Hoodsport is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 119. Lake Cushman is nearby. Hoodsport is the gateway to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park.
The first person to settle at Hoodsport was G.K. Robbins, a ship captain who had been transporting lumber along Hood Canal for years. Other settlers soon joined him, forming a small community. Most occupied themselves with farming or logging. The town was officially platted in 1890 by the Mason County Mine and Development Company, which owned manganese mines near Lake Cushman. Prospectors found evidence of copper in the area and over 400 mining claims were filed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all claims failed to yield.[1]
Hoodsport is renowned among SCUBA divers as a staging area to view the giant Pacific octopus. Local marine preserves such as Octopus Hole[2] and Sund Rock offer divers the chance to see octopus, as well as wolf eels, rock fish, plumose anemones and other marine life.[3]
The Hoodsport Winery is located about one mile south of town. Other Hoodsport businesses include a grocery store with gas station, a hardware store, four restaurants, an espresso shop, two real estate offices, a dentist, a beauty salon, a marina, and several tourism-oriented gift shops. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife operates a fish hatchery in town. The Hoodsport branch of the Timberland Regional Library overlooks the town.[4]
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