It’s a far cry from the water trail that John Kuntz paddled back in 1992. Although the route is much the same, many improvements have been made, and the Kitsap Water Trails has much more notoriety.
Kuntz, owner of Olympic Outdoors sports centers, is credited with being the person who made the water trails happen in Kitsap County.
“Back in about 1996, a friend and I paddled the whole peninsula from Belfair to Allyn. It’s about 150 miles and we really thought it was cool.”
After that Kuntz got the idea to make the water trail a recognized public route for watercraft.
“The real thing was that so much of the shoreline was going away, being bought by private companies and individuals,” he said. “We knew if we didn’t do something, it would all go away. We wanted to create something that would last and would benefit everybody.”
In 2008, Kuntz joined the North Kitsap Trails Association and was put in charge of the water trails.
“We put a plan together,” he said. “We visited sites along the way and we got the paddle club behind us.”
Then in 2010, Kuntz sought the help of Patty Graf-Hoke, executive director of Visit Kitsap tourism organization.
“I was going to Paddle Fest in Seattle,” he said. “I told Patty I needed something I could hand out to paddlers at that event to tell them about what we were doing here.”
Kuntz gave some to officials of REI, Inc., at the paddle event and they were excited about putting them in their stores. Eventually that brochure became the Water Trails map that is available today.
Work was underway and the group got county approval. They hosted 32 town meetings throughout the route and in asking for comments, got a 86 percent approval rate, that if there was an official water trail, it would be used.
“We started to think that the trail should be broken down into lengths that could be done individually, if people didn’t want to do the entire route,” he said. “We knew people would be drawn to it if there were stops along the way where they could rest or get something to eat.”
That is why the Kitsap Water Trails is called trails, with a “s,” because there are really a number of trails within the trail, organizers said.
By 2013, the cities, communities, Native American Tribes and the ports along the trail were on board and eventually a Water Trails Alliance was formed, with representation from those places. Today, that alliance helps govern what happens with the Kitsap Water Trails.
The next step was to get the local trail on the National Water Trails system. The group applied to the U.S. Parks Service and was approved.
“At that time there were less than 20 water trails in the U.S. and we were the only salt water trail,” Kuntz said.
Most of the others are on rivers, he added.
In June 2014, the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails was designated a National Water Trail by the National Park Service. This prestigious designation is only one of a handful in the U.S. The 371-mile trail encompasses all of the Kitsap Peninsula and is one of the most spectacular paddling destinations in the world, Kuntz said.
“The real success is that we’ve saved beaches for public use,” he said. “And not just for kayakers. The trail is meant to attract all types of water activity, including people who just want to come down to the beach for a picnic or to go clamming.”
It was in 2014 at the celebration of the water trail becoming part of the national system, that Kuntz and others formally began the Water Trails Festival. Although there had been a festival of sorts prior, this is the fourth year for the official annual water trails festival.
“The trail is a huge draw for tourism,” Kuntz said. “In Kitsap County, we don’t have a Safeco Field, or a big air museum, or a LeMay Car Museum. But we have the beauty of our land and water and mountains. People come here to see the great views of the Olympic Mountains. And it’s a plus that they can get out on the water and do things.”
Part of the reason for continuing the festival is to draw tourism to Kitsap, Kuntz said. But it’s also a time for locals who aren’t water people to get familiar with Kitsap’s beaches and waterways. Additionally, he said, Kitsap’s waters have some of the best marine environments where orcas and seals can often be viewed.
The best way to “take it all in” he said is to participate in the Ride the Tide event on Saturday. Folks, up to possibly 120, put kayaks in the water about 1:30 p.m. at Evergreen Park in Bremerton and paddle with the tide to the Silverdale waterfront. And this year there is a family-friendly ride from the waterfront to Anna Smith Park and back.
“The paddle is called Ride the Tide for good reason,” Kuntz said. “We will take advantage of the current in the Port Washington Narrows to provide a significant push for much of the paddle. The total paddle distance is about five miles and will take two to three hours to complete.”
Once they reach Silverdale, they will be met by members of the local Suquamish Tribe who will escort them to shore.
At the Silverdale Waterfront, there will be an optional shuttle available to take participants back to Evergreen Park.
Kuntz said the work to promote the Kitsap Water Trails isn’t finished. The group is working on rolling out a new website, which will match the map where paddlers can click on spots along the trail and see the services that are available at each stopping point. There’s also a phone app that is expected to be working by festival time.
There’s been talk of moving the main events of the festival to various communities and ports along the trail in coming years, but that will depend on sponsorships.
For now, what Kuntz is really working toward, is getting every single resident of Kitsap County to know about the water trail.
“As long as that’s the focus, and as long as we’re getting people to come out and enjoy these public spaces, we’re happy,” he said.
Everything you need to know:
Ride the Tide includes a paddle snack and drink pack, a donation to Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails, five raffle tickets, shuttle ride and access to kayak and paddle board demonstrations at the festival. Cost: $30
Here’s the timeline for the day:
9 a.m. — Shuttle check-in opens at the Silverdale Boat Ramp
10:45 a.m. — Silverdale Shuttle check-in closes
11 a.m. — Shuttle Departs from Silverdale to Bremerton
Noon – Check-in opens at Evergreen Park
12:45 p.m. — Evergreen check-in closes
1 p.m.- Mandatory paddler safety talk
1:30 p.m. -— Paddlers depart Evergreen Park
4:30 p.m. — Paddlers rendezvous on water for procession into Silverdale
5 p.m. — Water Trail ceremony followed by raffle
Where to meet:
Silverdale Waterfront Park, 3337 NW Byron St., Silverdale
Unload your boat and equipment at the boat ramp then find a place to park your car. This may be several blocks away so give yourself plenty of time. A shuttle will be available to take you and your equipment from Silverdale to the launch at Evergreen Rotary Park, 1500 Park Ave. in Bremerton.
A shuttle will be available to take you and your equipment back to Silverdale to Evergreen Park in Bremerton after the event.
Here’s what to wear and bring:
Sun hat
Sun screen and lip balm
Comfortable shoes that can get wet
Outdoor clothing that can get wet
All electronics in waterproof cases or double ziplock bags
Leave a change of clothes in your car
For more, go to Kuntz’s business website at www.Olympicoutdoorcenter.com, or checkout 18743 Front St. NE, in Poulsbo, phone: 360-297-4659. There are locations in Port Gamble and Silverdale, too.
