Kukutali Preserve is the first park in the history of the United States to be co-owned and jointly managed by a federally recognized Indian tribe and a state government.
The preserve encompasses 83 acres, spanning three islands, with over two miles of natural shoreline. Upland acreage is a mixed forest habitat that sustains many species, including bald eagles, deer, and coyotes call the area home, along with 50 species of birds, bats, and small amphibians.
The marine waters are rich in sea life. From the shoreline you can watch curious harbor seals. Rocky beaches offer habitat for intertidal life. The Fidalgo Island parcel includes a 3.4-acre tidal lagoon and associated wetlands. This habitat is deemed crucial in the recovery of the threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon. Flagstaff Island has lowland meadow habitats that are fragile and endangered. Both the Kiket Lagoon and Flagstaff Island are closed to public access.
How to Visit Kukutali Preserve
A Discover Pass is required to visit Kukutali Preserve. Members of the Swinomish Tribe can get a FREE Discover Pass through the Swinomish Fisheries Department.
Be sure to check the tides before visiting. The Kiket tombolo is a depositional beach landform that connects the western part of Kukutali Preserve (Kiket Island) to Fidalgo Island (where the parking lot is located). This narrow sand/gravel bar will be under water at high tides above +9.00ft MLLW. To avoid being stranded due to high tide, check the tide charts for Turners Bay and time your visit for when the tide will be below +9.00ft MLLW.
Park hours: 6:30 a.m. until dusk
Amenities: Restrooms and a picnic shelter are located in the meadow at the west end of Kiket Island.
Rules and Regulations:
- A Discover Pass is required
- No bicycles, pets, dogs, horses
- Use designated trails only
- No trespassing on Flagstaff Island (the furthest west end of the preserve), which is fragile and endangered habitat
- Stay off of Kiket Island’s north shore and Kiket lagoon
- Harvesting of beach resources (i.e. shellfish) is only allowed for Tribal members (with a Tribal permit)
- No overnight parking
- No parking on Snee-oosh Road
- Non-motorized boat access is only allowed on the southern beaches, except when seasonally closed
- Please respect the private property south of the road leading to Kiket Island
For emergencies of any kind – CALL 911 – a Park Ranger or Tribal police officer will respond.
Kiket Trail (Center trail): 1mile – from parking lot to Flagstaff Island. A gravel roadway across the island with moderate elevation gain. The most direct route to the west end of the island.
North Trail: a peaceful forest trail through old growth, the north trail gains the most elevation and is 0.5 miles, offering views at the west end.
South Trail: the easiest trail, avoiding most of the elevation gain as it wanders 0.4 miles through the broad-leaved trees along the south side.
Kukutali means “place of the cattail mat” and refers to the temporary shelters of cattail mats that were historically erected at summer clam digging and beach seining sites.
The preserve logo is a representation of a cattail mat creaser. Creasers are small hand tools with a triangular relief notch on the bottom. The creaser was used in conjunction with a mat needle to create a scoring across many cattail leaves to prevent the sewn cattail leaves from splitting. This rendering by Swinomish Tribal Member Todd Mitchell includes two heads to represent the Swinomish Tribe and Washington State Parks, the two entities that have come together to manage this unique area.