Northilla Beach takes its name from the Northilla development platted in 1909 by the Norton-Hill Company, combining the surnames of company founders Eli Norton, president, and F.D. Hill, secretary-treasurer, who developed this area east of Manzanita on the tip of Maury Island for summer homes and year-round residences. The Norton Company of Tacoma established this early 20th-century real estate development with bulkheads, summer cottages, and permanent homes, creating a beach community along Vashon-Maury Island's southwestern shore with access to Puget Sound. Vashon Island itself, to which Maury Island connects via an isthmus, received its name from Captain George Vancouver who named it in May 1792 after his friend James Vashon of the British Royal Navy. Northilla Beach sits along Southwest Northilla Road in the Summerhurst neighborhood, providing residents and visitors water access to Colvos Passage with views across to the Kitsap Peninsula. The residential beach character reflects its origins as a planned resort community, with the beach, road, and terrace all preserving the Northilla name over a century after the Norton-Hill Company's optimistic development. The location on Maury Island's western shore creates scenic sunset views across Puget Sound waters toward the Olympic Mountains.
Beachcombing at Northilla Beach reveals smooth stones polished by Puget Sound currents, driftwood deposited by winter storms and high tides, shells from local clams and mussels, occasional sea glass worn smooth by years of wave action, and interesting pebbles in various colors shaped by geological processes. Tide pooling during low tides exposes intertidal marine life including purple and orange sea stars, green anemones waving their tentacles, hermit crabs scuttling between rocks, barnacles encrusting stones, and various mollusks adapted to the rhythm of tidal changes. Bird watching rewards observers with sightings of great blue herons hunting in shallows with patient precision, bald eagles perched in waterfront conifers or soaring on thermals, various duck species including buffleheads and goldeneyes, harbor seals swimming in Colvos Passage or hauled out on nearshore rocks, and gulls patrolling for food opportunities. Kayaking from Northilla Beach allows exploration of Vashon-Maury Island's southwestern shoreline and crossings to the Kitsap Peninsula when conditions permit, though paddlers must monitor currents and weather carefully. Fishing from shore attracts anglers pursuing salmon during migration seasons, bottom fish, and other Puget Sound species, with proper Washington licensing and seasonal regulations required. Walking the beach provides gentle exercise combined with salt air, water views, and opportunities to observe shoreline ecology and tidal rhythms. Photography captures sunset views across Colvos Passage to the Olympics, Puget Sound marine traffic including Washington State Ferries passing between Seattle and Southworth, wildlife encounters, and seasonal changes in Pacific Northwest coastal light and weather patterns. Swimming is possible during summer months when Puget Sound temperatures rise slightly, though water remains cold enough to make wetsuits advisable for comfortable extended immersion, and no lifeguards patrol this residential neighborhood beach.
Vashon Island offers diverse dining celebrating local ingredients and island character accessible via short ferry ride from West Seattle. The Hardware Store Restaurant serves locally-sourced organic food with breakfast through dinner seven days a week, featuring hormone-free meats, all-natural ingredients, many gluten-free options, and graceful presentations that elevate fresh Pacific Northwest produce, seafood, and meats in a historic building converted from its original hardware store purpose. May Kitchen and Bar delivers authentic Thai cuisine including pad thai with perfectly balanced sweet and savory flavors, green curry with coconut milk and fresh vegetables, larb with herbs and spices, papaya salad, and other Bangkok and regional Thai dishes that have earned recognition among Seattle's best Thai restaurants. Gravy provides Southern-inspired comfort food run by husband-and-wife team Dre Neeley and Pepa Brower, featuring fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, seasonal vegetables, creative takes on soul food classics, and warm hospitality in casual island atmosphere. Iyad's Syrian Grill serves authentic Aleppo cuisine from the back of an SUV, offering Syrian street food including shawarma with marinated meats, falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, and traditional preparations that bring Middle Eastern flavors to Vashon's food scene. Burton Coffee Stand provides artisan coffee drinks using locally roasted beans, pastries from island bakeries, breakfast sandwiches, and casual gathering space perfect for fueling beach exploration or post-beach relaxation.
