King County is undertaking two big projects at Dockton Park during the upcoming opening in the fish window. Due to overlapping project timelines, some of the park’s amenities will be intermittently inaccessible, and at times, completely closed to public access. See timetable below.
For the first project, work crews will begin staging equipment on site at the end of July for the removal of a bulkhead; construction gets underway in early August. This project is anticipated to be completed by the end of September.
The second project will begin the renovations of the marina, which has largely been closed since March 2019. This project is anticipated to be completed by April, and we expect to re-open more of the marina for moorage at that time.
Park Facility Closure Schedule
| Opened on August 24 | Status |
| Marina | On-going closure, except for small area for day-use on a first come-first-served basis. |
| Marina: Day-use area | During bulkhead removal, July 27 – Sept 30: –Moorage open (except during marina renovation, see below) –Access to the shore via the dock closed, including to the portable toilets During marina renovation: -Sept 2020: Moorage will be closed (exact date TBD) -Winter 2021: Moorage will be closed (exact date TBD) |
| Boat ramp | Open for access, except during periodic, brief use by work crews likely during low tides |
| Parking lot | Opened on August 24 |
| Play area | Opened on August 24 |
| Picnic shelter | Opened on August 24 |
| Restrooms | Closed until further notice, due to COVID-19 precautions |
| Dockton Forest trails | Open No scheduled closures – enjoy! |
About the Bulkhead Removal Project
During the daytime low tides occurring within the summer fish window (August 1 – September 30), the King County Water and Land Resources Division will use heavy equipment to break up and haul away the 225-foot-long concrete bulkhead north of the marina. Construction hours go from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon – Fri, so expect a higher noise level during this time.
Removing this bulkhead will improve shoreline habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon and their prey, including the endangered Southern Resident Orca who rely on Chinook salmon as their primary food source.
This project was funded with a competitive state grant from the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program. This project is expected to be completed before September 30, 2020.
About the Marina Renovation Project
The first step toward renovating the marina begins with the removal and replacement of about 10 – 12 of the old wooden creosote piles inside the breakwater area with new steel piles. This work is expected to be completed within a week of starting, which will be sometime in September.
The second element of Phase One renovations includes replacing the pump-out station and the interior finger dock floats, which will likely happen sometime during the winter. We anticipate opening up the interior marina area to the public in late spring 2021.
As funding becomes available, future work is planned to:
- Encapsulate or replace the remaining creosote piles
- Replace the floats on the outer breakwater section
- Carry out other safety and maintenance items
Please subscribe to the Dockton Park email newsletter for progress updates.
Current construction is funded in part by a Boating Facilities Program grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office and by the 2020-2025 King County Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space Levy. Thank you for your support!
We are eager to complete these projects and re-open Dockton Park (and additional parts of the marina) as soon as we can. While facilities at Dockton Park are closed, be sure to visit other beautiful parks on Vashon and Maury Islands:
- Jensen Point (8900 S.W. Harbor Dr) – Boat ramp and picnicking
- Point Robinson (3705 S.W. Point Robinson Rd) – Lighthouse trails and beach
- Lisabeula Park (Southwest Lisabuela Rd) – Picnicking and beach
- Ober Park (17130 Vashon Hwy S.W.) – Children’s playground
- Maury Island Marine Park (S.W. 244th St) – Beachcombing
Questions? Call (206) 477-4527 or email: parksinfo@kingcounty.gov
I collect mussels for the Health Dept Harmful Algae Bloom lab. There has been 2 positive results so I will be needing to access my cage which is out on the breakwater. I will make an effort to pay attention to dates of actual construction.