Welcome to the KEY PENINSULA

Visitors typically respond with surprise on their first visit to the Key Peninsula. Most are awed by the miles of accessible shoreline, the stunning mountain views, and the wealth of open space just minutes away from the Puget Sound’s major population concentrations. It is hard to believe that a place of such natural beauty has been able to maintain its rural character and pristine shoreline within a stone’s throw of a major metropolis.

Commerce on the Key is scattered along the Key Peninsula Hwy, transecting the peninsula from north to south. Several small villages, separated by forested areas, provide services to both residents and visitors. Along the way you’ll find great lattes to warm you up on a cold day, restaurants to replenish your energy before you head back to the beach, and well supplied stores waiting to help re-fill picnic baskets and coolers. Specialty shops, a vibrant artist community, nurseries, wineries, and small scale farms all welcome visitors. So if you find yourself unprepared take advantage of all the community has to offer, everything you need for a stay can be found here!

The southernmost sliver of land extending into the south Puget Sound, the Key Peninsula provides the ideal environment for canoeists and kayakers. There are numerous estuaries and sheltered bays awaiting exploration by paddlers. Access to the Sound can be found at several locations, including the peninsula’s two state parks, Key Pen Parks’ properties scattered strategically along the shoreline, and four local boat ramps. It is possible to paddle the entire perimeter of the peninsula with ample public sites to stop, picnic, and camp along the way. Sailors, power boaters, and fishermen all find what they are looking for in the waters surrounding the Key. Even windsurfers have found that Henderson Bay provides an ideal micro environment to play without trekking to the Gorge or other distant destinations.

The Key lends itself to the outdoor enthusiast. Bicyclists are greeted by miles of less traveled back roads looping across the terrain, providing options for numerous circular routes. Walkers, hikers, and volksmarchers can choose trails through a variety of habitats including beaches, secluded forests, and riparian environs, varying in difficulty and terrain. Key Pen Parks enriches the recreational offerings available on the Key. Their sites provide access to many of these areas, as well as opportunities for picnicking, beachcombing, team sports, and exploring untouched forest and coastline.

The Key’s overnight options include several B & Bs, camping at the state parks, and private vacation rentals. Many of these are literally on the beach, allowing the visitor to have the Sound right outside their door, if only for an evening.

At every stop you’ll find the warmth and spirit of Key Peninsulans to be the area’s greatest asset. Independent, hardworking, mischievous, thoughtful, generous… These are the attributes common to the full time residents of the Key. So, come and visit… for a day… a long weekend… or if you’re particularly lucky, a lifetime!