Things to do on the Hood Canal

Where to eat near Tahuya

Four places cover most trips: an oyster farm up Highway 101, two restaurants in Union, and the general store two minutes' walk from the door. The cabin also has a full kitchen, and the nearest grocery stores and gas are in Belfair, about 20 minutes east.

Hama Hama Oyster Saloon

1 hr 15 min drive

Hama Hama is a family-run oyster and clam farm on the Hood Canal, and the Oyster Saloon is its outdoor restaurant at 35846 N. US Highway 101 in Lilliwaup. You eat outside, by the water, largely on what the farm grows. Walk-ins are welcome, and the farm releases reservations every Monday at 9 AM. If you want the background on Hood Canal shellfish, we wrote about that on oysters and clams.

Hook & Fork

50 min drive

Hook & Fork is Alderbrook Resort's restaurant at Union City Market in Union, with a menu that rotates through the year around seasonal local ingredients. The tables look out on the canal.

2 Margaritas Restaurant

50 min drive

2 Margaritas is a family Mexican restaurant, and the location closest to us is at 5121 E State Route 106 in Union, on the Hood Canal. The patio is the reason to go in summer. The same family runs restaurants in Allyn and Lakebay if you are arriving from that direction.

Summertide Resort and Marina

2 min walk

Summertide is a small seaside resort in Tahuya, on the canal, with a general store and a marina. It is the closest place to the cabin for basics and treats, better suited to the thing you forgot than to a full shop.

On the water

The easiest water access is the beach at the cabin. Kayaks and paddle boards are kept at the property, the beach is private and shared only with neighbors, and it is about fifty steps from the door to the beach. The tide uncovers a working oyster bed twice a day — see oysters and clams for what that is and how it works. Guests see seals, bald eagles and herons.

Hood Canal Adventures

2 hr drive

Hood Canal Adventures is a guided outfitter based in Brinnon, Washington. They run kayak tours, including bioluminescence night paddles and estuary trips for wildlife, and a kayak crabbing outing where you paddle out, drop pots, stop for a beach picnic, then come back for the catch. They also rent kayaks and paddle boards and will deliver them.

YSS Dive

1 hr 10 min drive

YSS Dive is a NAUI Platinum Pro dive center with a shop in Shelton at 22320 North Highway 101. It runs certification courses from entry level through professional, sells and services gear, rents equipment, and organizes boat charters and shore-dive access, so you do not need to arrive certified.

When should you come?

It depends on whether you want the water or the woodstove — every season here is genuinely different.

Summer brings warm afternoons and shallows warm enough to swim in. Fall is the quietest stretch of the year: clear skies and salmon returning. Winter is woodstove evenings and storm-watching, and the oysters at their firmest and sweetest. Spring brings wildflowers, daytime low tides over the oyster bed, and the longest days for kayaking; seal pups arrive on the beaches in late summer.