There are very few parcels of public land on Vashon Island, meaning that much of the shoreline is posted with No Trespassing signs. One exception is Point Robinson Lighthouse on the easternmost end of Maury Island, a manmade island adjacent to Vashon. Built in 1893, it is open for tours noon–4 p.m. Saturday–Sunday.

A pleasant place for an evening stroll is the pebbly, driftwood-strewn beach and marsh on land owned by radio station KVI. Get to KVI Beach by heading east out S.W. Ellisport Road and then turning left (north) where it hits the shoreline.

Burton Acres Park faces out onto Quartermaster Harbor and Maury Island and has hiking trails. The local school district has some 500 acres of undeveloped land out on S.W. Bank Road. Although some of it has been logged, there are second-growth forested areas with trails cutting through that are popular with those afoot or on horseback. The school land is at the south end of 115th Avenue SW, not far from the hostel.