The town is located at the entrance to Indian Island, where the Navy operates a major supply depot. Marrowstone Island beyond Indian Island is home to Fort Flagler State Park. There are a number of county parks for overnight camping and shellfish harvesting in season. Quilcene is located on Highway 101 along the shores of Hood Canal. The famous oysters that grow in Quilcene Bay are shipped to fine restaurants around the country.
Visitors can purchase oysters at the grocery stores in town.
South of Quilcene Highway 101 goes over Mt. Walker, where there is a spacious lookout with views across Hood Canal to the East and over the Olympic Mountains to the West. From the top of Mt. Walker there are great views of the Trident Submarine Base directly across the canal. On Mt. Walker are a number of campgrounds operated by the Olympic National Forest. Brinnon , on Hood Canal at the Dosewallips State Park, is a popular access point to river fishing, Lake Constance and the eastern range of the Olympic Mountains. Nearby campgrounds are Seal Rock, Elkhorn, Dosewallips and Pleasant Harbor.