Oakland Bay County Park
Directions: From Shelton follow SR 3 east for 6.2 miles. Then turn right onto Agate Road and drive 1.5 miles turning right into park access road (turnoff is 0.5 mile beyond Pioneer Intermediate Middle School and directly across from East Julian Street). Then continue 0.4 mile to trailhead parking.
Ownership: Mason County Parks
Trail Distance: 1.2 miles of trails
Difficulty: easy
Fees/Permits: None
Notes: Kid-friendly, dogs prohibited, restrooms available
A four mile long narrow and shallow estuary, Oakland Bay is one of the most productive shellfish growing areas in the country. It is also an exceptional birdwatching destination with its extensive mudflats. While the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife property and adjacent Bayshore Preserve on the northern shore of the bay is a good place to scope for birds, the county park directly across the bay offers a wilder setting and good trail system.
From the trailhead hike through old-growth trees and an old orchard to the historic 1892-built Malaney-O’Neill House on a small bluff above Oakland Bay. The Malaney-O’Neill House is one of the best examples of the Carpenter Gothic style in Washington. After admiring this structure, walk the short path behind it to overlook the mudflats and oyster beds on Oakland Bay. Look for ospreys, bald eagles and scads of ducks including: buffleheads, common and Barrow’s goldeneyes, red-breasted mergansers, northern pintails, gadwalls, green-winged teals, and American and Eurasian wigeons. During the winter months look for dunlins.
