Fort Worden Historical State Park

Directions: From SR 20 in Port Townsend follow Kearney Street (near Kah Tai Lagoon Park) for 0.2 mile. Then turn right onto Lawrence Street and proceed 0.2 mile. Next turn left onto Walker Street (which becomes Cherry Street) and continue for 1.3 miles into state park. Proceed to day use areas for parking.

Ownership: Washington State Parks
Trail Distance: more than 11 mile of trails and more than 2.0 miles of beach. 
Difficulty: easy 
Fees/Permits: Discover Pass
Notes: Kid-friendly, dogs on leash, historic structures, museum, marine science center, restrooms, water, camping and picnicking areas available.

An active US Army base for more than 50 years, today Fort Worden is a popular state park. Many of the fort’s buildings have been restored and serve a variety of functions; among them a conference center, museum, educational centers, food services, and lodging. The 434-acre park also contains high bluffs, a lagoon, mature forest, and extensive beaches. Positioned on the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the mouth of Admiralty Inlet, the park also attracts a wide array of marine animals and birds.

Late fall through spring is a good time to walk the beaches and watch for common loons, harlequin ducks, marbled murrelets, black scoters, surf scoters, white-winger scoters, sanderlings, spotted sandpipers, whimbrels and western grebes. A large population of brandts can be found in the park’s waters throughout the winter.  Spring and summer take to the park’s wooded trails and look for Hutton’s vireos, olive-sided flycatchers, Pacific-slope flycatchers, red crossbills, pine siskins, kinglets, and Wilson’s warblers.