Visiting Jetty Island – $4- $7 Ferry Rides, Sandy Beaches, Warm Wate and More!

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Visiting Jetty Island – $4- $7 Ferry Rides, Sandy Beaches, Warm Water and More!

I have been meaning to visit Jetty Island for years now, and just never made it out. My sister lives right there, and she loves to go for the day. I always wanted to take my kids when they were younger, but it was one of those things that just stayed on my list of to-dos until recently. I missed the opportunity to take my kids when they were younger, but when my sister suggested we do a girls’ day out there, I said sure. She has been many times and loves it, so we planned a day with just us girls, and it was great. There were lots of families, so it seems perfect for kids, but it can really be a great day for all ages.

Jetty Island is a two-mile-long, man-made island that makes a great day trip during the summer months. It sits in front of the Everett waterfront, so you can enjoy the island and water fun during the day, and the restaurants of the waterfront before you go, or when you return.

The thing that is great about this is that the trip can be very affordable for families (only pay ferry fare if you pack your own picnic), or you can plan a day at the beach and enjoy some fun restaurants in the area if you want to spend a little more.

The Jetty was created as a ‘breakwater’ for the nearby marina. This means that there are shallow waters around it, which often translates to warmer water than we find at many Puget Sound area beaches. This is one of my favorite parts about spending the day here. The water is really warm. When we visited it was warm out, but not scorching hot (there was some cloud cover), but the water was comfortably warm in my opinion. That is something that can be harder to find with Washington beaches, and I love that about enjoying the beach here.

There are no amenities on the island, really, including running water (which means you will want to pack in what you want for your visit, and pack it all out too)

This Passenger Ferry has upper and lower deck seating!

Getting there:

Jetty Island is accessed via a foot ferry that runs from the Everett waterfront area. It is only $4-$7 per (RT) per person, depending on when you visit, and is about a 5-minute ferry ride. It only runs Wed. – Sun. during the summer months, and you will want to make your reservations for both your departure time and your return time when reserving tickets. The ferry departs every 15-30 minutes, so there are lots of times to reserve to head out to the island.

We went on opening day this year, and if there is room, you can get on a ferry that is scheduled at a different time than you booked, but you will want to make sure you have a time booked in case there is no extra room. For example, we booked the 2:30 ferry out, but got there a little early so we were able to jump aboard the 2:15 ferry. However, on the way back we had booked the 5 pm return ferry, and although we were there before the 4:45 ferry left, it was booked, and we had to wait for the 5 pm one. So just be prepared by having both directions booked, and then you can be somewhat flexible after that depending on how busy the ferries are on the day you visit.

You will find the ferry at the Jetty Landing off 10^th Street and West Marine View Drive at the Everette waterfront area.

Tickets need to be purchased online, and I highly recommend making your reservations online ahead of time if you know when you want to go (like a day or so ahead of time), especially if you plan to go over a weekend, as they can (and do often) sell out for certain time slots.

Jetty Island is also open to those who can get there on their own, year-round. That means if you have a boat, kayak,  paddleboard, etc., and want to head to the island on your own, you can do that as well.

What to know:

Some important things to know include:

• There is no running water on the island, so be sure to bring your own water bottles and come prepared to stay hydrated.

• There are restrooms, but just off the ferry area, so I recommend making sure everyone has used the restroom before leaving.
• No pets are allowed on the island, so leave them at home.
• There is swimming, but no lifeguard on duty.

• When you arrive on the island, you will need to check in first at this booth just a short way from the dock.
• They offer $2 parking in the Jetty Island parking lot ($2.95 with tax). I think it is a great option for parking, as it covers you all day. I did not mind the walk in to the downtown area for food afterwards, but if a longer walk is not something you enjoy, they do offer shuttle service too.

There is more to do on the island than swim!

While the island itself does not have much in the line of amenities (the marina does!), you will find 2 miles of beach, trails, and volleyball nets for some game time!

What to bring:

Water/drinks/snacks/food – there is no running water on the island, so you will definitely want to bring drinks for your crew to stay hydrated. There are a few picnic tables available, and we saw families bring everything from sub sandwich lunches to home-packed picnics. We planned to eat out at the restaurants on the pier, but that is also because we did not have kids with us, so we did not have to worry about someone getting hungry on this trip. If you are traveling with kids be sure to bring some snacks to hold them over until you get back to the marina area, and you will need drinks for everyone!

Something to float in the water with!

This is completely optional but my sister brought her floaty and I brought my SUP and we both enjoyed our day. The pros of a simple floaty are that they are easy to carry on and off the island. Remember, everything you bring you have to carry on and off the island with no help. You can find floaties for just $2.47 here – so they do not need to cost you much to enjoy the day!

On the other hand, I brought my SUP and loved it! I got mine on one of the Amazon deals a few years back, and we use it every summer. It is a little heavier and bulkier to bring (they come as a backpack, like seen on me above…but if you are up for bringing the backpack, everything you need is inside of it (I throw my towel in there too, and all I really need is the big backpack…it has the paddle board, oar, pump and fins). You can find the kits for as low as $119 here, or we often share deals like this one for $89.99 (which is how I got mine)!

• Get this Funwater set (which is what I have above) for $89.99 on this page here!

Towel/blanket/Shade – 

We spend most of our time out on the water, but again that is because we did not have young kids with us on this trip. You will likely want some shade if you are visiting with young kids. There is really no place for shade on the island, and we saw lots of folks with their own sun tents, so if that is important to you be sure to plan ahead for it!

There are tons of spots to enjoy the indoors or outdoors in this area. Enjoy some Menchies Frozen yogurt or a full meal. Plus, they often have entertainment options going on (especially during the weekends – we enjoyed the jazz walk bands and did not even know that would be happening)!

Where to eat:

Packing a picnic can be fun for food on Jetty Island and save you lots of money, but there are also lots of fun restaurants down by the Marina to splurge on. You could pack a lunch and splurge on dessert at Menchies, or go for a full meal.

Here are some of our personal favorites:

Marina Azul  Cocina and Catina for Great Mexican Food! 

I had the Birria tacos (so good) with the cauliflower and brussel sprout side (also so good). My sister had the shrimp ceviche (in the background of the picture), and it was very fresh and tasty too. There were so many good options, it was hard to pick what to order here!

On previous trips we have also enjoyed the following spots (and there are quite a few more in the area too):

• Scuttlebutts for great bar and grille
• Lombardis for Italian
• Fisherman Jacks for Asian Fusion
• The Muse Whiskey and Coffee Bar
• Wood Fired Pizzas for the Family!

We share more about some of these restaurants and others here, or find a full restaurant directory for the area here!

Staying on the Everett Waterfront: 

We did a weekend stay in the winter at the Hotel Indigo and had a great time. My sister lives in an apartment at the marina, so she has people come visit often, and they usually stay at the Hotel Indigo – and summertime is a favorite time to visit because of the festivals and access to Jetty Island. They have also implemented a new foot ferry option to Whidbey Island, and have a waterfront shuttle to make everything more accessible.

Find our review of staying at the Hotel Indigo on the Everett waterfront here.