McMicken Island is a tiny island that sits off the coast of Harstine Island in South Puget Sound. For most of the day, you can only reach this forested island by boat, but low tide reveals a sandbar you can walk across from Harstine Island. There are several moorage buoys and a beautiful cove where you can drop your anchor. This island is a great place to bring your packed lunch and explore the beaches of a piece of Puget Sound paradise. As you walk across the tideflats, keep an eye out for sand dollars, crabs, and seabirds. Enjoy a meal in the picnic area on the west side of the island, and look out for spectacular views of Mount Rainier in the southeast on clear days.
In the 1890s, a Swedish settler started a homestead on this island, and later a Tacoma-based family bought the island and built a vacation home. While the majority of the island is a state park today, there are still a couple of private cabins that belong to the descendants of this family.
