Summer and holidays
Ferry waits get real. Leave SEA with more margin than Google suggests. Thanksgiving is a 4-night minimum at the house.
Ferries & the pin
How to Get to Blue Mountain Retreat: Ferries, SEA & the Map Pin
Most groups take the Kingston or Bainbridge ferry from the Seattle side, then drive north to Blue Mountain Retreat. Fly into SEA. Navigate to 516 Blue Mountain Rd — never 512.
Signature stops
The boat, then 516
Why this page
How do you get to Blue Mountain Retreat from Seattle?
Most groups drive to a Washington State Ferries terminal — Kingston (via Edmonds) or Bainbridge (via Seattle) — cross to the Olympic Peninsula, then drive north to Blue Mountain Retreat. From Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) that is airport road, a ferry, and peninsula highway — not a 15-minute rideshare.
If everyone follows the same ferry plan and the same address (516), the reunion arrives as a group instead of as three cars at Dave’s house.
Once you’re there
The actual route
Kingston is the usual recommendation from the north end of the Seattle side: Edmonds–Kingston, then Hood Canal / peninsula roads toward Blue Mountain Retreat. Bainbridge is downtown Seattle’s ferry and a longer drive after you land. Which one is faster depends on holding lots, not on a map app’s optimism.
Reserve or arrive early in summer. Washington State Ferries fills. A 25-person reunion is multiple vehicles. Screenshot the WSF app. Have snacks in the car. It is still a queue.
Fly SEA. There is no useful commercial airport next to Blue Mountain Retreat. Build ferry plus drive time after you land — often two to four hours door to door depending on the boat you catch.
The listing address is 516 Blue Mountain Rd, Chimacum, WA 98325. Mail payments go to 512 — Dave’s house, not the rental, not the map pin. If your van goes to 512 you will knock on the wrong door.
- Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, then north to Blue Mountain Retreat
- SEA is the inbound airport
- Map pin: 516 Blue Mountain Rd — never 512
- Groceries: QFC in Port Hadlock, farmstand in Chimacum, more in Port Townsend
By season
When the crossing is easiest
Fall through spring
Boats still run; weather can cancel or delay. Have a buffer. Wet roads on the peninsula are normal.
Useful links
Parks, operators, and visitor sites
Official parks and local operators — the links people ask for when they’re planning a day out.
See it
Ferry water and the driveway
Destination photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, the National Park Service, and Blue Mountain Retreat.
Trip notes
Practical details before you go
- Do not navigate to 512 Blue Mountain Rd. That is the payment-mail address.
- No pets at the house. If a dog is on the ferry by mistake, Port Hadlock boarding is the plan — not a plea at the door.
- Grocery on the way: QFC at 1890 Irondale Road in Port Hadlock, or Port Townsend if you land after farmstand hours.
- Dave sends turn-by-turn notes after booking. Use those over a generic pin drop.
Drive time from Blue Mountain Retreat: ferry plus a peninsula drive.
You are coming to the house
The ferry is the hassle. The acres are why you came.
Getting here takes a boat. That is the trade for a private valley house that sleeps 25 without a hotel shuttle.
Once you are on Blue Mountain Road, the week is woods, playrooms, and a kitchen — not another transfer.
Ways to use a week here
If the group is driving here together
More nearby
Other Olympic Peninsula guides
about 15–20 minutes
Port Townsend
Walkable Victorian downtown, a working waterfront, and enough food and shops for a town day without turning the week into an itinerary.
about 20–25 minutes · ~16 miles
Fort Worden
Beaches, bunkers you can explore, and bluff trails at the north end of Port Townsend — the outing the original site always listed first.
about 20 minutes to the dock
Whale watching
Day boats on the Salish Sea from Port Townsend — orcas and other whales in season, booked as a single outing, not a week-long safari.
about 15–20 minutes to the launch
Kayaking
Kayak, SUP, and bikes from Port Townsend — a water day that still gets everyone home for dinner on the acres.
about 1 hour 45 minutes to Hurricane Ridge
Olympic National Park
Hurricane Ridge for a mountain day; rain forest and coast if you want a longer drive. One park day, then back to Blue Mountain Retreat.
about 40 minutes
Sequim
Dungeness Spit, lavender farms in summer, and drier Olympic Peninsula weather — a westbound day that is still shorter than the national park.
you are already here
Chimacum & Port Hadlock
The house’s valley plus Port Hadlock a few minutes down the hill — QFC grocery, farmstand, fuel, and boarding in one loop.
about 15 minutes · ~8 miles
Port Ludlow
Marina, championship golf, and a planned waterfront community about 15 minutes south — a half day on Ludlow Bay, then back to the acres.
Common questions
Ferry and map-pin questions
Drive time, seasons, and what actually fits a family group.
How do we get to Blue Mountain Retreat from Seattle?
Drive to the Edmonds–Kingston or Seattle–Bainbridge ferry, cross to the Olympic Peninsula, then continue north to Blue Mountain Retreat. We’ll send directions after booking. Do not navigate to 512.
Which airport should we fly into?
SEA (Seattle-Tacoma). Allow ferry plus drive time after you land. This is not a 15-minute airport run.
Why do people end up at 512?
512 Blue Mountain Rd is Dave’s house — the mailing address for checks. The rental and the map pin are 516. Put 516 in the GPS.
Dave & Patti
Once you know the ferry, check the calendar.
Call Dave or send dates. Occupancy is 25. Map pin is 516.