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Back to Anderson Island

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Voykit pocket guide · United States

Anderson Island

Go for one night, two at most: a car ferry from Steilacoom, 170 acres of wetland trails, a farm museum and no hotels. Skip if you want nightlife or a beach resort.

Anderson Island is the southernmost island in Puget Sound, reached by a Pierce County ferry from Steilacoom in about 20 minutes. It is a rural residential island: two lakes, wooded trails, a restored 1896 farm, a nine-hole golf course and a handful of places to eat. There are no hotels, so you sleep in a bed and breakfast or a rented house, and you need a car or a bike to see anything. It suits a quiet one- or two-night break from Tacoma or Olympia, not a sightseeing checklist.

New YorkAberdeenAbileneAbington TownshipAbiquiuAdaAdamsAddisonAgoura HillsAkronAlamedaAlamogordoAlamosaAlbany, GeorgiaAnderson Island500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
United States
Best months
Jun–Sep (driest trails); May and Oct are quieter and often wet
Avoid
Nov–Mar (trails muddy, many rentals closed, short daylight)
Stay
1–2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
USD
Money
Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
Daily spend
Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
Emergency
Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Anderson Island Fire/Rescue +1 253-884-4040 · Pierce County ferry +1 253-588-1950
Plugs
Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
Tipping
Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
Water
Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
Toilets
Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Coffee and a pastry at the island café$6–12
Deli sandwich or soup$10–16
Dinner main at the lakeshore restaurant$18–32
Draught beer$6–9
Nine-hole green fee at the community club$25–45
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$15–35

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

SEA · Seattle–Tacoma International
About 1 h 15 min by car to the Steilacoom ferry landing; no direct bus to the dock.
OLM · Olympia Regional
Small field, limited service; about 45 min by car to Steilacoom.

Typical fares

Steilacoom → Anderson Island, walk-on
about $6 each way, about 20 min (check)
Steilacoom → Anderson Island, car and driver
about $30 each way; reserve in summer (check)
Steilacoom → Tacoma by car
about 25 min via I-5
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Drive or cycle. Eckenstam Johnson Road runs north–south and most sights sit off it; the island has many small meandering roads and no bus service. Bring a car on the ferry if you can, or plan on a bike — distances are short but the roads are narrow and shoulderless in places.

See and do

Known for

  • Pierce County ferry from Steilacoom
  • Andy's Wildlife Park wetlands
  • John O. Johnson Farm
  • Lake Josephine and Riviera Community Club

Day trips

WhereHowTime
SteilacoomPierce County ferry from the Yoman Road landing, about 20 minAbout 30 min
TacomaFerry to Steilacoom, then drive about 25 min north on I-5About 1 h 15 min
Olympia, WashingtonFerry to Steilacoom, then drive about 40 min south on I-5About 1 h 30 min
Ketron IslandPierce County ferry, limited runs onlyAbout 20 min
Eagle Island State ParkBoat only; mooring buoys on the west and east sidesVaries

Sleep

Lake Josephine / Riviera area
Most bed and breakfasts and rental houses, plus the golf course and the lakeshore restaurant.
Eckenstam Johnson Road corridor
The island's main north–south road: café, general store and the trailheads are along it.
Near the ferry landing (Yoman Road)
Shortest walk off the boat; fewest beds, so book early.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Where is the ferry landing?Where is the ferry landing?
One adult, round trip, pleaseOne adult, round trip, please
Do you take cards?Do you take cards?
Is there a table for two?Is there a table for two?
How do I get back to Steilacoom?How do I get back to Steilacoom?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
  • Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
  • Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
  • Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
  • Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned

Scams and watch-outs

  • The ferry runs roughly hourly, about 05:00–22:30, and vehicles need a reservation in summer: check the Pierce County ferry page before you book a bed.
  • No hotels on the island — bed and breakfasts and rental houses only, and many close in winter.
  • Cell coverage is patchy and there is no hospital: the volunteer fire department runs the ambulance, and serious cases go off-island by ferry, fireboat or helicopter.
  • Trails at Andy's Wildlife Park flood in winter; the loop is a summer walk.
  • Restaurant hours are short and change with the season: check before you count on dinner.

Very low crime; the real risks are wet, unlit rural roads, winter flooding on the trails and the lack of a hospital. Call 911 and the volunteer fire department handles transport off the island.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Anderson Island yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Pierce County ferry from Steilacoom
  • Andy's Wildlife Park wetlands
  • John O. Johnson Farm
  • Lake Josephine and Riviera Community Club

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Anderson Island

To this address, please

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

No consulates on the island. Nearest consulates-general are in Seattle; embassies are in Washington, DC.

Print this card before you go: coverage is patchy and the ferry timetable is the one thing you must not miss.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/anderson-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.