EVERETT — The chance to explore the nature preserve of Jetty Island is happening again after a one-year hiatus.
Boat service starts Monday, July 5 and runs Wednesdays through Sundays up to Labor Day.
Reservations will be required, go to www.visiteverett.com/jetty to get one.
No computer? No barrier: The city will have a public terminal available at the ferry launch site to make a reservation.
The ferry costs $3 per person; children aged 2 and under are free.
The city plans to set up free tickets for underserved groups by working with local non-profit organizations.
The city partnered with the Port of Everett and the county to get the boat back running.
The Jetty is a two-mile, man-made island which nature has enveloped. Its shallow waters are warm enough to swim in. Check a tide chart for the best times for beach play.
The city will have visitor activities, too.
Reservations are required to keep things controlled because of COVID-19. The reservations mean people won’t mill about on the dock waiting for the next boat. When it was a free ferry, it often took a couple of hours to catch the next boat.
The boat to Jetty Island docks at the 10th Street Boat Launch, which is off of West Marine View Drive. Parking at the boat launch costs money.
Come prepared as there is no running water or snack shops on the island. There’s no real shade, either. Bring towels, blankets and sunscreen, but not your pets. Animals, alcohol and glass containers are not allowed on Jetty Island.
The Port of Everett helped bring back the ferry. It also owns the jetty. The Port is reimbursing the city toward any ferry service costs not covered from ticket fare income, Everett’s parks director Bob Leonard told the City Council Wednesday, May 5.
“Jetty Island is truly one of the hidden gems of the Pacific Northwest,” Mayor Cassie Franklin said in a press release. “We are excited to be able to bring summer ferry service back to our residents and visitors again, and are working to ensure a safe, efficient and affordable experience for all to enjoy. We thank our partners at the Port of Everett and Snohomish County for helping make this possible.”
Parking is $2 per vehicle for up to an 8-hour period.
The shipping industry created the jetty in the late 1800s to create a protected harbor and navigation channel. Discarded boats were rammed aground into the jetty at the end of their service, adding to the jetty’s size, the jetty’s longtime chief naturist Kraig Hansen told the Tribune previously.
