Maury Island Natural Area
Managed by King County Parks and Recreation
270 acres9.3 mi of trail
Maury Island Natural Area TrailGravel Pit Access TrailBluffs to HuckleberryA Climb
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Vashon
Vashon has 69 miles of mapped trails, 1.9 for every square mile of land
2,018 acres are parks and preserves, 203 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Maury Island Natural Area (9.3 mi), Island Center Forest (8.6 mi), Wax Orchard Park (5.3 mi). 9% of Vashon’s land is conserved, about 2,035 acres.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #31 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
2,035 acres · of 37.0 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,018 ac
203 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.2 mi
1.4 mi lanes · 2.2 mi paths
Highest peak
397 ft
Indian Point
Lakes & rivers
9
7 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Vashon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Vashon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Vashon is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #31 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Vashon’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (69 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4APark land203 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,018 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13AParks close to home83% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 89%
Water is more than half of Vashon’s area (44 of 81 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Maury Island Natural Area, with 9.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Island Center Forest
Managed by King County Parks and Friends of Island Center Forest
438 acres8.6 mi of trail
North TrailGrinderMiddle ForkBorrow Pit Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wax Orchard Park
Managed by King County
111 acres5.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Maury Island Marine Park
Nature preserve
331 acres4.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Burton Acres and Jensen Point
Park
75 acres3.7 mi of trail
LoopFaerie Hill Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dockton Park
Park
142 acres3.5 mi of trail
HuckleberryDrag RaceKiddie PoolA Climb
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Shinglemill Creek Natural Area
Managed by King County Parks and Recreation
148 acres2.4 mi of trail
Shinglemill Creek TrailBill's TrailShinglemill Creek Preserve All Ages Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Frog Holler Forest
Managed by King County Parks and Recreation
110 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 39 parks & preserves
Maury Island Natural Area270 acres · 9.3 mi of trail · King County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsIsland Center Forest438 acres · 8.6 mi of trail · King County Parks and Friends of Island Center Forest
DirectionsWax Orchard Park111 acres · 5.3 mi of trail · King County
Maury Island Marine Park331 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBurton Acres and Jensen Point75 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsDockton Park142 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsShinglemill Creek Natural Area148 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · King County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsFrog Holler Forest110 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · King County Parks and Recreation
Fisher Pond Nature Preserve97 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsVashon Commons52 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Vashon PRSD
DirectionsIsland Center Forest Natural Area81 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · King County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPoint Robinson Park21 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBurton Adventure Recreation Center13 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJudd Creek Natural Area37 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust
Agren Park33 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Vashon PRSD
DirectionsChristensen Pond Preserve27 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Ober Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Vashon PRSD
DirectionsWingehaven Park17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Vashon PRSD
VES Fields10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsParadise Ridge Park43 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Vashon PRSD
DirectionsFern Cove Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Vashon PRSD
DirectionsParadise Valley Natural Area6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · King County Parks and Recreation
Raab's Lagoon Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Neill Point Natural Area54 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
Point Heyer Natural Area48 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
Spring Beach47 acres · Vashon PRSD
Lost Lake Park44 acres
Fisher Creek Forest22 acres
Spring Beach Natural Area19 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
Raab's Lagoon Natural Area18 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
Marjorie R. Stanley Natural Area17 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
Ellisport Wildlands17 acres · Vashon PRSD
Lost Lake Natural Area14 acres
Inspiration Point Natural Area8 acres
Lisabeula Park7 acres · Vashon PRSD
DirectionsBig Beach Natural Area4 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
Ellis Creek Natural Area4 acres · King County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWhispering Firs Bog3 acres · Vashon PRSD
Hitchings Landing1 acres · Vashon PRSD
Who protects it
2,035 conserved acres
9% of Vashon’s land. Water is left out: Vashon has 37.0 square miles of land and 43.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Vashon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,725 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits113 ac
Joint71 ac
Not recorded148 ac
Local Park · 830 acConservation Easement · 371 acLocal Recreation Area · 289 acAgricultural Easement · 245 acLocal Conservation Area · 188 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 708 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 54 of 105 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maury Island Site 1 Local Recreation Area | County | 269 | Open |
| Frog Holler Forest Local Park | County | 151 | Open |
| Maury Island Marine Park Local Park | County | 94 | Open |
| Shinglemill Creek Natural Area Local Conservation Area | County | 73 | Open |
| Burton Acres Park Local Park | County | 66 | Open |
| Vashon Commons Local Park | Not recorded | 52 | Open |
| Spring Beach Local Park | Not recorded | 46 | Open |
| Lost Lake Park Local Park | County | 43 | Open |
| Nike Site Park Local Park | County | 43 | Open |
| Dockton Natural Area Local Park | County | 42 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
49 places to go in Vashon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Vashon
Crow Beach
DirectionsPlus 6 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Vashon
Gold Beach Community Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Vashon
Melchert Way Private Playground
DirectionsS.S. Dockton PlaygroundIn Dockton Park
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Vashon
Kayak Landing
DirectionsKayak Landing - Point RobinsonIn Point Robinson Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Vashon
South of Lisabula
DirectionsScenic views in Vashon
5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Vashon
Indian Point397 ft elevation
DirectionsGravel Pit PeakIn Maury Island Natural Area
DirectionsPicnic areas in Vashon
6 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Vashon
AYH Ranch CampgroundFee
DirectionsCascadia Marine Trail Campsite - LisabuelaFee · In Lisabeula Park
DirectionsCascadia Marine Trail Campsite - Point RobinsonFee · In Point Robinson Park
DirectionsCascadia Marine Trail Campsite - WingehavenIn Wingehaven Park
DirectionsLisabuela CampgroundFee · In Lisabeula Park
DirectionsDisc golf in Vashon
B.A.R.C. Disc Golf CourseIn Burton Adventure Recreation Center
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.1 miHorses · 3.6 miUnpaved · 20.6 mi
Shinglemill Creek Trail1.4 mi
Judd Creek Loop1.0 mi
Fisher Pond Trail1.0 mi
Bill's Trail1.0 mi
Maury Island Natural Area Trail0.9 mi
North Trail0.8 mi
Grinder0.8 mi
Lost Lake Trail0.8 mi
Loop0.8 mi
Gravel Pit Access Trail0.8 mi
15 more trails
Judd Creek Trail
0.7 miMiddle Fork
0.6 miChristensen Pond Trail
0.6 miBorrow Pit Loop
0.6 miTechmo
0.5 mi115th Bypass
0.5 miBluffs to Huckleberry
0.5 miCraig's Trail
0.4 miGateway Trail
0.4 miHuckleberry
0.4 miJack's Trail
0.4 miMike's Corner
0.4 miFir Hill Trail
0.4 miLandtrust Trail
0.3 mi188th Trail
0.3 miBiking & sports
8.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.2 mi
off-road bike paths
4.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
12Tennis
8Baseball
4Soccer
3Equestrian
2Basketball
2Skate park
1Beach volleyball
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 15 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Dockton HotelBuilding · listed 1983
About itMukai Cold Process Fruit Barrelling PlantBuilding · listed 1994
About itColvos StoreBuilding · listed 2000
About itHelmer and Selma Steen HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itVashon Hardware StoreBuilding · listed 2000
About itShawnee HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itPoint Robinson Light StationDistrict · listed 2004
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Vashon: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 50 | 54 | 59 | 66 | 71 | 77 | 77 | 71 | 60 | 52 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 5.9 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 6.0 |
July is the driest month (0.6 in) and August the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 6.3 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Vashon →
Next door
Vashon and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Vashon
Where can I hike in Vashon?
The longest trail networks: Maury Island Natural Area, 9.3 miles; Island Center Forest, 8.6 miles; Wax Orchard Park, 5.3 miles; Maury Island Marine Park, 4.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Vashon is conserved land?
9% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Vashon’s trails?
Maury Island Natural Area and Island Center Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Vashon?
8.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes, 2.2 of off-road paths and 4.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Vashon?
21,776 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Vashon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,018 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Vashon have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Vashon neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →