For sale: An island in a lake on a peninsula

POULSBO, Wash. — Clark Island, an acre of woods and trails at the south end of Poulsbo's Island Lake, is a little-known haven in the midst of a popular summer hangout in Washington's Kitsap County.

For decades, the private islet, which feels far removed from the bustle on Island Lake's shore, has provided a secluded refuge for the Clark family, and more recently, their Airbnb guests.

To get to the island, a covered barge moves through a narrow channel between the lily pads. It takes a few minutes for the barge to complete the hundred-yard voyage.

This year, the property is up for sale.

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"It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with,” said Alexandra Clark, whose grandparents built a house on the island in 1985. “We’d like to see it go to someone who will enjoy it and love on it."

Clark Island has plenty to love. The ferry lands at a dock on the island's west shore where visitors are greeted by signs pointing the way to the lake house, a fire pit and the best swimming hole.

The three-story house, tucked among the firs on the east shore, peeks out across the lake. A nearby bunkhouse labeled "Cousin Cabin" served as a clubhouse for the 10 Clark grandchildren.

“We spent a lot of summer nights there telling ghost stories and trying to freak each other out,” Clark said.

The cousins had the run of Clark Island in the summer. She remembers rowdy games of capture the flag that splashed from the islet to the mainland and back again.

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“Our whole childhoods revolved around our grandparents owning this island, and how unique it was to have our own island,” she said. “It was a really great adventure.”

Her grandparents, Patricia and William, paid about $5,500 for the island in 1966, according to land records accessed by Pacific Northwest Title. The Clarks, who also owned Island Lake Camp, worked as missionaries, living abroad for long spells in Japan and Africa.

When they settled back in Poulsbo in the 1980s, the family began building a home on Clark Island. Wood for the house came from trees on the island. Logs were floated to the mainland for milling and lumber was barged back. 

The tiny ferry — originally operated with just a rope and pulley — carried the Clarks' supplies to their island abode. During cold winters, they broke a passage in the frozen lake.

The island proved a peaceful hideaway, though swimmers and boaters sometimes paddled across from the county park to explore.

“A lot of people don’t realize it’s someone’s house,” Clark said. 

Patricia Clark, who died earlier this year, often welcomed unknowing trespassers to shore and gave them tours.

Clark Island is now in need of a new caretaker. The property, which includes an access parcel on the lakeshore, was listed this month by Karin Kay Properties for about $650,000.

Clark said letting go of Clark Island and a lifetime of summer memories won't be easy for the family. 

“It’s really emotional,” she said. “It’s a bittersweet situation.” 

Follow Tad Sooter on Twitter: @tsooter