A nearly landlocked pocket inlet on the west shore of Hood Canal, Pleasant Harbor opens through a slot of an entrance into a glassy, all-but-bombproof basin shared by a full-service resort marina and a tiny state park dock.
Tucked into the wooded shoreline a couple of miles south of Brinnon, Pleasant Harbor lives up to its name: once you slip through the narrow mouth, the swell and chop of Hood Canal vanish and you are floating on flat water ringed by trees and bluffs. It is one of the most thoroughly sheltered anchorages on the canal, and a popular overnight stop for cruisers working their way down toward the Great Bend.
The harbor is home to Pleasant Harbor Marina, a resort facility with guest moorage, a fuel dock with pump-out, showers, a pool, and a restaurant, plus the small, one-acre Pleasant Harbor State Park, which offers roughly 120 feet of first-come, first-served overnight moorage with no services or potable water.
Despite the marina activity, there is still plenty of room to drop the hook in the basin, and the near-total enclosure makes for a quiet, secure night, except during shrimping season, when the harbor fills up fast.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
Approach from Hood Canal off Black Point and feel your way in through the narrow, shallow entrance channel, which is the only real hazard here. A shoal lies off the mouth and the fairway is tight, so it is wise to enter on a rising tide and keep to the marked/charted channel rather than cutting the corners.
Inside, depths open up into a comfortable anchoring basin of roughly 18 to 42 feet; the surrounding shores shoal quickly, so favor the central basin and watch your swing relative to the marina docks and the state park float.
Wind protection summary and tide planning at a glance. Full per-direction and 7-day detail with Plus.
Live readings from the nearest OpenWeather station and WorldTides; refreshed every few minutes.
Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Pleasant Harbor with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Member-uploaded images of this anchorage.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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