Vendovi Island Preserve
Vendovi Island
Year protected: 2010
Land protected: 217 acres
Shoreline protected: 2.8 miles
Hiking Trails: 1.9 Miles
Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Vendovi Island Preserve is open to the public on Thursdays through Mondays, 10:00am to 6:00pm, from April 1 through September 30. The Preserve is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
We will continue to observe COVID-19 guidelines until further notice. The restroom remains closed—so, boaters, hit the head before you hit the island!
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.
Access: The Preserve will be open for the 2021 season from April 1 through September 30. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
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:
- 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.
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Reviews of this Preserve
Bula Vinaka,
The name Vendovi belonged to my great grandfather 4x. I would like to visit the island along with all of Ratu Vendovi’s family. This is to pay tribute in our culture as he was the first Fijian to come to the America’s (by force) i We are hoping to ask you if we are able to come to the island and present a gift and to hopefully one day take his body back home.
Hela
There is a lot to view on Vendovi island, great wildlife to be found. I personally love to boat around the island in the early morning or evenings. You can observe the wildlife from a safe distance and capture some fantastic pics.
Dear Hela — We wish we could contact you. If you see this, please email craig@sjpt.org. You would most certainly be welcome to visit the island when it opens again in spring of 2021. Please know, however, that your great grandfather 4x is NOT buried on the island — it is only named after him. We would love to talk to you, so please get in touch! -Craig (SJPT Communications Director)