Belfair lies at the innermost waters of Hood Canal, at the far south end of the Kitsap Peninsula in the Puget Sound of Washington state. It is home to the renowned Theler Wetlands, a center for environmental recreation and education.
Get in
[edit]By car
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State Route (SR) 3 is the main roadway in Belfair, travelling through the core of Belfair and leading to Bremerton in the north and Allyn in the south.
State Route (SR) 106 intersects SR-3 at the south end of town, where it leads drivers from Belfair to Union, farther south along the shores of Hood Canal.
By bus
[edit]The area is serviced by Mason Transit, a public transport operator, with routes to and from nearby communities of Shelton (Route 1) and Bremerton (Route 3). The Belfair-Bremerton route goes up into the Bremerton Ferry Terminal, making it easy for travelers to get to Belfair from Seattle and King County.
Get around
[edit]
By bus
[edit]Mason Transit operates the Belfair Loop bus (Route 4), a local shuttle around town.
See
[edit]- Multiple full-wall artistic murals scattered throughout town
Do
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- 1 Theler Wetlands, 22803 WA-33. These protected wetlands are where the Union River estuary meets the far end of the Hood Canal. More than 4 miles of well-groomed nature trails and boardwalks take you to prime wildlife watching habitat. The Nature Center classroom is only open for educational groups, but is surrounded by interpretive displays, and there are short self-guided walking tour itineraries. Free.
- 2 Tahuya State Forest (between Tahuya and Belfair), ☏ +1 360-825-1631, [email protected]. A 23,000-acre working forest on the southeastern portion of the Hood Canal. Tahuya offers recreation opportunities primarily for off-road vehicle riding (ORV), but also for horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, camping and other uses. This popular year-round destination area attracts more than 150,000 motorized recreationists and 50,000 non-motorized recreationists each year.
Water activities
[edit]Hood Canal, despite its name is not a canal but it actually an inland fjord that stretches for over 70 miles inland separating the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula. It is a prime destination in the area for outdoor recreation and nature viewing with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and lush forests. Waterskiing, shellfishing, beachcombing, swimming and picnicking are popular during warm weather.
- 3 Belfair State Park, 3151 NE SR 300, ☏ +1 360 275-0668, [email protected]. 8AM-dusk. A 65-acre, year-round camping park on 3,720 feet of saltwater shoreline at the southern end of Hood Canal. It is noted for its saltwater tide flats, wetlands with wind-blown beach grasses and pleasant areas for beach walking. Discover Pass required ($10/day, $45/year).
Birdwatching
[edit]The Kitsap Audubon Society has been meeting since 1972 and has a broad coalition of birders tracking and sharing sightings since then. They maintain an active website with updates of the latest sightings, suggestions on areas for birders and even a regular newsletter. They also developed a checklist of birds likely to be seen birds in the area.
The state Audubon society developed The Great Audubon Birding Trail which includes key migration flyways. Flyways are major north-south routes of travel for migratory birds and likely areas to see birds along the route extending from Alaska to Patagonia. The Theler Wetlands are a good place for birdwatching.
Buy
[edit]Gift shops and an art gallery featuring local artists can be found on SR-3, the main road through town.
- Belfair Farmers Market, in the parking lot of the community center, just off SR-3, across from Belfair Elementary. May-Sep: Sa 9AM-1PM. Offers farm-fresh produce, arts, crafts, food and other lovingly handcrafted items.
Eat
[edit]- 1 El Sombrero, 23969 NE SR 3, ☏ +1 360 275-0700.
- 2 Seabeck Pizza, 23800 SR 3, ☏ +1 360 275-2657. Offers pizza, salads, and sandwiches. Started in 1989 in historic Seabeck on the Hood Canal, Seabeck Pizza has since expanded to a few locations on the Kitsap Peninsula.
Drink
[edit]- 1 The Hideaway, 22540 NE SR 3, ☏ +1 360 275-4547. Sports Bar
Sleep
[edit]Go next
[edit]| Routes through Belfair |
| Bremerton ← Gorst ← | N  S
|
→ Allyn → Shelton |