October 22, 2026
The chum come back to Mason County's creeks every fall, and nobody charges admission. The guided version of the run is another matter. It depends on two volunteer programs, each with its own gate schedule, docent days and parking rules, and in 2026 they share only three days. Those days are Wednesday, Nov. 11, Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15. They fall in the middle of the month, and mid-November is when the run usually peaks.
Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail opens to the public this Saturday, Oct. 31. Capitol Land Trust's Salmon Experience at Bayshore Preserve doesn't start until Nov. 11. The rest of this guide covers what each site offers, why the overlap week matters, and what to expect at the two other places in the county tied to this year's run.
The Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail, run by the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, is open to the public from Oct. 31 through Nov. 29 in 2026. The gate to the trailhead parking lot opens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on these dates:
The trail is closed on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, and the gate locks promptly at 4 p.m. On weekdays, only scheduled school field trips can drive through to the parking area. Walk-in visitors are still welcome if they park along Old Olympic Highway and walk up the road. The trail sits on W Old Olympic Hwy, about halfway between Shelton and Olympia, between mileposts 356 and 357.
The fish count is the main draw. The group reports that Kennedy Creek usually sees 20,000 to 30,000 spawning chum, and some years have reached as high as 80,000. Before restoration began in 1998, the run averaged about 1,000 fish. Back then the creek spent most of its summers as an ATV track. Things changed when the Squaxin Island Tribe began monitoring fishing in Totten Inlet and the Taylor family of Taylor Shellfish signed a lease to restore the creek and build an interpretive trail. The Washington Department of Natural Resources bought the land under the trail in 2020.
The site's history goes back much further. The trail is on the ancestral grounds of the Squaxin Island Tribe. Villagers there knew the creek as the "Place of the Singing Fish," a name that came from the frogs singing along its banks on spring nights.
Before you go, know three rules. Dogs are not allowed, because salmon carry a microorganism that is deadly to dogs. Parking is extremely limited, so the group asks visitors to carpool. If the lot is full, you can park on the logging road as long as you don't block emergency access. Weather closures are posted the same day on the group's Facebook and Instagram pages.
Bayshore Preserve sits right off Highway 3 in Shelton. Capitol Land Trust and the Puget Sound Estuarium host the Salmon Experience there on Wednesday, Nov. 11, Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as fish move up Johns Creek. The event is free. Docents in bright orange or green vests stand at three marked stations along the pedestrian bridge and the estuary, and underwater cameras show what's happening below the surface. A spotting scope is set up at station 3. The land trust suggests bringing polarized glasses to cut the glare on the water.
That adds up to 12 staffed hours over the whole season. Kennedy Creek, by comparison, has gate access on 12 separate days. Bayshore makes up for the short schedule with easy access. The trail from the parking lot to the bridge is a gentle grade of 5 percent or less on crushed rock, the main viewing area is fairly flat and close to parking, and there is an ADA-compliant parking space and a portable toilet.
Each event day also has a side program:
| Date | Added program |
|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 11 | South Sound Bird Alliance bird outing, 1 to 2 p.m., meeting at the welcoming plaza |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | "Second Saturdays: Fungi of Bayshore" guided walk, 10 a.m. to noon, plus a bird outing, time to be announced |
| Sun., Nov. 15 | South Sound Bird Alliance bird outing, time to be announced |
Getting in is the tricky part. Don't turn onto Bayshore Drive, because it has no access to the preserve. The lot is right off Highway 3, across from the Shell gas station. Parking is free. Overflow parking runs only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the three event days. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lot farther north on Highway 3 requires a Discover Pass. Mason Transit route 1 and Dial-A-Ride both serve the area. There's no marked stop at the preserve, so tell the driver where you're headed and flag the bus down for the ride back.
Put the two calendars side by side and they meet on three dates. Kennedy Creek's gate is open on Veterans Day and on the Nov. 14 and 15 weekend. Bayshore's docent days are the same Nov. 11, 14 and 15. The South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group says peak viewing at Kennedy Creek is usually in mid-November. That makes these three days the only time this season when both guided sites are staffed while the run is near its usual high point.
The hours make one order easy. Bayshore's docents leave at 2 p.m. and Kennedy Creek's gate stays open until 4 p.m. If you start at Bayshore in the morning and drive to Kennedy Creek after lunch, you can see both programs in one day without racing a locked gate.
Here's how the three overlap days compare:
If you can't make any of those dates, you can still visit Bayshore. On days without docents, the land trust offers a self-guided interpretive map for your phone. Kennedy Creek also stays open later in the month. The South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group notes that spawning can usually be seen until early or mid-December.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's salmon-viewing list names four Mason County sites. They are Bayshore Preserve, George Adams Fish Hatchery, the Hoodsport Hatchery ADA Wheelchair Platform and Kennedy Creek. The Hood Canal side has no docent calendar. What it has is a set of rules.
The Hoodsport Hatchery platform sits at the mouth of Finch Creek. Here is what WDFW lists for the site:
Fishing season shapes how busy the canal gets. WDFW's 2026 season summary says all of Marine Area 12 is open for chum retention from Oct. 16 to Nov. 30. The state's preseason forecast puts this year's Hood Canal fall chum return at 382,311 fish, with roughly 324,000 hatchery fish and 58,000 wild. That means hatchery-origin chum make up about 85 percent of the forecast. Fishing rules change during the season and come with their own requirements, so this guide is general information and not legal advice. Check WDFW's current Marine Area 12 rules and its emergency rule changes before you take a rod to the water.
The Union River is the North Mason end of the story, and its big event happens in a different season. The Shelton-Mason County Journal reported in September that the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group had a temporary chum-counting weir and trap on the Union River starting in August. A reader board showing daily counts stood on State Route 300 behind QFC, and volunteers watched the trap around the clock through mid-October. The same report noted a record 12,689 Union River summer chum counted in 2024.
Downstream, the Mary E. Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve is in the middle of a restoration. The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group's project page explains that WDFW and the group removed 1,200 feet of levee and installed a 15-foot box culvert in summer 2025. They also raised NE Roessel Road to prevent seasonal flooding. A pedestrian boardwalk is scheduled for 2026 in the footprint of the old levee. Once it's finished, walkers on the 3.2-mile trail system won't have to use Roessel Road to get between the north and south sections. The project page doesn't mark the boardwalk as complete, so check with HCSEG for current trail access before planning a November walk there.
When you'd like a local's view of the Hood Canal and Totten Inlet waterfront, from tideland boundaries to the restoration work happening on these creeks, Infinity Real Estate is glad to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Retirement
If you are looking for single-level living, lower maintenance, gated security, and a vibrant social lifestyle in Western Washington, The Lakes at Gig Harbor is a premi… Read more
We pride ourselves in providing personalized solutions that bring our clients closer to their dream properties and enhance their long-term wealth. Contact us today to find out how we can be of assistance to you!
Infinity Real Estate
4221 Harborview Dr Gig Harbor, WA 98332