Hawley Cove Park
Hawley Cove is the short boardwalk you can walk to from downtown — 11.7 acres of woods, wetland, and 600 feet of shoreline on Eagle Harbor. Three platforms with seats. About a quarter mile from Winslow, not a wilderness hike.
It is the favorite for kids who want to jump from the dock. The water in that cove runs a few degrees warmer than open Puget Sound. Still cold. Still a working harbor with boat traffic. Watch them. Island-wide plan: visitor guide.
At a glance
Address
1287 Wing Point Way NE. A quarter mile from downtown Winslow.
Shoreline
About 609 feet on Eagle Harbor. 600-foot boardwalk, three viewing platforms.
From the ferry
Walkable. Up the hill through Winslow, then over toward Wing Point. Not at the ferry terminal.
How long
20–40 minutes for the boardwalk. Longer if kids find the dock.
Trail
Part of the Waterfront Trail. Pair it with Waterfront Park, not with Grand Forest.
Directions
Address and map: Hawley Cove listing. This page is how to visit.
A few degrees warmer is not a heated pool.
Kids still jump because the cove feels less brutal than the open Sound. It is Puget Sound water. No lifeguard. Harbor traffic. Shoes off, eyes on.
The dock jump
Ask someone who grew up here where kids want to jump in, and Hawley Cove comes up first. The dock sits in a pocket of Eagle Harbor. That pocket runs a few degrees warmer than the water off a west-side beach. On a hot July afternoon that difference is the whole argument. In April it is still a gasp.
This is not a guarded swim beach and it is not Lytle. If you want a gradual sandy entry looking at Rich Passage, that is a different park and a car. Hawley is the jump for people already in Winslow on foot.
Boardwalk and trail
The park is protected shoreline: woods, a large wetland, then the boardwalk out to the harbor. Three platforms with seating. A short walking trail from Wing Point Way to the water. Bring a jacket even in summer — Eagle Harbor wind is real.
Turn around on the boardwalk and you are looking at downtown Winslow across the harbor: boats, mudflats, herons if you get lucky. Keep dogs and kids on the wood. This stretch is part of the Waterfront Trail, so you can walk it as an add-on after Waterfront Park instead of as a separate trip.
From the ferry
This is the only nearby park you can add on foot after Winslow and Waterfront Park. Come off the boat, restrooms in the terminal, up Olympic Drive, through town, then Wing Point Way NE. Rolling suitcases are miserable on that hill. A stroller is fine on the street; the boardwalk is the fun part.
You do not need a car. Save the ride for Bloedel, Fay, or Lynwood. Getting around.
The Explore Bainbridge app
Live ferry, map from the dock, itineraries. Free. Download it on the boat. explorebainbridge.com.
FAQ
How far is Hawley Cove from the ferry?
About a quarter mile from downtown Winslow — the nearby boardwalk add-on after Waterfront Park, not a wilderness hike. 1287 Wing Point Way NE.
Why do kids jump from the dock?
Hawley Cove is a favorite for kids who want to plunge off the dock. The water in that cove runs a few degrees warmer than open Puget Sound. It is still cold. Watch them. This is not a guarded swim beach.
What is at Hawley Cove besides the dock?
11.7 acres: upland forest, wetland, 600 feet of boardwalk with three viewing platforms and seats, and a short walking trail from Wing Point Way to the Eagle Harbor shoreline. Part of the Waterfront Trail.
Do I need a car?
No. This is the one nearby park you can walk to from Winslow. Save the car for Bloedel, Fay, or Lynwood.