A few years ago, I was leading SUP tours from the 32nd Ave W put-in on Magnolia (south of the village). Right before our turn-a-round spot at Four Mile Rock, a small 'pocket park' suddenly appeared accessed from Perkins Lane. From a quick glance, the park had rock rip rap to prevent erosion and a gravel path leading to the street.
Today I was in Magnolia and thought I'd take a peek at the park from the road. Perkins Lane is famous for it's disastrous 1996 landslides that took out several houses pushing them into the Sound. There's still evidence of the house foundations on the beach halfway between 32nd Ave W and the current end of Perkins Lane.
Perkins lane itself is a one lane curvy road that borders the SW corner of Seattle Magnolia neighborhood. Homes of all sizes can be seen on both sides of the road ranging from junky old homes to huge mansions and a more modern yet well designed small homes tucked in between. A friend who live along there says the walled home with the multiple security cameras was Mackelmore's right hand man, Ryan Lewis's house. It's now for sale.
There's no public access to the water aside from the pocket park. Driving along Perkins from Discovery Park you can see West Point through the trees, then Alki and Harbor Island from the south side.
The park has about 3 parking spots alongside the road. The carry in is about 100 yards down a gentle sloped gravel pathway which leads to a paved patio or sorts with a boat ramp on the west side. Though I was winded walking without a board/boat up to my car. Four Mile Rock is just offshore to the west. There's private signs on the east side of the park with substantially large homes above.
Four Mile Rock History - An erratic boulder, it was left here during the glacier age. Native Americans called the rock LE'plEpL, also written La'pub, and also called it Tele'tla (meaning "rock"). A legend says that a hero named Sta'kub could throw a giant cedar and hazel branch dragnet over the rock while standing at the beach Read more about the rock
The Magnolia paddlers I know don't launch there but it could be a good spot to take a break or evac in case of a emergency. The drive in from the Discovery Park access takes about 10-15min. Raye Street would be a shorter access point. The park would be difficult to access with waves and wind given the rock border. Freighter waves do break pretty big on these shores even at higher tides.
Paddling Info for Four Mile Rock, the ebb current will pull your around the corner past the rock into the bay leading to West Point. When we did tours here, the rock was our turn-a-round spot. If we dilly daddled to much, the ebb would pull us north, making for a hard paddle up current back around the point (with beginner paddlers).
The point by the rock that leads towards West Point is great for freighter waves at lower tides. I've seen 5' sets jacking up here (it's a point break) and firing all the way into the bay below the bluffs at Discovery Park. If you don't like waves, watch for freighters and time passing this area before/after the waves. You can use Marinetraffic.com to spot boats before they come to you.
In the book..32nd Ave W to Four Mile Rock is part of Trip #15 / Ballard to West Point is trip #18
Location: 47°38′20″N 122°24′48″W
West Point Webcam (operated by a kite surfer on Perkins Lane)
Real Time Marine Weather for West Point (NOAA)
Four Mile Rock Barge Dive
Park Directions
Paddling Distances:
2 miles from the West Point Lighthouse
1 mile from 32nd Ave W put-in
3.5m from Elks Beach in Ballard.
 |
| Parking, road access |
Perkins lane itself is a one lane curvy road that borders the SW corner of Seattle Magnolia neighborhood. Homes of all sizes can be seen on both sides of the road ranging from junky old homes to huge mansions and a more modern yet well designed small homes tucked in between. A friend who live along there says the walled home with the multiple security cameras was Mackelmore's right hand man, Ryan Lewis's house. It's now for sale.
There's no public access to the water aside from the pocket park. Driving along Perkins from Discovery Park you can see West Point through the trees, then Alki and Harbor Island from the south side.
The park has about 3 parking spots alongside the road. The carry in is about 100 yards down a gentle sloped gravel pathway which leads to a paved patio or sorts with a boat ramp on the west side. Though I was winded walking without a board/boat up to my car. Four Mile Rock is just offshore to the west. There's private signs on the east side of the park with substantially large homes above.
 |
| Path to road |
Four Mile Rock History - An erratic boulder, it was left here during the glacier age. Native Americans called the rock LE'plEpL, also written La'pub, and also called it Tele'tla (meaning "rock"). A legend says that a hero named Sta'kub could throw a giant cedar and hazel branch dragnet over the rock while standing at the beach Read more about the rock
The Magnolia paddlers I know don't launch there but it could be a good spot to take a break or evac in case of a emergency. The drive in from the Discovery Park access takes about 10-15min. Raye Street would be a shorter access point. The park would be difficult to access with waves and wind given the rock border. Freighter waves do break pretty big on these shores even at higher tides.
 |
| Four Mile Rock, looking West |
Paddling Info for Four Mile Rock, the ebb current will pull your around the corner past the rock into the bay leading to West Point. When we did tours here, the rock was our turn-a-round spot. If we dilly daddled to much, the ebb would pull us north, making for a hard paddle up current back around the point (with beginner paddlers).
The point by the rock that leads towards West Point is great for freighter waves at lower tides. I've seen 5' sets jacking up here (it's a point break) and firing all the way into the bay below the bluffs at Discovery Park. If you don't like waves, watch for freighters and time passing this area before/after the waves. You can use Marinetraffic.com to spot boats before they come to you.
In the book..32nd Ave W to Four Mile Rock is part of Trip #15 / Ballard to West Point is trip #18
Location: 47°38′20″N 122°24′48″W
West Point Webcam (operated by a kite surfer on Perkins Lane)
Real Time Marine Weather for West Point (NOAA)
Four Mile Rock Barge Dive
Park Directions
Paddling Distances:
2 miles from the West Point Lighthouse
1 mile from 32nd Ave W put-in
3.5m from Elks Beach in Ballard.
Any questions give me a holler: salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com / 206.465.7167
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