Coupeville
The Victorian seaport community of Coupeville, one of the oldest towns in Washington, is on Whidbey Island. It is part of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve which encompasses a mixture of federal, state, county and private property, all managed in a way that preserves its historic essence. Also included are two state parks: Fort Casey and Fort Ebey and the Central Whidbey Island Historic District.
Get in
By ferry
- 1 Washington State Ferries (Next to Fort Casey), ☏ +1 206-464-6400, toll-free: +1-800-843-3779. There is a ferry between Port Townsend in the Olympic Peninsula and Coupeville (at Fort Casey). The small ferries required by Coupeville's narrow harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Make guaranteed reservations in advance online or by calling 5-1-1, and are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays. Pedestrians and bicyclists will never have a problem boarding the ferry. 35 minutes one way; departures every 1½ hours.
By boat
- 2 Coupeville Wharf and boating facility, 24 Front St NW, ☏ +1 360-678-6379. 12 or more boats can be moored to floats attached to the wharf on a first come first served basis. There are also four buoys near the wharf. Unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel can be purchased at the fuel dock which is attached to the north side of the wharf. This is the only public moorage in Penn Cove. Showers and a coffee shop with basic boating supplies are available. Mooring floats overnight (after 6PM) fees: winter (October 1 - April 30) $0.50 per foot, summer (May 1 - September 30) $1.00 per foot. Mooring buoys overnight (after 6PM) $10 for maximum length of 32 feet. Courtesy moorage: 3 hour maximum after 6PM with approval of Harbor Master $5.00 regardless of length.
By shuttle
- Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle, ☏ +1 360-679-4003. Provides transportation service between communities on Whidbey and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Get around
Map of Coupeville
By public transit
- Island Transit, ☏ +1 360-678-7771. Scheduled bus services on Whidbey Island and Camano Island. Service on Whidbey Island includes to Clinton, Coupeville, Freeland, Greenbank, Langley, Oak Harbor with off island connections to Anacortes. Service on Camano Island includes off island connections to Everett and Mount Vernon. Free. The main bus stops in Coupeville are:
By taxi
See
- 1 Admiralty Head Lighthouse, 1280 Engle Rd (on the grounds of Fort Casey State Park), ☏ +1 360-678-4519. In 1858 the United States purchased 10 acres (40,000 m²) of land costing $400 for the location of the lighthouse. The original lighthouse was completed during the months just prior to the Civil War and was among the West's earliest navigational aids. It had a fourth order Fresnel lens, and the light could be seen sixteen miles away. This light welcomed Puget Sound marine traffic to Admiralty Inlet. In 1890, with construction of the fort to protect Admiralty Inlet, the light was relocated, relinquishing the building and site to the U.S. Army. The original Red Bluff wooden lighthouse was demolished to make room for soldiers and guns in Fort Casey. The replacement lighthouse, constructed of brick and stucco, was built in 1903 but was discontinued in 1922. It was the last brick lighthouse designed by renowned German architect Carl Leick. During its later occupancy by the Army, the lighthouse was used as a training facility for the K-9 dog program. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1922, and the lantern moved to the New Dungeness Lighthouse in 1927. The 30-foot (9-m) tall lighthouse has since been restored by the Washington State Parks and is sponsored by the "Lighthouse Environmental Program"(LEP), a collaborative function between Washington State University's Extension Office and local environmental programs. Admiralty Head Lighthouse is open to the public throughout the year.
- 2 Fort Casey State Park, 1280 Engle Rd, ☏ +1 360-678-4519. Fort Casey State Park is a 467-acre marine camping park with a lighthouse and sweeping views of Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A coast artillery post features two 10-inch and two 3-inch historic guns on display. The park features 10,810 feet of saltwater shoreline on Puget Sound (Admiralty Inlet), and includes Keystone Spit, a two-mile-plus stretch of land separating Admiralty Inlet and Crocket Lake. The park is the site of Admiralty Head Lighthouse. A coast artillery post features four historic guns on display. Guided tours of historic gun batteries: Volunteers with the Fort Casey Volunteer Battalion lead guided tours of the gun batteries at Fort Casey State Park. The 45-minute tours are at 1PM Friday through Sunday and also 2:30PM Sunday, from May 18 through Sept. 14. Meet at the kiosk between Battery Worth and the parking lot. Tours also are offered on July 4 and Sept. 3.
- 3 Fort Ebey State Park, 400 Hill Valley Dr, ☏ +1 360-678-4636. A 645-acre camping park on Whidbey Island, was built as a coastal defense fort in World War II. Concrete platforms mark the gun locations. The park has three miles of saltwater shoreline on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a freshwater lake for fishing, and miles of hiking and biking trails. Fort Ebey, constructed in 1942, was named after the pioneer commander of the 1855 militia stationed on an island in Ebey Slough. The park stands on the site of a World War II gun battery which had two six-inch guns in place during the war. The guns were later removed and scrapped. Visitors may explore concrete bunkers built for the original military fort in 1942.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Compass Rose Inn, 501 S Main St (SE of Main & Terry, south of town), ☏ +1 360 578-5318. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Built in 1890, this is the perfect place to stay right in Coupeville.
- The Blue Goose Inn. This old inn has two houses to stay: The James and Keturah Coupe Gillespie House (1891) and the John and Jane Kineth House (1887). Both are beautiful. The other place to stay.
Camping
Camping on Whidbey Island is limited, with sites most readily available in the spring and fall:
- 2 Fort Casey State Park Campground (Highway 20, 3 mi (4.8 km) South of Coupeville), ☏ +1 360 678-4519, toll-free: +1 888 226-7688. Fort Casey was built at the turn of the 19th century as one of three forts designed to guard the entrance to Puget Sound in case of attack. (Fort Worden on the Olympic Peninsula and Fort Flagler on Marrowstone are the others). The Coast Artillery Corps forts were never engaged, and the site became part of a state park in the 1950s. While in Fort Casey State Park, visit the Admiralty Head Lighthouse, explore the gun batteries, take a walk on the beach, or hike one of the upland trails. Reservations are not taken for campsites.
- 3 Fort Ebey State Park Campground, toll-free: +1-888-226-7688. Fort Ebey was built in 1942 as part of the United State's Pacific defense. In 1968, the army donated the site to the state, and it was opened as a state park in 1981 — one of many military properties in the Puget Sound area that have been converted to recreational use. While at Fort Ebey State Park, enjoy a walk to Lake Pondilla; visit the beach; hike along the bluff tops and enjoy views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Also explore the abandoned bunker and gun emplacement.
- Rhododendron County Park, 502 W Patmore Rd, ☏ +1 360-679-7331. Rhododendron County Park offers tent & RV camping on a first come first served basis
Connect
- 1 Coupeville Library (Sno-Isle Libraries), 788 NW Alexander (NW Alexander & 8th), ☏ +1 360 678-4911, fax: +1 360 678-5261. M-Sa 9AM-6PM; Su 1PM-5PM.
By mail
- 2 Coupeville Post Office (USPS), 201 NW Coveland St, ☏ +1 360. M-F 9AM-4:30PM; Sa 11AM-1PM.
Go next
| Routes through Coupeville |
| Port Townsend ← Car ferry ← | SW  NE |
→ Oak Harbor → Burlington |
ENDS at  ← |
NW  SE |
→ Greenbank → Lynnwood |