Hoodsport, Washington
Encyclopedia
Hoodsport is an unincorporated community
in Mason County, Washington, United States
. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal
, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 119. Lake Cushman
is nearby. Hoodsport is the gateway to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park
.
The first person to settle at Hoodsport was G.K. Robbins, a ship captain who had been transporting lumber along Hood Canal for years. Other settlers soon joined him, forming a small community. Most occupied themselves with farming or logging. The town was officially plat
ted in 1890 by the Mason County Mine and Development Company, which owned manganese
mines near Lake Cushman. Prospectors found evidence of copper in the area and over 400 mining claims were filed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all claims failed to yield.
Hoodsport is renowned among SCUBA divers
as a staging area to view the giant Pacific octopus. Local marine preserves such as Octopus Hole
and Sund Rock
offer divers the chance to see octopus, as well as wolf eels, rock fish, plumose anemones
and other marine life.
The Hoodsport Winery is located about one mile south of town. Other Hoodsport businesses include a grocery store with gas station, a hardware store, four restaurants, an espresso shop, two real estate offices, a dentist, a beauty salon, a marina, and several tourism-oriented gift shops. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife operates a fish hatchery in town. The Hoodsport branch of the Timberland Regional Library
overlooks the town.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Mason County, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins, of Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of being a man-made waterway—it is a natural waterway.-Geography:...
, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 119. Lake Cushman
Lake Cushman
Lake Cushman is a lake and reservoir on the north fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County, Washington. The lake originally was a long narrow broadening of the Skokomish River formed in a glacial trough and dammed by a terminal moraine from the last ice age, during the Vashon stade.The lake was...
is nearby. Hoodsport is the gateway to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
.
The first person to settle at Hoodsport was G.K. Robbins, a ship captain who had been transporting lumber along Hood Canal for years. Other settlers soon joined him, forming a small community. Most occupied themselves with farming or logging. The town was officially plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1890 by the Mason County Mine and Development Company, which owned manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
mines near Lake Cushman. Prospectors found evidence of copper in the area and over 400 mining claims were filed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all claims failed to yield.
Hoodsport is renowned among SCUBA divers
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
as a staging area to view the giant Pacific octopus. Local marine preserves such as Octopus Hole
Octopus Hole
Octopus Hole is a designated conservation area on Washington's Hood Canal. It is located right off Highway 101 just over three miles from Hoodsport...
and Sund Rock
Sund Rock
Sund Rock is a designated conservation area on Washington's Hood Canal. The area is known for abundant and diverse life, including but not limited to Lingcod, Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel, as well as nudibranch, anemone, and sea cucumber....
offer divers the chance to see octopus, as well as wolf eels, rock fish, plumose anemones
Metridium
Members of the genus Metridium, also known as plumose anemones, are sea anemones found mostly in the cooler waters of the northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They are characterized by their numerous threadlike tentacles extending from atop a smooth cylindrical column, and can vary from a few...
and other marine life.
The Hoodsport Winery is located about one mile south of town. Other Hoodsport businesses include a grocery store with gas station, a hardware store, four restaurants, an espresso shop, two real estate offices, a dentist, a beauty salon, a marina, and several tourism-oriented gift shops. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife operates a fish hatchery in town. The Hoodsport branch of the Timberland Regional Library
Timberland Regional Library
Timberland Regional Library is a public library system serving the residents of southwestern Washington state, USA including Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties...
overlooks the town.
External links
- Hoodsport page at Official Mason County Tourism website
- South Hood Canal Business Association's Hoodsport calendar of events