WSDOT

Parking
There is a Park and Ride lot adjacent to dock. It is located at Vashon Hwy SW & SW Tahlequah Rd. For park and ride information and bus connections check Metro Online.

Motorcycles
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:
Fare Purchase/Redemption
Roundtrip Fares Purchased at Point Defiance or online in advance.
Entry/Staging
Motorcycles may bypass vehicles to stage in the front of the holding lanes.
Loading
Loading order: bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles, late arriving motorcycles as space permits.
Special Communication
There is no motorcycle fare charged when traveling from Vashon Island. Motorcycle fares are roundtrip from Point Defiance.

Trucks
The vessel assigned to this route has a height clearance of 16'. The overhead wires at the Point Defiance terminal and the wires leaving the Point Defiance terminal are only 13' 6" tall.

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 form and email it to wsfinfo@wsdot.wa.gov. 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.

Bikes
There is no payment for passengers or bicycles traveling from Tahlequah to Point Defiance. Bicyclists may bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock. 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. There are no bike racks.

HOV
Carpool/Vanpools must be ticketed and in line 10 minutes before scheduled sailing time to receive preferential loading. If you are late, you will be loaded on a space available basis at the end of the loading. For information or to register for our rideshare program see ourcarpools and vanpools page.