When delivered in 1954, the Evergreen State was assigned to the Seattle-Winslow run serving Bainbridge Island.

She was reassigned to the San Juan Islands in 1959 where she remained for the majority of her active career for Washington State Ferries.

After reactivation, the Evergreen State was the inter-island service vessel in the San Juan Islands.

A month after 'retirement', a substantial fleet shortage resulted in the reactivation of the Evergreen State,[3] and for some time thereafter the vessel was intermittently in service - usually on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth triangle route.

[8] The auction ended with 130 bids and a final price of $205,100 from an unnamed buyer,[9] who planned to convert it into an art studio.