Appletree Cove is a bay and estuary of

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...

on the Kitsap Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. The cove is fed by Carpenter Creek; its

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

is a tidal flood zone that fills and empties at high and low tides. Appletree Cove was named "from the numbers of that tree which were in blossom around its shores" by

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

who surveyed the area on April 9, 1841, on the

Wilkes expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

. Reportedly these Pacific crabapple trees were cleared by Benjamin Bannister after settling at the bay in 1874. Another source says Wilkes mistook flowering dogwoods for apple trees. Appletree Cove is the site of the Kingston ferry terminal for the

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...

. Appletree Cove is also the former name of the town of

Kingston, Washington Kingston (formerly Appletree Cove) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,515 at the 2020 census. Kingston is along the shores of Appletree Cove and Pu ...

which is to the north and west of the cove. To the south is an area known by the locals as "Jefferson Beach".

References

Bays of Washington (state) Estuaries of Washington (state) Bodies of water of Kitsap County, Washington Bays of Kitsap County, Washington {{KitsapCountyWA-geo-stub