Vendovi Island Preserve

Vendovi Island

Year protected: 2010

Land protected: 217 acres

Shoreline protected: 2.8 miles

Hiking Trails: 3 Miles

Trail Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Vendovi Island Preserve is open to the public Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), 10:00am to 6:00pm, from April 1 through September 30.

VENDOVI ISLAND IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.
We reopen to the public on April 1, 2024. See you in the spring!

This 217-acre island gem is small enough to explore in a day, but large enough to find a sense of solitude. Just under two miles of well-marked, interconnecting trails stitch together Vendovi’s tapestry of forests, meadows, and beaches. While you admire the sweeping vistas, take time to slow down and enjoy the close-up beauty, too.

Douglas fir and maple forest cloaks most of Vendovi’s uplands. You may notice that the understory of this forest is particularly rich, with tall salal, Oregon boxwood, sword fern, and salmonberry. This is, in large part, because deer are rare visitors to Vendovi Island.

On the island’s south-facing slopes, the forest is interspersed with rocky prairies. In spring, these sunny openings sparkle with the colors of thousands of native wildflowers, including camas, paintbrush, and fawn lily.

Vendovi’s beaches—including aptly-named Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach—offer endless scenic views and fascinating intertidal life. These beaches are important resting areas for harbor seals; many give birth to their pups on the island. Please watch for seals when you visit a beach, and give them plenty of space.

When open to the public, access to the island is via the North Cove only. A 70-foot dock just inside the breakwater is available for side-tie moorage on a first-come, first-served basis. Please observe a time limit of three hours. Kayaks and other small watercraft may land on the beach inside this protected cove.

We are working to manage a delicate balance between protecting the ecological integrity of the island and human enjoyment of this property.

Learn about the history of this preserve

Visitor guidelines:

  • Open April 1 – September 30, 10am to 6pm, Thursday-Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday)
  • Dogs on leash & all waste packed out
  • Day use only; no overnight camping or fires
  • Pack in and pack out all litter
  • No hunting or collecting except by special permission (where suitable)
  • Stay on designated trails
  • Respect adjoining private property and do not trespass
  • No motorized vehicles

No groups larger than 10 unless prior arrangements made (email vendovi@sjpt.org to make arrangements). This does not guarantee dock space, which is first come, first served.