Point No Point is an outcropping of land on the northeast point of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, the United States. It was the location of the signing of the Point No Point Treaty and is the site of the Point No Point Light. It was named by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition of Puget Sound in 1841. Wilkes gave the point its name because it appears much less of a promontory at close range than it does from a distance. Point No Point has been noted for its

unusual place name Unusual place names are names for cities, towns, and other regions which are considered non-ordinary in some manner. This can include place names which are also offensive words, inadvertently humorous or highly charged words, as well as place ...

. The marine climate ensures plenty of precipitation in winter and mild temperatures in summer. There are many productive

habitats In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

. The spit itself has sandy beaches with log jams, as well as some man-made structures for

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

. Behind the beaches is a large mixed freshwater/

saltwater marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

with a substantial shrub component. The waters surrounding the point react to swiftly running tides, attracting many marine bird species. And there is a somewhat sheltered

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

as well.

Birdwatching

Point No Point has one of the largest birdlists of any site in Washington. The point is owned jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard (leased to Kitsap County) and a private landowner who is knowledgeable and sympathetic to birdwatchers. Point No Point is best known for its water-related species: gulls, cormorants, loons, terns, jaegers,

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

grebes Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order (biology), order Podicipediformes . Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in sea, marine habitats during Bird migration, migration and winter. Some flightless ...

, mergansers, scoters, brant, and alcids. When the tide is running, there are flocks of Bonaparte's gulls and seabirds, often a veritable feeding frenzy. Jaegers are often seen flying through the gull and (in fall) tern flocks. Ancient murrelets can be seen offshore in November – this is one of the best sites in Washington for this species. Along the sandy beaches,

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can be seen. The marsh attracts a variety of passerines, particularly in migration. Point No Point has produced many notable rarities, both in the offshore waters and in the marsh.

References

* Landforms of Kitsap County, Washington No Point Landforms of Puget Sound Birdwatching sites in the United States Tourist attractions in Kitsap County, Washington {{KitsapCountyWA-geo-stub