturday between May and December, head to the farmers market right in downtown Vashon. You’ll find about 50 stalls selling fresh produce and artisanal goods from 10 am to 3 pm. It reminds me of the Seattle farmers markets, but more quaint since many of the vendors will be chatting up locals.

Come winter, it moves to a less frequent schedule outside the Vashon Island Center of the Arts.

Take a garden or farm tour

Every summer, the Vashon Island Center for the Arts hosts a garden show that takes guests on a self-guided tour of beautiful gardens on the island. A lot of these highlight floral plants, but you’ll also find some with edible gardens.

You can take a self-guided farm tour by following this farm map from the Vashon Island Grower’s Association. You can also signup for one of VIGA’s education workshops during the growing season or contact farms on the map to see if you can schedule a farm visit.

Visit Vashon farms

Mukai Farm is a nationally-registered historic farm once owned by the Mukai family. It has beautiful Japanese gardens and it free to visit.

The most locally famous option is Kurtwood Farms owned by Kurt Timmermeister who was a popular restauranteur in Seattle ages ago. Now he owns a beautiful farm where he hosts summer classes with some of Seattle’s most recognizable chefs. You can also stay on the property’s Airbnb.

Take in the Vashon art scene

As someone always on the hunt for the best PNW artists and handmade gifts from the PNW, I was delighted to discover Vashon Island is an artsy, creative community. You will find local art lining the walls of most cafes and art waiting to be purchased at some shops. The Vashon Island Center for the Arts is a good place to stalk before your visit to see what exhibits and events are happening on the island when you go.

For example, on one trip I discovered a whole community of weavers hosting classes and art shows throughout the month. I walked into the Vashon Island Center for the Arts and there were people basket weaving by hand or learning how to use a loom. There were also beautiful tapestries and fiber arts all over the walls.

You can also check the Vashon Chamber of Commerce for performing arts on their event calendar. The Vashon Island Visual Artists organization has a map of all the artist studios on the island that you can visit.

Shop for local goods

Vashon Island’s downtown area is small, but there are some good shops worth visiting. I love stopping by Giraffe Home for beautifully-curated, fair trade home goods from across the world. The tag on each item tells you what country it’s from and sometimes includes a story about the maker.

Some of the best Seattle-area coffee is roasted on Vashon Island. Head to Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie to pick up a coffee and a few bags to take home. You can also find cult-favorite Pollard Per Se Coffee in the local Thriftway or at Giraffe Home.

If you’re a thrifter like me, see if there’s a Vashon estate sale when you’ll be there. This company hosts regular pop-up estate sales featuring vintage high-quality vintage goods without the high price tags.

Map of more Vashon Island activities

To give you a sense of space, here is a Vashon Island map I put together so you can see where all the things to do on Vashon Island are in relation to each other. Save it to your phone so you can have a map of Vashon Island as you explore the island’s many activities

More to explore

Looking to explore other islands near Seattle?

• Visit Lummi Island
• Spend a day on Bainbridge Island, another island ~30 minutes from Seattle
• Visit San Juan Island, my second favorite island behind Vashon
• Go wine tasting on Whidbey Island
• Eat at the best West Seattle restaurants before taking the ferry to Vashon

Want to explore other food-focused activities?

• Take a self-guided Seattle food tour
• Let me plan you a custom food travel itinerary
• Check off items on this Seattle for foodies bucket list
• Eat your way through these must-try dishes in Seattle