This kind of intact natural habitat is increasingly rare, and led to Filucy Bay being ranked in a 2003 Pentec Environmental study as having the 13th highest nearshore habitat quality out of a total of 413 assessment units in the Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor, and Islands Basin. The 119-acre Filucy Bay Preserve sits on both the eastern and western bank of the north cove of Filucy Bay, and safeguards intact intertidal and estuary habitat with mature forest lining its banks. To get there, follow the shoreline past the existing boat ramp, to a grassy opening on the shore. Make sure you come at high tide and bring a lunch to enjoy! Project Details Great Peninsula Conservancy has designated a water-landing site on the western shore of the Filucy Bay Preserve. Accessible only by hand-powered watercraft, this public access site features interpretive signage, a picnic table, and a bench. The tides can be extreme here, however, so kayakers should take care not to get stranded on the mudflats at low tide. Kayakers love exploring the north cove of this quiet bay with its long stretches of forested shorelines and abundant birdlife including eagles, kingfishers, and great blue herons. The Filucy Bay Preserve protects over a mile of shoreline along this quiet Pierce County cove. This bay was also once a favorite fishing spot for First Nations Peoples, and is now an area of interest to archeologists. Owls, woodpeckers, and songbirds thrive in the preserve’s mature forest of fir, cedar, maple, and alder. When the tide is in, osprey hunt for fish from the air and great blue heron stalk small prey at water’s edge. Mother bears with cubs trailing are regulars in the preserve, foraging on berries and salmon. This special place is home to an amazing variety of wildlife. Filucy Bay is an off-the-beaten-path tidal estuary near the southern tip of the Key Peninsula not far from the small community of Longbranch.

Tide graph filucy bay