Local guide

An hour from Seattle. A world away.

Olalla Bay is 53 miles from Seattle, about an hour and change by car, or 40 minutes on the ferry from West Seattle. Close enough to leave after work on Friday, far enough that the city is gone the moment you turn off the highway. The house sleeps ten, so bring the group, not just a plus one.

How to get here, and what the weekend looks like.

Written by Assaf, the Olalla Bay editor. Updated October 2026.

Getting here from Seattle

The drive is the easy route: south on I-5, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and down the Kitsap Peninsula. Plan on about an hour and change in normal traffic. Friday evenings run longer, which is the one real argument for leaving at four instead of six.

The ferry is the scenic route. Washington State Ferries runs from Fauntleroy in West Seattle to Southworth, a crossing of about 40 minutes, and Southworth is a short drive from Olalla. Check the current WSF schedule before you go: the route runs a triangle through Vashon Island, and not every sailing stops at every terminal. On weekends, getting there early for the boat beats sitting in the line.

There is also a passenger-only fast ferry from Southworth to Pier 50 in downtown Seattle, about 25 minutes, on weekdays. It is the day-tripper's option: take it into the city from the house for a day, or use it if you are coming without a car and somebody meets you at Southworth.

Friday: arrive and settle

Get here before dark if you can. Unload, walk the private beach while there is still light (the beach belongs to house guests, so it is always empty of crowds), and be in the hot tub by the time the stars come out. Dinner is the grill or something picked up in Gig Harbor on the way in, ten minutes away. Keep Friday simple. The weekend starts on the deck.

Saturday: the bay day

Morning is for the water. The kayaks are at the dock; the early hours are the calmest, and the seals are most likely to be around. Our kayaking guide has routes and launch tips, and the tides guide tells you which hours to plan around.

Midday, walk the beach at low tide or just hold the deck. This is the hour that sells the trip: water, mountains, nobody asking you for anything. Afternoon, drive the ten minutes into Gig Harbor for the waterfront strip, a coffee, and dinner. Sunday can hold the wildlife watching and a longer day trip if the group has the energy; otherwise it holds the beach.

Sunday: eat in Gig Harbor, then home

Sunday is the food day. Gig Harbor, ten minutes away, has the waterfront seafood places, pizza, Mexican, a bakery, and serious coffee. Our food guide has the picks worth your one meal. Eat a big late lunch, walk it off on the harbor, and you are back in Seattle by late afternoon with the whole Sunday evening intact.

Why it beats the other weekend options

Most Seattle weekend trips are either a long drive to the coast, a crowded resort town, or an expensive hotel room with a view you share with three hundred people. Olalla is none of that: one house for the whole group, a private beach, kayaks at the dock, a hot tub, and the city an hour behind you. It is the trip where everyone gets their own weekend inside the same one.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to get from Seattle to Olalla?

About an hour and change by car, 53 miles via I-5 South and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The ferry alternative is Washington State Ferries from Fauntleroy in West Seattle to Southworth, about a 40-minute crossing, then a short drive to Olalla. Check the current WSF schedule before you go.

Is there a ferry from Seattle to Olalla Bay?

Not directly to Olalla, but close. Washington State Ferries runs from Fauntleroy in West Seattle to Southworth, a 40-minute crossing, and Southworth is a short drive from the house. Kitsap Transit also runs a passenger-only fast ferry from Southworth to Pier 50 in downtown Seattle, about 25 minutes, on weekdays.

Can I do Olalla as a day trip from Seattle?

You can, but the weekend is the better trip. A day trip gives you one outing and one meal. A weekend gives you the bay at different hours, the hot tub at night, and the slower mornings the place is built for.

Where do you eat near Olalla?

Gig Harbor, ten minutes away, is the food town: waterfront seafood, pizza, Mexican, bakeries, and coffee. Our food guide covers the reliable picks. For a bigger night out, Tacoma is about thirty-five minutes with its full restaurant and museum scene.

Is a Seattle weekend in Olalla good in winter?

Yes, it is a different trip, not a lesser one. Storm watching from the deck, the hot tub in the rain, empty beaches, and the eagles wintering along the shore. Our winter guide covers the cozy season in full.