Local guide

Things to Do in Olalla, WA

Olalla is small. That is the whole point. Here is what to do with your days.

Written by the Olalla Bay editor.

If you are looking for things to do in Olalla, start by doing nothing, on the beach out back. The house sits on its own private stretch of shoreline, and most guests find that the deck, the dock gazebo, and the water fill the first day without any planning at all. Walk the beach at low tide (check the tide guide first), paddle the bay in the morning (the kayaking guide has the details), and keep your eyes open. Seals, otters, eagles, and the occasional whale are all regulars here; the wildlife guide tells you what to watch for.

When you are ready for more, get in the car. Everything below is within about twenty minutes, drive times are approximate with no traffic, and every one of these is a real place we have checked. This is the complete list of what Olalla actually offers. It is short, and that is why it works.

Olalla Bay Market & Landing

Five minutes from the house, and the center of town in every sense that matters. The market is a cafe, a pizza kitchen, a beer and wine stop, and a waterfront deck where half of Olalla seems to end up on a sunny afternoon. The sourdough pizza comes out of a wood-fired oven, and the lavender latte is the local signature. Pizza service starts at 2pm Thursday through Saturday and 11am on Sunday, so plan around that; showing up at noon for pizza will end in disappointment.

The building has been a gathering place since 1884, and it wears its history openly. This is the home of the original Polar Bear Plunge, a stop on the old Mosquito Fleet steamer route, and the town tied to Dr. Linda Hazzard and the 1912 Starvation Heights trial, which true-crime people still make pilgrimages for. The tiny one-room museum at the landing covers it with artifacts and photographs, and it is worth twenty minutes of your time.

Drive: about 5 minutes, at 13965 Crescent Valley Rd SE. Hours: Thursday to Saturday 8am to 8pm, Sunday 8am to 6pm, closed Monday through Wednesday. Parking: a small lot plus street parking; it fills up on summer weekends. Best time: a weekday afternoon on the deck, or Sunday morning before the pizza crowd. olallabaymarket.com

Olalla Lavender Festival

Every July, Olalla smells like Provence for a weekend. The Lavender Festival spreads across the town with the Olalla Grange as its hub: live music, artisan vendors, food trucks, workshops, and rows of blooming lavender. The gathering places include Ooh La La Lavender Farm on Banner Road, where you can walk the fields and watch a distillation demo, plus the winery, the market, and Spin Cider on Millihanna Road. The 2026 festival ran July 18 and 19; the organizers have already set July 17 and 18, 2027.

Outside the festival, Ooh La La Lavender Farm takes visits by appointment through the season, so you can still walk the rows in late summer if you call ahead.

Drive: about 10 minutes to the Grange (7554 SE Fragaria Rd) and the farms. Tickets: check the festival site; some venues are ticketed and farm parking is limited (Crescent Valley Farm used timed arrival reservations in 2026). Best time: Saturday morning, when the fields are fresh and the crowds are thin. olalla-lavender-festival.com

Olalla Vineyard & Winery

Ten minutes up Olalla Valley Road, on a promontory looking over the bay and Colvos Passage. This is a small, family-owned winery, open since 2008, and the tasting room sits in one of the prettiest spots in the area. They ferment in handcrafted Italian amphorae, old-world style, which is unusual enough to ask about. There is live music most Friday evenings in season, and the view over the water with a glass in hand is the whole argument for going.

Drive: about 10 minutes, at 13176 Olalla Valley Rd SE. Hours: typically Thursday through Saturday noon to 6 and Sunday 1 to 5, closed Monday through Wednesday; confirm on their site before you go. Parking: limited, and it fills up on music nights. Best time: a clear afternoon. olallawines.com

Anderson Point Park

Eight minutes from the house, and the best beach walk near Olalla that is not your own. Sixty-six acres of forest slope down to a saltwater beach on Colvos Passage, with Vashon Island across the water. The trail to the beach is about three-quarters of a mile, all downhill, which means the walk back is all uphill. Plan accordingly, and bring shoes you do not mind getting sandy.

Drive: about 8 minutes, at 8401 SE Millihanna Rd. Hours: daylight only. Parking: a small lot, strictly enforced; cars blocking the entrance or on the shoulders get ticketed and towed. Best time: low tide, when the beach is widest. Check the tide guide. Kitsap County's park page

Banner Forest Heritage Park

Fifteen minutes away: 635 acres and 29 miles of trails through second-growth forest. This is where locals go to walk, run, ride bikes, and ride horses, and the forest exists because the community fought to keep it from being developed. The trails get properly muddy in the wet months. Wear waterproof boots and you will be fine; wear sneakers and you will learn.

Drive: about 15 minutes; the main trailhead is at 6451 Banner Rd SE in Port Orchard. Parking: at the trailheads off Banner Road. Dogs: on leash. Best time: any dry stretch, or embrace the mud in winter. Great Peninsula Conservancy

Manchester State Park

Worth the twenty-minute drive. Manchester sits on Rich Passage with 3,400 feet of saltwater shoreline, wooded hiking trails, and a genuine piece of history: the 1901 torpedo warehouse, left over from when this shore was part of the harbor defenses. Walk the beach, watch for birds and seals, poke around the old military buildings, and picnic on the lawn by the water.

Drive: about 20 minutes, at 7767 E Hilldale Rd, Port Orchard. Hours: 8am to dusk, year round. Parking: a Discover Pass is required. Best time: a sunny afternoon, with a picnic. If Manchester leaves you wanting more shoreline, the day trips guide covers Point Defiance and Owen Beach across the water in Tacoma. Washington State Parks

Questions people ask

Is there anything to do in Olalla itself, or do we have to drive everywhere?

Plenty. The market and the private beach are in Olalla proper, and the lavender festival venues, the winery, and the parks are all within about ten minutes. Gig Harbor, the nearest bigger town, is about fifteen minutes away.

Do we need a car in Olalla?

Yes. Nothing in Olalla is walkable from the house except the beach out back. Everything else on this list needs a short drive, all under twenty minutes.

When is the Olalla Lavender Festival?

Every July. The 2026 festival ran July 18 and 19, and the organizers have set July 17 and 18, 2027. Check the festival site for tickets and the venue list, since some stops have limited parking.

Which beach should we go to near the house?

Start with the private beach at the house. For a change of scenery, Anderson Point Park is eight minutes away, with a forested trail down to a saltwater beach on Colvos Passage. Go at low tide, when the beach is widest.

What is there to do in Olalla on a rainy day?

The market is cozy in the rain, the winery tasting room is indoors, and Banner Forest is beautiful wet if you have waterproof boots. Or stay in: the house has a hot tub and the bay to watch.

Can we bring our dog to Olalla?

Manchester State Park and Banner Forest both welcome leashed dogs on the trails. Check the house rules on pets before you book.