Summer is here in Port Townsend!
There is nothing like summertime in the Pacific Northwest. The salty water sparkles and the sun takes its sweet time setting, it’s magical. With sunshine on the forecast for quite some time, you might want to enjoy the beauty of Port Townsend (and the surrounding area) on the beach! Check out a few of our favorite local beaches to enjoy a walk, picnic, or just a beautiful spot to lounge for an afternoon.
Photo Credit: Bella Foto Photography
Fort Worden, Port Townsend
The beach at Fort Worden is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Grab a snack and a drink at Taps at the Guardhouse or Reville, two of the Fort’s on-site restaurants, and head down to the beach! Stroll the two miles of shoreline, rent a kayak or paddleboard from Port Townsend Paddle Sports, or simply breathe in the salty, sea air.
And if you’ve got an appetite from all your lounging or adventuring, the Fort has a the Cablehouse Beach Canteen right next to the beach! It’s only open for the summer with seasonal favorites like burgers, hot dogs, fish & chips and delicious fish tacos!
Photo Credit: Washington State Parks
Fort Flagler, Marrowstone Island
Fort Flagler is Fort Worden’s lesser known counterpart located on Marrowstone Island (approx. 30 minutes from Port Townsend).
Fort Flagler, Fort Worden, and Fort Casey (located on Whidbey Island) make up the Triangle of Fire, these three forts were designed to protect the greater Puget Sound region. Today, they are all state parks for visitors to explore the old gun batteries, historic sites, and of course the beach!
Fort Flagler has two miles of beach for you to explore and enjoy. If you’re planning on spending the day I recommend bringing a picnic and taking in the stunning views of Port Townsend in one direction and Whidbey Island in the other.
Shine Tidelands, Port Ludlow
The Shine Tidelands State Park in Port Ludlow (also known as the Wolfe Property) is absolutely stunning. The quinestial PNW beach, lined with driftwood and scattered with oyster and clam shells. The tidelands have a small wetland area providing great bird watching opportunities.
The beach is popular both for beach walkers, shellfish harvesters, and fishing & clamming. At low tide many come to the beach to harvest oysters and clams.
One of favorite things about this beach is its geographic feature that connects the state park to an island - a tombolo. A tombolo is a bar of sand joining an island to the mainland aka a peninsula off of a peninsula!
Photo Credit: Washington State Parks
Photo Credit: Nathan Pilling/Kitsap Sun
Glass Beach, Port Townsend
There is nothing more northwest than a day at the beach hunting for beach glass and Glass Beach is the place to do it. But first you have to get there. The hike to Glass Beach is approx. three miles (5.9 miles round trip). And before heading out on your adventure make sure to check the tides, bring a container to bring back your treasure, and pack snacks & water!
Beach glass is plentiful at Glass Beach due to the fact the site was a city dump up until the 1960s. The beach has long been cleaned of debris but glass fragments remain and as the decades pass the waves have been polishing the glass into treasure. You’ll be delighted to find smooth frosted pieces of old beer bottles, medicine containers, and auto glass. And if you’re really lucky you might find pieces of pottery, marbles, and porcelain.
Source: Kitsap Sun