Kitsap Peninsula facts for kids
The Kitsap Peninsula is a piece of land in Washington state, located across Puget Sound from Seattle. It's often called "the Kitsap." To its west, the Hood Canal separates it from the Olympic Peninsula. This area includes most of Kitsap County, plus parts of Mason County and Pierce County. The tallest point here is Gold Mountain.
The U.S. Navy has important bases on the peninsula. These include the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Naval Base Kitsap. Bremerton is the main city on the Kitsap Peninsula.
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How the Kitsap Peninsula Got Its Name
This area was once known as the Great Peninsula or Indian Peninsula. Its current name comes from Kitsap County, which covers most of the land. The county, and thus the peninsula, is named after Chief Kitsap. He was a brave warrior and medicine man from the 18th and 19th centuries. Chief Kitsap belonged to the Suquamish Tribe.
The Suquamish were one of the historical fishing tribes of the Coast Salish people. Their traditional lands were on the eastern shores of the Kitsap Peninsula. Chief Seattle, a very famous leader of the Suquamish tribe, is who the city of Seattle is named after. Today, the Port Madison Indian Reservation is the center for the Suquamish tribe. It is located between Poulsbo and Agate Pass.
The Kitsap Peninsula is also home to the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe. They are another group of the Coast Salish people. Their tribal center is the Port Gamble S'Klallam Indian Reservation at Little Boston. This is on the northwest coast of the peninsula. The Twana people, another Coast Salish subgroup, also lived around the Hood Canal. Their main center is now at Skokomish.
Getting Around the Kitsap Peninsula
The Kitsap Peninsula is connected to the eastern side of Puget Sound by Washington State Ferries. These ferries travel from Bremerton to Downtown Seattle. You can also take a ferry from Kingston to Edmonds. Another ferry route goes from Southworth to West Seattle by way of Vashon Island.
You can also drive to the peninsula. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge connects Point Fosdick on the peninsula to Tacoma. To the west, the Hood Canal Bridge connects the Kitsap Peninsula to the main Olympic Peninsula.
Cities and Towns on the Peninsula
Some of the cities and towns on the Kitsap Peninsula include:
Bays and Inlets
The Kitsap Peninsula has many beautiful bays and inlets. These are smaller bodies of water that extend from the main Puget Sound or Hood Canal into the land. Some well-known ones are:
Headlands and Points
Headlands and points are pieces of land that stick out into the water. The Kitsap Peninsula has many of these, offering great views. Some examples include:
- Foulweather Bluff
- Point No Point
- President Point
See also
In Spanish: Península de Kitsap para niños
