Day Hike - Dockton Forest & Maury Island Natural Area

This is the 3rd of three trips for Tuesday Sep 24 for a "Day of Vashon & Maury Islands" - see itinerary below. Click here for the 1st trip and here for the 2nd trip. Please only register if you are genuinely committed to spending a day on Vashon. It is challenging for others on the waitlist to arrange schedules when those on the roster cancel 1-2 days before the trip. Leader reserves the right to cancel anyone off the roster whose activity history lists multiple recent cancellations.

Meet at 7:50 am at public parking lot at 4829 SW Barton Street near Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal *OR* after the Point Robinson Park Urban Adventure at S.S. Dockton Playground (9500 SW Dockton Street - Vashon). For those riding together on the ferry, we will split ferry cost equally by participants per car. After introductions and discussion of group goals and trail conditions, we will plan to start hiking shortly thereafter. No parking passes required. There are city bathrooms near the starting point at Dockton Park Playground.

The Maury Island Natural Area is located on the southeast shore of Maury Island on lands formerly operated as a sand and gravel mine, and is now a 275-acre park. The park contains madrone forests and habitat that supports endangered species such as Chinook salmon, orca, and bull trout. The site’s nearly one mile of shoreline is the longest undeveloped stretch of Puget Sound shoreline in King County.

We will start at Dockton Park and follow a counter-clockwise route at an avg pace of 2.5 mph around (but not through) the Gravel Pit. We will stop briefly to take a pic and enjoy the view at the east/southeast viewpoint before heading back east to west.

While elevation gain is low to modest, hike has a Leader Rating of Challenging due to club activity standards regading pace. Otherwse a non-technical hike.

Day on Vashon & Maury Islands Itinerary

• Arrive 8:35 am via Fauntleroy ferry (or meet at 8:45 am at 188th Street trailhead)
• Island Center Forest Hike
• Lunch at Mica's Kitchen - 17917 Vashon Highway SW menu
• Brief visit to "Oscar the Bird King" troll at Point Robinson Park
• Maury Island Natural Area Loop
• Depart 3:45 pm or 4:50 pm via Vashon Island ferry

Click here for Gaia route.

Click here for Vashon parks map.

Click here and here for King County info pages.

Full details will be soon after registration closes on Sep 20. In the interim, please contact the leader with any questions at BMPeacock@aol.com.