Port Townsend State & National Parks
Port Townsend is fortunate to have a number of State Parks to choose from. Most have access to the water and camping facilities. Whether you're looking for a camp site or simply a day hike and picnic, you're sure to discover our local state parks are beautiful and well worth visiting.
Around Port Townsend are the land and water that make up the geography of the Olympic Peninsula and much of it is managed by Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest. The protected Wilderness Areas are accessible as well.
Olympic National Park is also a well-deserved World Heritage Site for it's pristine condition and spectacular features. These include the only temperate rain forest in the lower 48 states, alpine peaks like Olympus and Constance and the dramatic Pacific coast.
We are proud of our natural environment, and encourage the wise and considerate use of it. Take only photos, leave only footprints. Please pack out your garbage and dog refuse.
| State Parks |
| Anderson
Lake State Park - day-use only. Sorry, no camping,
but a great place to fish and mountain bike. Open for camping from
June through Oct. Open for day-use May to Oct. Anderson Lake Road, north of Chimicum, WA Call Reservations Northwest, 1-800-452-5687 or Information Center 1-800-233-0321 for information. |
| Fort
Worden State Park & Conference Center - Access
to shoreline of Juan de Fuca Strait. Great boat watching, hiking,
beachcombing, diving and bunker exploring. Coast Artillery Museum
and Commanding
Officer's Quarters, Marine
Science Center, Centrum
and many more activities take place here. Open for day-use and camping
year-round. Follow Cherry St. to where it meets this beautiful park in Port Townsend Call 360-344-4400 for information. |
| Fort Flagler - Located on the north end of Marrowstone Island, this park has something for everyone, from camping and beachcombing to exploring the gun emplacements. Open for camping from March through Oct. |
| Old Fort Townsend - Just south of Port Townsend on Sims Way/Hwy 20. This secluded park with trees and trails offer picnicking spots, camping and a great trail system. Open for day-use year-round, open for camping from April to late October. |
| Rothschild House - One of the smallest State Parks in the state, this well-preserved home showcases common life in Port Townsend during the mid 1800's. |
| Washington State Parks and Recreation - North Coastal Region of the Olympic Peninsula. Good descriptions, photos and maps of parks and locations. |
| National Lands |
| Olympic National Forest - View
Web Site
Olympic Peninsula, WA. Quilcene, Hood Canal, Soleduck and Quinault Ranger Districts. Wilderness Areas. |
| Olympic National Park - View
Web Site Visitor Center (360)-565-3130 |
| Protection
Island National Wildlife Refuge Approximately 400 acres, is 1.8 miles long and 0.6 miles across. Maximum elevation is about 210 feet and it receives only 10 inches of rain per year. Managed by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service it's part of the Northwest Maritime Complex of refuges and was established in 1982 by President Reagan. The island provides nesting habitat to some 72% of the seabirds in Puget Sound including tufted puffins, rhinocerous auklets, pelagic cormorants, glaucous winged gulls, and more. A large population of harbor seals use the beaches as haul-out and pupping habitat, and elephant seals often use the beaches for molting. Bald eagle sightings often number a dozen to 20 on any given day, especially when seals are pupping and seabirds hatcing. First named Isle de Carrasco by Manuel Quimper in 1790, later proclaimed Protection Island by George Vancouver in 1792 for it's location at the mouth of Discovery Bay. After commercial development efforts failed in the late 60's and early 70's, it became the Zella M. Schultz Seabird Sanctuary in 1975. Due to it's current protected status, a 200 yard sea buffer, and 2,000 foot air buffer is in place to avoid disturbing the sensitive wildlife. |
| Recreation
Passes of the Northwest
You'll need a NW Forest Pass to recreate at any of the Olympic Peninsula area trailheads. Which pass you need depends on how long you'll be staying or how often you'll making trips, but you can figure that out here. These work in Washington and Oregon. TheWashington and Oregon Recreation Pass is the full deal for all places, including USDA Forest Service, National Park, Bureau of Land Management, Corp of Engineer and WA & OR State Parks. Daily passes are between $2 and $10. All passes are available to purchase online or at local stores like Sport Townsend and Swain's General Store. |
| City Parks County Parks State/National Parks Day Trips | Hiking/Trails Bicycling Horseback Riding Tennis | Boating/Sailing Whale/Wildlife Fish/Shellfishing Kayaking | Swimming/Diving Dogs Birdwatching Golf |
