by Tom Banse, Washington State Standard
July 10, 2026
Washington State Parks leaders are weighing a difficult decision on how to maintain or redevelop a storied island park mere miles from downtown Seattle.
Blake Island Marine State Park shimmers tantalizingly close – as the crow flies – to millions of people living around Puget Sound. But it is out of reach to all but the few who own private boats.
The forested isle is the reputed birthplace of Chief Seattle. Today, it is a natural oasis in a sea of urbanity, criss-crossed with trails and home to notorious raccoons who steal food from unwary campers. There are no cars or private homes.
Blake Island once had regular scheduled tour boat service. It even hosted an Asia-Pacific leaders summit during Bill Clinton’s presidency. But the park marina now needs costly repairs and dredging. The Tillicum Village dinner theater longhouse went dark years ago and either needs to be renovated or torn down.
“We are looking for a new vision for the park and exploring what it should be, what the users would like it to be,” Washington State Parks Planner Alexandra Sullivan said.
For more than a year, the parks department has been refining four management and redevelopment options, and collecting public comment on the best course to take. The options range widely from letting the 472-acre island revert to nature to building a lodge with deluxe cabins there.
The Blake Island State Park Master Planning process has drawn a flood of input. Around 5,000 people have weighed in with comments, survey responses and other feedback, an unusually high volume for a state parks issue, Sullivan said.
“I think it’s very clear that this park is a very important place to a lot of people,” she said.
State parks planners are reviewing the public comments and folding in their assessments of what realistically can be done at Blake Island. They aim to craft and release a preferred alternative in late August or September. After that, the public can weigh in once more and suggest tweaks. A final vision and master plan for Blake Island could be in front of the state parks commission by the end of the year.
The impetus for this undertaking was the loss of the tour boat and dinner theater operator in 2021. Argosy Cruises opted out of its concessionaire contract during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since communicated to the state agency that it doesn’t see an economically viable path to revive Tillicum Village.
The consequence is that visitation to Blake Island has plummeted to less than half of pre-pandemic annual averages. Sullivan said the state parks department is seeking a new foot ferry operator in conjunction with the crafting of a long-term plan.
Which new vision for the island gem will win out?
The four visions offered for public review have the potential to reduce visitation to Blake Island even more – or alternatively, make the isle more accessible, including to non-boat owners and to people who prefer overnight lodgings in a comfy bed.
Neighboring conservation groups strongly endorsed an option the state parks planners dubbed “Back to Nature.” Under this management alternative, the longhouse, marina and breakwater would be removed. Mooring buoys and a trimmed number of campsites would be retained.
“Our organizations share a commitment to safeguarding the remaining natural shorelines of central Puget Sound for future generations. The ‘Back to Nature’ alternative aligns most closely with this responsibility by emphasizing restoration, habitat protection, and low-impact public access rather than expanded development,” said a letter co-signed by Theron Shaw of the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, Cullen Brady of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and Nathan Daniel of the Bremerton-based Great Peninsula Conservancy.
Western Washington’s boating community wants to chart a course with the second approach, dubbed “Rustic Retreat.” Yacht club members are keen to preserve and improve Blake Island’s small marina, and dredge the harbor to keep it open to larger vessels.
This option would ensure Blake Island remains accessible to various sizes of private boats for low-key recreation, akin to the status quo. The state Legislature would have to come through with extra funding for the marina renovation though. In this scenario, the state would also tear down the closed Tillicum Village buildings.
“Blake Island is an annual stop for so many local boaters. It is a treasure of calm and beauty in an urban setting,” wrote one of hundreds of Puget Sound pleasure boat owners who submitted online public comments in favor of upgrading the public docks.
“This is the only state park marina where a smaller boat can safely visit year round. The other island marine parks in the San Juans are much further away and require weather planning and situations that is not needed to go to Blake Island,” wrote another boat captain and regular visitor in his comments.
In its heyday, Tillicum Village buzzed with Native storytelling and dancing and salmon grilling over a fire. A third alternative envisions reviving such an experience. Under this option, state parks would recruit a new operator to provide entertainment or educational programming. The marina would also be renovated and the harbor dredged to facilitate tour boat arrivals.
Numerous people shared fond memories of partaking in the Tillicum Village buffet and said they missed the show. These commenters pleaded for restoration of a commercial or public transportation connection to Blake Island so that people without their own boat could again enjoy a getaway there.
“Blake Island is a natural treasure and should be enjoyed by more people, as a way to connect with the land,” wrote a repeat camper in support. “I feel that there should be a tribal community center and general visitor center, with part reserved for tribal use by the tribes of the Sound (retreats, ceremonial, educational, overnight trips for youth), and part for education and historical information for visitors of the greater public.”
The fourth alternative on the table would have state parks build a lodge and rental cabins on Blake Island. Combined with commercial ferry service, the island park would be accessible to a much wider range of visitors and be capable of hosting large groups overnight.
This maximum recreation option has the highest upfront cost, but could also generate the most ongoing revenue. Parks planner Sullivan noted that heavy visitation could negatively impact wildlife. This option drew relatively little support from the public.
‘Trying to be realistic’
Sullivan did not drop any hints about which alternative – or amalgam of alternatives – will be recommended. The selection, she said, is much more than a popularity contest. For the record, the “Rustic Retreat” option was the most popular.
Funding is an issue. The marina renovation and dredging is estimated to cost $30 million. Washington State Parks has been grappling with a money crunch for years, which raises questions about the affordability of all the options under consideration.
The Legislature would have to provide new funding once the agency settles on a preferred path. Sullivan said it is possible that improvements and/or demolitions on the island would happen over a period of years.
“We are trying to be realistic,” Sullivan said, “but we also don’t want to hinder what we do at the park just because of short-term concerns around the budget.”
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