Rockaway Beach & Port Blakely Neighborhood Overview

Rockaway Beach & Port Blakely offer two complementary coastal-living vibes on Bainbridge Island’s eastern/southeastern shoreline. Together they provide a seamless mix of glorious waterfront living, historic roots, and access to nature and amenities.

• Rockaway Beach — a storied, low-bank waterfront stretch along Rockaway Beach Road, where many homes enjoy direct access to the water, wide views of Seattle and the Cascade Mountains, and the rhythms of Puget Sound. The houses here hug the shoreline; at low tide, rocky beaches and tidepools offer a closer-to-nature, maritime lifestyle.

• Port Blakely — just up the hill above Rockaway Beach and Blakely Harbor. Historically a once-bustling sawmill and ship-yard town, Port Blakely has transformed into a peaceful residential neighborhood with larger lots, modern homes (many built in the early-2000s), woodlands, and a strong sense of community and forest stewardship.

The overall feel: a harbor-shore lifestyle where you can watch ferries, eagles, herons, and boat traffic from your deck — or stroll forested trails and enjoy open-space parks just minutes from home. Whether you pick a cozy waterfront cottage or a spacious home in the hills, you’re still firmly rooted in the island’s natural beauty and history.

📍 Highlights & Points of Interest

• 🌅 Waterfront Views & Marine Life — On Rockaway Beach you get dramatic skyline and mountain views. Seattle ferries glide past, marine traffic is visible, and local wildlife — birds, tidepool life — make it feel like a living coastal scene.

• 🏞️ Rockaway Beach Park — A small but precious public-access park at the south end of Rockaway Beach Road. Features a rocky shoreline, picnic benches, and stair access to the water; at low tide you can explore marine life and beach-combing.

• 🌳 Blakely Harbor Park & Trails — On the Port Blakely side, this 40-acre park occupies what used to be the industrial mill site and sawmill pond. Today it’s been restored to natural shoreline, woods, and wetlands; it offers trails, kayak/canoe access, wildlife viewing, and a historic tie to the island’s lumber-town past.

• 🚶‍♂️ Blakely Hill Trails — A network of trails on forested hills above the harbor, open to the public since 2020. Great for walking, hiking, or quiet contemplation amid woods and old-growth forest essence.

• 🛶 Boating, Kayaking & Scuba-Diving Access — Because you’re on the harbor and the Sound, it’s easy to launch boats or small craft. Rockaway Beach Park even has stair-access for diving into Blakely Harbor — one of only a few dive-accessible sites on Bainbridge.

• 🏡 Historic Character & Residential Diversity — Port Blakely keeps vestiges of its 19th-century industrial past, with old mill-pond foundations, historic mill house lots, and a legacy of forest stewardship; meanwhile, Rockaway Beach continues as a coveted waterfront stretch, with homes ranging from rustic cottages to luxury waterfront estates.

🎓 Schools Serving Rockaway Beach & Port Blakely

Residents in these neighborhoods fall under the jurisdiction of the Bainbridge Island School District (BISD).

Typical public-school assignments:

• Elementary (PK–4): Captain John Wilkes Elementary School — commonly serves the coastal/southern-shores neighborhoods including Rockaway/Port Blakely.

• Intermediate (Grades 5–6): Sonoji Sakai Intermediate School

• Middle (Grades 7–8): Woodward Middle School

• High School (Grades 9–12): Bainbridge High School — for the standard path; the district’s alternative/independent-study option Eagle Harbor High School is also available depending on student/family preference.

🧭 Why Rockaway Beach & Port Blakely Stand Out

• 🌄 Best of both worlds: shoreline & woodland. If you love the sea — with tidepools, sunsets, and ferry-watching — Rockaway Beach delivers. If you prefer trees, trails, and green buffer plus more land and privacy, Port Blakely offers that.

• 🐚 Direct shoreline access and public-park protections. With Rockaway Beach Park and Blakely Harbor Park, the area preserves public access and natural shoreline — valuable on an island where waterfront access is limited.

• 🛶 Outdoor lifestyle: boating, diving, hiking, beach-combing. The proximity to water and forest makes it ideal for people who love a varied, active outdoor life.

• 🏡 Historic character and modern homes — broad appeal. Whether someone seeks a cozy seaside cottage, a forested family home, or an elegant waterfront property, there’s diverse housing.

• 🌳 Community-oriented yet relaxed. The combined neighborhoods evoke a sense of quiet coastal village life, but remain close enough to central amenities so you’re not too remote.

Rockaway Beach & Port Blakely are among Bainbridge Island’s most evocative coastal enclaves — offering a rare blend of history, natural beauty, waterfront living, and community warmth. From tide-pools and ferry-watches, to forest trails and leafy harbor-hill homes, life here moves with the rhythm of waves, tides, and quiet woodlands. For those drawn to sea breezes, forest shade, and a lifestyle rooted in nature and heritage — this is as close to an island-coastal paradise as it gets on Bainbridge.