| Official Name: | Hoodsport, Washington |
| Settlement Type: | CDP |
| Pushpin Map: | Washington |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Washington |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Mason |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 419 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | Pacific (PST) |
| Utc Offset: | -8 |
| Timezone Dst: | PDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -7 |
| Coordinates: | 47.4058°N -123.1381°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 98548[2] |
| Area Code: | 360 |
Hoodsport is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mason County, Washington, United States.[3] The population was 376 at the 2010 census. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 119. Lake Cushman is up the road on State Route 119. Hoodsport is the gateway to the Staircase area of the Olympic National Park.
The first person to settle at Hoodsport was G.K. Robbins, a ship captain who had been transporting lumber along Hood Canal for years. Other settlers soon joined him, forming a small community. Most occupied themselves with farming or logging. The town was officially platted in 1890 by the Mason County Mine and Development Company, which owned manganese mines near Lake Cushman. Prospectors found evidence of copper in the area and over 400 mining claims were filed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all claims failed to yield.[4]
Hoodsport is renowned among SCUBA divers as a staging area to view the giant Pacific octopus. Local marine preserves such as Octopus Hole[5] and Sund Rock offer divers the chance to see octopus, as well as wolf eels, rock fish, plumose anemones and other marine life.[6]
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hoodsport has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[7]
The Hoodsport Winery is located about one mile south of town. Other Hoodsport businesses include a grocery store with gas station and a hardware store, plus five restaurants, an espresso shop, three real estate offices, a dentist, a post office, a construction office, a beauty salon, a brewery, a distillery, a diving shop and several tourism-oriented gift shops. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife operates a fish hatchery in town.
The Hoodsport branch of the Timberland Regional Library overlooks the town.[8]
A public beach and dock located in the community are overseen by the Port of Hoodsport.