Rich Passage is a tidal

Tide

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....

 strait

Strait

A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...

 in Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

, allowing access to Bremerton, Washington

Bremerton, Washington

Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...

, Port Orchard Bay and Dyes Inlet

Dyes Inlet

Dyes Inlet is an inlet on the Kitsap Peninsula in western Washington State, USA. Silverdale, WA is located on the north shore of the inlet and has a marina, waterfront park, boat ramp, and boardwalk. The west shoreline is part of Chico, WA and the east shoreline is Tracyton, WA...

, and separating Bainbridge Island from the Manchester

Manchester, Washington

Manchester is a census-designated place in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,958 at the 2000 census.-History:...

 area of the Kitsap Peninsula

Kitsap Peninsula

The Kitsap Peninsula is an arm of land that is part of the larger Olympic Peninsula in Washington state that lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound. Hood Canal separates Kitsap Peninsula from the rest of the Olympic Peninsula...

. Due to the activities at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...

, Rich Passage has a high volume of marine traffic. The Seattle-Bremerton ferry

Seattle-Bremerton Ferry

The Seattle-Bremerton ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States.-History:The Seattle-Bremerton...

, part of the Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...

, travels the length of Rich Passage on its route.

In addition to the many ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 trips each way per day, tugs

Tugboat

A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...

 with hawser

Hawser

Hawser is a nautical term for a thick cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, located on the hawse....

 tows and various types of naval and recreational craft

Boating

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

 all contribute to a considerable collision hazard, particularly at the sharp bend off Point Glover. Strong tidal

Tide

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....

 conditions prevail in this vicinity, and deep-draft outbound vessels making the sharp turn may be unavoidably set well over to the eastern shore.

Fort Ward State Park

Fort Ward State Park

Fort Ward Park is a former state park located along Rich Passage on the southern end of Bainbridge Island in Washington. Fort Ward Park is part of the Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District, on land which the former military base, Fort Ward, was located.Covering of dense forest and...

 and Manchester State Park

Manchester State Park (Washington)

Manchester State Park is a state park with of shoreline, located on Washington's Kitsap Peninsula. It was at one time a harbor defense installation for the protection of nearby Bremerton, then a fuel supply depot and Navy fire-fighting station. The park contains a former torpedo warehouse built...

 are on the Rich Passage waterfront.

Rich Passage was named by Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...

 during the Wilkes Expedition

United States Exploring Expedition

The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...

 of 1838-1842, to honor William Rich

William Rich

Major William Rich was an American botanist and explorer who was part of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842.William Rich was the youngest son of Captain Obadiah Rich who commanded the brig Intrepid in the American Revolutionary War, and his first wife Salome Lombard...

, the expedition's botanist.