Bayshore Preserve Reopens

After months of thoughtful improvements, Bayshore Preserve is fully open again—and more welcoming than ever.

Over the summer, we worked to make Bayshore Preserve safer, more accessible, and better equipped to serve as a hub for outdoor learning and connecting with the land. These updates were guided by our vision to help more people connect meaningfully with nature while protecting the rich environmental values of this special place.

What’s New

Visitors will notice several exciting updates designed to improve access while protecting the land and wildlife:

• A redesigned entrance and parking area, including a dedicated van accessible space and room for two full-sized school buses
• Overflow parking for larger events with a crushed rock trail to the entrance
• A welcoming plaza with benches, natural features, and a crushed rock surface where families and groups can gather before hitting the trails
• A gentle 5% grade path with a crushed gravel surface between the parking lot, bathroom, and outdoor classroom
• An outdoor classroom along Johns Creek designed with educators and community groups in mind, featuring seating and a crushed gravel surface
• Replanting with native plants throughout construction areas to ensure long-term habitat health and beauty
• Finishing touches such as benches and a large entrance sign are planned for the coming months

A Place for People & Nature

Since being conserved in 2014, Bayshore Preserve has become one of our most-visited sites—a place where salmon return each year, students learn about estuaries and wildlife, and families come to explore the beauty of South Puget Sound.

These improvements mark the next step in our long-term vision for Bayshore: a thriving preserve that inspires wonder, deepens connections to the natural world, and fosters a community that cares for the lands and waters around us.

We invite you to visit, take a saunter along the upgraded trails, and see what’s new. Whether you come to watch the salmon, bring your students outdoors, or to simply find a moment of quiet, Bayshore is ready to welcome you back. No pass required!

Plan Your Visit

Bayshore Preserve is open daily from dawn to dusk. Learn more and see a trail map of the preserve map (Updated map coming soon).

Acknowledgements

The recent improvements at Bayshore Preserve reflect the shared work of many hands and hearts. We extend our gratitude to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and our generous donors for providing essential funding for site improvements.

Special thanks to our design and construction partners—J.A. Brennan Associates, RWD Landscape Architects, and construction contractor KBH Construction Company— and to the organizations and community members who shares valuable input during the design process. Your collaboration helps ensure Bayshore Preserve remains a place where both people and nature thrive for generations to come.

We’re also deeply thankful to the many supporters, volunteers, and partners whose generosity and vision continue to sustain this landscape.

Thank You to Our Acquisition & Restoration Partners
The conservation and restoration of Bayshore Preserve were made possible through the partnership and dedication of many:

• Squaxin Island Tribe
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• WA State Department of Ecology
• WA Recreation & Conservation Office
• WRIA 14 Lead Entity
• South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• US Environmental Protection Agency
• Washington Water Trust
• Shelton-Bayshore Golf Company
• The Trust for Public Land
• Mark Peternell – Bean Gentry Wheeler Peternell, PLLC
• Taylor Shellfish Company, Inc.
• CBRE
• Bayshore Inc.
• ADESA Environmental Services LLC
• Mason County
• WA State Department of Health
• Mason Conservation District
• Bayview and Bayshore neighborhoods