Summer
Long light on the valley, farm stands in gear, and the house at peak demand. Book early.
Center Valley
Chimacum, Washington: The Valley Around the House
A small Olympic Peninsula valley town — farms, a corner store, groceries in a few minutes, and views of Center Valley and the Cascades. This is the address, not a day trip.
Signature stops
Places worth seeing in Chimacum
Why this valley
Where is Chimacum, Washington?
Chimacum is an unincorporated valley community on the Olympic Peninsula in Jefferson County, between Port Townsend and the Hood Canal bridge approaches. Blue Mountain Retreat is at 516 Blue Mountain Rd, Chimacum, WA 98325. The view is Center Valley and the Cascades. The town is farms, a school, and a handful of useful stops — not a main street of inns.
You came so the kids would occupy themselves in the woods and the field. Chimacum is the setting that makes that possible: quiet roads, farm stands, and Port Townsend only when you want town.
Once you’re there
What Chimacum actually is
Center Valley is working farmland. From the house you see fields and the Cascades on a clear day. That view is why people sit on the deck — not a backdrop you drive to.
Chimacum Corner Farmstand and nearby farm businesses are where locals grab produce, coffee, and the kind of food a reunion kitchen can use. Finnriver and other valley spots exist for adults; this remains a family house — plan accordingly.
Groceries also live in Port Hadlock (a few minutes) and Port Townsend (15–20). You do not need a Costco run in Silverdale unless you want one. Dave sends a short list with arrival notes.
There is no nightlife to miss. Quiet hours at the house are 10:00 PM. The valley agrees. If your group wants bars until midnight, this is the wrong address.
- 516 Blue Mountain Rd — listing and map pin (never 512)
- Center Valley views and working farmland
- Farmstand and groceries in Chimacum, Port Hadlock, and Port Townsend
- Port Townsend 15–20 minutes; Seattle is a ferry plus a drive
By season
When Chimacum shines
Fall through spring
Quieter roads, wet woods the kids still use, and weekday rates. The valley does not close.
Useful links
Parks, operators, and visitor sites
Official parks and local operators — the links people ask for when they’re planning a day out.
See it
A look at Chimacum
Destination photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, the National Park Service, and Blue Mountain Retreat.
Trip notes
Practical details before you go
- Navigate to 516 Blue Mountain Rd. 512 is Dave’s house for mailed checks only — wrong pin, awkward driveway.
- No pets, no exceptions. Boarding is in Port Hadlock, about 8 miles.
- Cell coverage is fine for calls; do not expect urban internet speeds in every corner of the woods.
- Closest fuel and pharmacies are Port Hadlock / Port Townsend, not on Blue Mountain Road.
Drive time from Blue Mountain Retreat in Chimacum: you are already here.
The house in the valley
Blue Mountain Retreat is the Chimacum stay
There is no hotel row in Chimacum. The product is one 6,500 sq ft house on 20 acres, exclusive use, sleeps 25.
If you are searching “Chimacum WA lodging” or “family reunion house Olympic Peninsula,” this is the listing. Town and parks are optional. The woods are not.
Ways to use a week here
If this outing is part of your stay
More nearby
Other Olympic Peninsula guides
about 15–20 minutes
Port Townsend
Walkable Victorian downtown, a working waterfront, and enough food and shops for a town day without turning the week into an itinerary.
about 20–25 minutes · ~16 miles
Fort Worden
Beaches, bunkers you can explore, and bluff trails at the north end of Port Townsend — the outing the original site always listed first.
about 20 minutes to the dock
Whale watching
Day boats on the Salish Sea from Port Townsend — orcas and other whales in season, booked as a single outing, not a week-long safari.
about 15–20 minutes to the launch
Kayaking
Kayak, SUP, and bikes from Port Townsend — a water day that still gets everyone home for dinner on the acres.
about 1 hour 45 minutes to Hurricane Ridge
Olympic National Park
Hurricane Ridge for a mountain day; rain forest and coast if you want a longer drive. One park day, then back to Chimacum.
about 40 minutes
Sequim
Dungeness Spit, lavender farms in summer, and drier Olympic Peninsula weather — a westbound day that is still shorter than the national park.
ferry plus a peninsula drive
Getting here
Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, SEA, and the 516 map pin — practical arrival notes before anyone puts 512 in the GPS.
Common questions
Questions about Chimacum
Drive time, seasons, and what actually fits a family group.
Where is Chimacum, Washington?
On the Olympic Peninsula in Jefferson County, south of Port Townsend. Blue Mountain Retreat is at 516 Blue Mountain Rd, Chimacum, WA 98325.
Is there a grocery store in Chimacum?
Small local stops and farmstands in the valley; fuller grocery runs in Port Hadlock and Port Townsend. Arrival notes include a short list.
Is Chimacum the same as Port Townsend?
No. Chimacum is the valley. Port Townsend is the Victorian seaport 15–20 minutes north. You sleep in Chimacum; you visit Port Townsend.
Dave & Patti
You are looking for Chimacum. This is the house.
Sleeps 25, exclusive use, 20 acres. Check dates with Dave.