Join Capitol Land Trust (CLT) and the Puget Sound Estuarium to witness one of nature’s most extraordinary displays of migration and resilience. Every year thousands of chum salmon return from the ocean to Johns Creek at Bayshore Preserve where their lives began. Here they spawn, marking the transition of one generation of salmon to the next.
Salmon docents will be at Bayshore Preserve on November 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12, 2023 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. They will be there to answer your questions about salmon behavior and our salmon habitat restoration efforts at Bayshore Preserve. Look for their bright orange vests.
Managed by Capitol Land Trust, Bayshore Preserve is a conserved public-access preserves that gives families and individuals year-round opportunities to enjoy outdoor experiences and create fond memories in nature that will last a lifetime. The return of salmon in the fall makes our Bayshore Preserve a particularly exceptional destination. Follow CLT and the the Estuarium on social media for real-time updates about this iconic Pacific Northwest phenomenon.
Contact Capitol Land Trust at (360) 943-3012 or info@capitollandtrust.org
FAQ
Salmon docents will be at Bayshore Preserve on November 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. They will be there to answer your questions about salmon behavior and our salmon habitat restoration efforts at Bayshore Preserve. Look for their bright orange vests.
Join us for these special events:
Tour of Bayshore Preserve: Sunday, November 5 at 12:30 pm, meet at the kiosk.
Puget Sound Estuarium will also have underwater cameras set up at three salmon viewing locations to live stream the action. The camera closest to Oakland Bay (Station 3) will give you the ability to record your own video using Wi-Fi. See the underwater activity as if you were swimming with the salmon!
Docents in orange vests will be stationed at good salmon viewpoints shown by the red numbers on the Bayshore Preserve trail map below. The Johns Creek Trail, the Johns Creek Estuary Trail, and the end of the Lookout Trail are great places to watch the salmon make their way upstream. The bridge that crosses Johns Creek along the Lookout Trail is also a great spot. Visit each station to learn about salmon biology, the restoration of the preserve, and the importance of healthy habitats.
There is an ADA compliant portable toilet and hand sanitizer available for use (marked in blue on the map above). There are log rounds for sitting at Stations 1 and 2.
The south side of the parking lot is paved and the north side is gravel. There are no curbs blocking access to the preserve from the parking lot.
Since there are no designated van-accessible parking spaces, let our parking attendant know and they can temporarily block off extra space for you.
The Main Loop Trail (0.8 miles, in pink on map) is a mostly flat path that is a mixture of gravel and compacted dirt (old roadbed). Traveling clockwise, it starts as gravel then transitions to compacted dirt after about 300 feet. The trail is three feet wide or wider.
The Lookout Trail (0.2 miles, in green on map) goes down a hill with a moderate, 100-foot-long slope towards a bridge crossing Johns Creek, and then continues on at about the same grade and length uphill on the other side. The bridge does not have a lip and is nine feet wide. There is a handrail about four feet high. After the short incline past the bridge, the trail becomes relatively flat.
Johns Creek Trail (0.26 miles, in yellow on map) goes down a short but moderate decline towards Johns Creek. From there the trail crosses the Lookout Trail and continues along a relatively flat, but a little bumpy, two to three-foot-wide dirt trail. Where Johns Creek Trail meets back with the Main Loop Trail there is a 100-foot moderate incline.
Johns Creek Estuary Trail (0.13 miles) is a two to three-foot-wide dirt path with a small dip about 300 feet (halfway) down the trail. It is compacted dirt. It can get muddy at the end of this trail because of the tides and rains.
To get to Station 1 from the parking lot: About 300 feet to travel over a paved parking lot and gravel trail. Continue past the kiosk and stay right at the fork. There is a viewing area to the right of the bridge as well as from the bridge.
To get to Station 2: There are two ways to reach Station 2. Start out along the Lookout Trail and turn left onto Johns Creek Trail or the Main Loop Trail. Travel distance is 950 feet using the Lookout/Johns Creek Trail. Travel distance to Station 2 is about 1,500 feet using the Main Loop Trail.
To get to Station 3: There are two ways to get to Station 3. Start out along the Lookout Trail and turn left onto Johns Creek Trail or the Main Loop Trail. Travel distance is about 2,100 feet to get Station 3 using the Lookout/Johns Creek trails. Travel distance is about 2,200 feet using the Main Loop Trail.
Address: 3800 WA-3, Shelton, WA 98584.
Do not turn onto Bayshore Drive. Bayshore Preserve’s parking lot is immediately off Highway 3 across from the Texaco gas station.
Transit Options: Mason County Transit route 1 and Dial-A-Ride. (There is not a marked bus stop at Bayshore Preserve, so you will need to communicate to the bus driver where you are going and flag them down for your return trip.)
Parking is free at Bayshore Preserve. The paved parking lot around the yellow metal gate is available from dawn to dusk. There are about 15 spots. On Salmon Days overflow parking will be available north of the cement blocks. Please note that overflow parking is only available for Salmon Days from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm on November 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12. Look for a sign that says “Salmon Days Parking” across from the gas station. This parking lot will be set up as a one-way.
For additional parking, drive north along Highway 3 to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s parking lot, located here. Please note that a Discover Pass is needed for this lot. It is highlighted in red on the trail map above.
