Manchester

Understand

Manchester was established in the 1860s and was originally known as Brooklyn, after the borough in New York City. The name was changed to Manchester in 1892 in honor of the city of Manchester, England. Like many communities in Puget Sound, Manchester was only accessible by boat until a permanent dock was built in 1908. After then, regular steamboat service connected Manchester to nearby communities.

Get in

Manchester is between Southworth and Port Orchard.

By car

The three main streets in Manchester are Colchester Dr SE, E Chester Rd and Beach Dr E.

By boat

By bus

Get around

Manchester's shops, library and restaurant are all centrally located within walking distance to the pier.

See and do

Parks

• Blake Island State Park. Manchester is the closest launching point to Blake Island which is accessible only by boat and 1.7 nautical miles away. A 475-acre marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. The island offers 21 buoys and 1744 feet of moorage for visiting boaters. There are several designated beaches designated for shellfishing that are open all year.

Beachcombing

What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery, as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow-capped mountains on the horizons. Manchester has a small beach that is great for a picnic or letting the kids play in the sand or the more adventurous could head over to nearby Manchester State Park which is an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering 3400 feet of beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sights, and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.

Sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed. However, the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and be gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals.

Crabbing

Manchester is an excellent place to launch a boat to search out the elusive and meaty Dungeness Crab, and other less popular crabs are also plentiful in the area. Crab season starts with a two-day opener July 1st and 2nd and follows up with crabbing every Thursday through Monday through Labor Day weekend. A wide array of crab traps are available from a variety of area sporting goods stores and the red and white buoys marking the traps are a common site on the water during the short crabbing season. Fishing permits are required and can be purchased from a variety of local stores, more information is available from the Washington Department of Fishing and Wildlife.

Sea kayaking

Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Kitsap Peninsula's 371 miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings. Thick forests of majestic pine and deciduous trees and hundreds of creeks and estuaries dot the coastline. Or just explore Kitsap's many harbor towns like Manchester that cater to kayakers with shops and restaurants accessible from the water.

Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate and scenic travel destinations and Manchester is located on the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails.

Scuba diving

Scuba diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than most warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible.

Eat and drink

Go next

• Southworth and its ferry terminal to West Seattle and Vashon Island are to the south.
• Port Orchard is to the west.

There are many areas to explore by water:

• Manchester is the closest boat launch to Blake Island State Park.
• Vashon Island
• Bainbridge Island
• The communities along the Sinclair Inlet, including Port Orchard.