Directions and Transportation Connections
- From I-5: Take exit 132 (Hwy 16). Proceed west on Hwy 16 approximately 3 miles and exit on the 6th Avenue exit (signed Vashon ferry). Turn left onto 6th Avenue at the stop light. Turn right at the next stop light onto Hwy 163 (Pearl Street). Proceed north, approximately 3.5 miles, to the stop sign at the entrance to Point Defiance Park. Stay in the right lane and bear to the right. Do not enter the park. Auto toll plaza one block on right. Ferry terminal located at end of street. Parking to the left of terminal.
Passenger Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Continue past tollbooth in left lane to Marina Parking area. There is a bus stop to your right adjacent to the dock that offers a temporary drop-off point.
Security
WSF has implemented a U.S. Coast Guard approved security plan, for more information please visit our Safety and Security page.
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Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC)
- Contact the Ferry Advisory Committee chair representing your community with suggestions or concerns about ferry service.
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Tourist Information
Parking
Metropolitan Park Services handles adjacent parking.
Airport
Motorcycles
While motorcycles are not, by Washington Administrative Code (WAC 468-300-700), a preferential loading category of users, they are often loaded prior to automobiles for operational and staging purposes. Arrival at the dock after vehicle load has commenced requires motorcycles to wait until all cars have been loaded for the next motorcycle loading opportunity. Motorcycles should proceed, while on the dock, at no more than 10 mph. Use caution when car decks are wet. The following information details specific staging for this terminal:
Roundtrip Fares Purchased at Point Defiance, Kiosk, or Online.
Purchase tickets at the auto tollbooths, at the passenger booth, at the kiosk inside the terminal waiting room, or online in advance.
Pre-ticketed customers can be scanned by ticket taker.
Traffic permitting, may bypass holding lanes by using local access lanes and purchase fare at the booth on the dock.
Motorcycles entering the upper tollbooth area are instructed to exit out of the holding lanes then proceed down to lower dock across from passenger ticket booth.
Loading order: bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles, late arriving motorcycles as space permits.
If vessel is off-loading, please wait to access holding area.
Motorcycles traveling in large groups must check in with the seller, located at the top of the hill, in the upper tollbooth for processing.
Trucks Trucks that have a gross vehicle weight of over 80,000 lbs but are hauling less than 80,000 lbs will need to provide a weight slip. Please fill out our Oversized/Overweight Vehicle Travel form and email it to wsfinfo@wsdot.wa.gov. Please allow three business days for completion and approval. You can contact us at anytime for status updates at (206)464-6400.. Trucks with a ground clearance of less than 14" may not be allowed to travel to/from Vashon Island during periods of extreme low tides.
The vessel assigned to this route has a height clearance of 16'. The overhead wires on the way to the terminal and at the terminal are only 13' 6", so anything higher will not be able to get to the terminal. WSF requires trucks with a gross vehicle weight of over 80,000 lbs and/or over 8’6” wide to have “travel approval” before crossing any of our routes. Vessels on this route have a limited height clearance and trucks may be loaded out of sequence.
Bikes Bicyclists should arrive 20 minutes prior to departure time to be loaded at the beginning of loading process. If a bicyclist arrives after vehicle loading has begun, they will be loaded at the end of the load. Riders should walk their bikes on and off the ferry to avoid injuring passengers. The terminal has two lockers through Pierce Transit but no bike racks.
Bicyclists may bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the lower ferry dock where they can secure their bike and purchase their tickets from the lower booth.
HOV
Carpool/Vanpools must be ticketed and in line 10 minutes before scheduled sailing time to receive preferential loading. If you are late, you will be loaded on a space available basis at the end of the loading. For information or to register for our rideshare program see ourcarpools and vanpools page.
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Terminal Features and Amenities
- Overhead Passenger Loading: No
- Elevator: No
- Waiting Room: Yes
- Food Service: No. Galley
- 7:35a.m.-5:10 p.m. Daily
- Restrooms: Yes
ADA Information
Fare Discounts
Fares are only collected going to the island on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route. Fares are not collected or sold at Tahlequah. In fact, there is no staff at Tahlequah; WSF terminal employees arrive via the vessel that is landing at Tahlequah. We offer seniors (65+), persons with disabilities and passengers with a Medicare card, or other eligibility verification, travel at half the regular passenger fare rate. We offer special rates for youth ages 6 to 18. Children ages 5 and under travel free. Multi-ride cards are good for 90 days from the date of purchase and are non-refundable. For more information check Fares. Pre-purchasing Wave2Go tickets does not guarantee a space on the vessel.
Lost and Found
Lost and found items on this route are turned in to the Point Defiance ferry terminal. Due to storage limitations, found items are held for 10 days from the date they were found. Our Information Agents can assist you with lost and found inquiries from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm (daily) at (206) 464-6400 or 1-888-808-7977.
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