Located off the coast of Seattle in Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island is a 27-square-mile city and island with a small-town atmosphere and big-time outdoor recreation with views of the Cascades. The island’s commercial hub is Winslow, where you’ll find inviting shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Bainbridge is also home to lovely parks, including the waterfront Fay Bainbridge Park where you can go beachcombing, and the Grand Forest, which offers miles of hiking trails through pristine woodlands. You can also head to the northern section of the island to visit the gorgeous botanical gardens at the Bloedel Reserve.

If you’d like to explore the area by water, you’ll find plenty of options for kayaking and sailing at Eagle Harbor. You can also head to the rocky Lytle Beach to take a dip into the Rich Passage, one of the warmest swimming spots on the island.

Thanks to its moderate marine-influenced weather, there is no bad time to visit Bainbridge Island. The summer sees the warmest and longest days, which is nice if you want to explore some of the island’s hiking trails, including the Grand Forest Park Trail loop, or get out onto the water. This is a very popular time to visit, which is something to be aware of when booking your vacation rentals on Bainbridge Island.

Things are a bit quieter during the spring and fall, when the surrounding areas burst into a sea of colors as wildflowers begin to bloom, or when fall foliage turns the forest into a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and yellow. Things can get pretty cold and overcast in the winter, but this is a wonderful time to explore Bainbridge Island at its quietest. The weather can also be unpredictable at times, so you’ll want to dress in layers and bring some type of rain protection.

Winslow

In Winslow, you’ll find several interesting museums, including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Kids Discovery Museum, and the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum. There’s also a lively culinary scene here, where farm-fresh ingredients and locally grown products inspire the menus, along with a local brewery and winery. You can browse small shops selling locally made products here as well.

Japanese American Exclusion Memorial

This moving memorial commemorates the 276 Japanese American Bainbridge Islands residents who were relocated to internment camps during World War II. They were among the first people who were forcibly relocated, and the memorial follows in their footsteps as they made their way to the ferry that took them away from their homes. The memorial includes a stone and wood pathway featuring images of the local residents carved into wood, along with their names and ages.

Bloedel Reserve

This sprawling 150-acre botanical garden lies on the northern end of the island. It features beautifully manicured grounds complete with ponds, streams, walking trails, and a Japanese Garden. You can also wander through a moss garden, stone garden, and a rhododendron glen on the reserve.