PORT GAMBLE — With the Pacific Northwest breaking rain records and winter weather quickly bearing down on the North End, outdoor swimming is far from what many people view as the ideal seasonal activity. A group of Kitsap County and contracted officials, however, can’t shake the thought from their heads as they try to make Miller Lake, a hidden North End treasure, accessible to area residents.

The lake, located near Port Gamble, has been used few residents, and is largely unknown in the county. But county officials are hoping to make the lake more accessible, taking some pressure off of other local parks.

“Our major goals include providing water access to the North End,” said Parametrix planner Joseph Coppo. “Buck Lake is over capacity during the summer, and we’re hoping Miller Lake will help take some of the pressure off.”

Coppo is working with Kitsap County interim parks project planner Jodi Wroblewski to purchase the land with a $1.1 million grant. The money, if awarded by the Washington state Legislature, would be used to buy a total of 255 acres of public park space, including the 30 acres the lake encompasses, Coppo said.

“It’s a pretty strategic acquisition, and a unique one,” said Olympic Resource Management president Jon Rose. ORM is working on plans to develop Port Gamble, but hadn’t considered or been asked to be a part of the Miller Lake process. “I think it will be a really positive thing for Port Gamble.”

The lake is located in the middle of a heavily wooded area, currently owned by a private resident, Wroblewski said. She is working with the landowner to negotiate a suitable contract for buying the land.

“We’re trying our best to get it,” Wroblewski said. “It’s important to the county to get this asset. It’s such a beautiful area, it would be a wonderful addition to our parks.”

“I would assume that the people who live on property nearby use it,” Coppo said when asked if the land was being used already. “It’s really a hidden treasure, pristine and untouched. It’s going to be difficult to develop the park with as little impact as possible, but it is possible.”

If purchased, the county will improve access to the lake, but little else. The park will not be like Buck Lake, with a grassy lawn sloping down to the water, Coppo said. Miller Lake will be non-motorized, and the county is hoping to keep it as natural as possible, he said.