Point Defiance Ferry Terminal

Bicyclists may bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the lower ferry dock where they can secure their bike and purchase their tickets from the lower booth. Bicyclists should arrive 20 minutes prior to departure time to be loaded at the beginning of loading process. If a bicyclist arrives after vehicle loading has begun, they will be loaded at the end of the load. Riders should walk their bikes on and off the ferry to avoid injuring passengers. The terminal has two lockers through Pierce Transit but no bike racks.

While motorcycles are not, by Washington Administrative Code (WAC 468-300-700), a preferential loading category of users, they are often loaded prior to automobiles for operational and staging purposes. Arrival at the dock after vehicle load has commenced requires motorcycles to wait until all cars have been loaded for the next motorcycle loading opportunity. Motorcycles should proceed, while on the dock, at no more than 10 mph. Use caution when car decks are wet. The following information details specific staging for this terminal: Motorcycle Fare Purchase/Redemption Roundtrip Fares Purchased at Point Defiance, Kiosk, or Online. Purchase tickets at the auto tollbooths, at the passenger booth, at the kiosk inside the terminal waiting room, or online in advance. Pre-ticketed customers can be scanned by ticket taker. Motorcycle Entry/Staging Traffic permitting, may bypass holding lanes by using local access lanes and purchase fare at the booth on the dock. Motorcycles entering the upper tollbooth area are instructed to exit out of the holding lanes then proceed down to lower dock across from passenger ticket booth. Motorcycle Loading Loading order: bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles, late arriving motorcycles as space permits. Motorcycle Special Communication If vessel is off-loading, please wait to access holding area. Motorcycles traveling in large groups must check in with the seller, located at the top of the hill, in the upper tollbooth for processing.

The vessel assigned to this route has a height clearance of 16'. The overhead wires on the way to the terminal and at the terminal are only 13' 6", so anything higher will not be able to get to the terminal. WSF requires trucks with a gross vehicle weight of over 80,000 lbs and/or over 8’6” wide to have “travel approval” before crossing any of our routes. Vessels on this route have a limited height clearance and trucks may be loaded out of sequence. Trucks that have a gross vehicle weight of over 80,000 lbs but are hauling less than 80,000 lbs will need to provide a weight slip. Please fill out our Oversized/Overweight Vehicle Travel [https://wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/rider-information/trucks] form and email it to [email protected]. Please allow three business days for completion and approval. You can contact us at anytime for status updates at (206)464-6400. . Trucks with a ground clearance of less than 14" may not be allowed to travel to/from Vashon Island during periods of extreme low tides [https://wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/sailing-schedules/low-tide].

WSF has implemented a U.S. Coast Guard approved security plan, for more information please visit our Safety and Security [https://wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/rider-information/safety] page.

Lost and found items on this route are turned into the Point Defiance Ferry Terminal. Due to storage limitations, items are held for 30 days from the date they were found. To check if we have your item, please call (206) 515-3439 or email [email protected] [[email protected]] between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you contact us outside these hours, we'll try to respond the next business day. Our Information Agents can also assist you with lost and found inquiries at (206) 464-6400. Phones are open daily from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.