From the ferry landing, Vashon Highway SW ascends on a winding grade to the crest of the island. Far below, Puget Sound glints in the sun. To the east are the tumbled Cascades, broken by peaks and punctuated by the white crowns of Mount Rainier and Mount Baker. On the west is the Olympic Range.

Continuing south, the highway rolls past berry fields, orchards and poultry farms. Patches of woodland border the route.