Bayshore Wildlife Preserve Walk Part 1 December 22, 2025

Bayshore Preserve, referred to as Bayshore Wildlife Preserve by the user, was conserved in 2014 after being a golf course for decades, and has significant historical and cultural roots in Mason County, Washington. The preserve has a history spanning from ancient tribal village sites to its current state as a restored wildlife habitat. It is a 78-acre conservation site managed by the Capital Land Trust
Source
Bayshore Preserve – Capital Land Trust
Bayshore Preserve Fully Reopens with Improved Access – Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce
Exploring Bayshore Preserve Near Shelton – Explore Hood Canal

Indigenous and Early History
Culture significance: The property sits on the Bayshore Peninsula, which was the site of a permanent village for the Squaxin Island Tribe. It is believed to have once hosted the largest longhouse in South Puget Sound.
Source
Bayshore Preserve – Capital Land Trust
Exploring Bayshore Preserve Near Shelton – Explore Hood Canal
Exploring Bayshore Preserve - Explore Hood Canal

Commercial and Industrial Period
Sawmill operations (1870): Around 1870, Enoch Willey operated a sawmill near the mouth of Johns Creek

Bayshore Golf Course (1930s – 2014) The Rohde family owned and operated the land for five generations and opened the Bayshore Golf Course in the early 1930s.
The course was sold in the 1950s, but use declined significantly during 2008 recession

Conservation and Restoration (2014 – Present)
Acquisition (2014): Capital Land Trust purchased the 74-acre golf course for approximately $2 million in March 2014, following a 13-year protection effort.
Estuary Recovery: partners removed a 1,400-foot (426.72) tidal dike to restore the Johns Creek estuary, providing salmon with critical saltwater marsh habitat.
Today, the preserve protects over 4,000 feet (1219.2 m) of shoreline along Oakland Bay.
Source
Bayshore Preserve – Capital Land Trust
Exploring Bayshore Preserve Near Shelton – Explore Hood Canal
Exploring Bayshore Preserve - Explore Hood