Fort Worden Historical State Park is located near the picturesque city of Port Townsend. You’ll find this park on the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The park has lots of shoreline, a historic lighthouse, and an old military fort. There are tons of things to do at the park, which include exploring military bunkers, going for beach walks, and walking its many forested trails. I have been to Fort Worden Historical State Park several times, and it’s been one of my favorite parks in Washington State. During our last visit, it was a crisp, clear weekend. In this post, I’m sharing the best things to do at Fort Worden State Park.
Fort Worden is a US military fort that was built between 1898 and 1920. Most of the structures at the fort were built prior to World War I. The fort was an active military base until 1953. Fortunately, the service members of Fort Worden never engaged in hostile fire.
Fort Worden, along with Fort Casey and Fort Flager, created the “Triangle of Fire” which protected the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The forts were created prior to the invention of airplanes, so the most significant military threat at that time was an invasion by sea. Thus, the three forts protected the ports at Bremerton and Seattle.
After closing in 1953, the State of Washington purchased the property for a short-lived juvenile detention center.
In 1973, it became a state park due to its prime, beach-front location. Now families can enjoy the facilities year-round!
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The most direct route (if visiting from the Seattle area) is to take the Bainbridge Island ferry from Seattle. (Here’s our list of things to do on Bainbridge Island if you have some extra time for an excursion!) Fort Worden State Park is about a 2 hour, 10 minute journey from Seattle under ideal conditions (with no traffic and no long ferry lines.) However, during summer weekends, there can be quite a wait for the ferry. Be sure to take that into consideration as you plan your trip.
If there are long ferry lines, it may be quicker to drive south around the Puget Sound and then back up the peninsula. This route takes approximately 2 hours and 18 minutes under ideal conditions.
The closest city to Fort Worden State Park is the quaint town of Port Townsend. If you can, plan to spend time at both the park and Port Townsend.
There is a lot to see while visiting Fort Worden State Park. We’re confident that there is something to do for everyone! Here’s our list of favorites…
Fort Worden State Park has an incredible shoreline. We spent the morning walking along the beach, sitting on logs, and taking photos of the beautiful blue water. There is more than two miles of saltwater shoreline to explore!
The Fort Worden State Park trail map clearly marks paved and unpaved trails. The park is large (432 acres), so going for a bike ride is the perfect way to cover a lot of ground quickly. There’s 8.3 miles of biking trails at the park.
Fort Worden State Park has 11.2 miles of hiking trails, 2.6 of which are ADA hiking trails. There are family-friendly paths that are perfect for strollers too.
You can rent kayaks (or bring your own!) and spend some time out on the water. You can find information about renting kayaks as well.
One of the highlights of visiting Fort Worden is getting to explore the fort and bunkers! You can walk through the artillery base and stumble upon half-hidden bunkers. Fort Worden has six batteries which previously contained 41 guns. You can walk through dark hallways, climb up ladders, and peer through bunker windows.
The best way to learn about the history of Fort Worden is to visit the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum on-site. The museum is dedicated to coastal artillery history and is located in Building 201 (one of the original barracks). Admission to the museum is very affordable.
We also recommend that you visit the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Currently the aquarium, exhibits, and gift shop are open on Saturdays and Sundays. At the science center you can learn all about the Salish Sea and local marine wildlife. (There’s also an extension of the science center in the city of Port Townsend.)
You can walk up to the Point Wilson Lighthouse, which protects the western entrance of Admiralty Inlet. The Chief’s House is available as a vacation rental unit if you want to stay at the lighthouse. It definitely makes for a unique lodging option!
There are several lodging options at the park, including cottages from Officers Row, a small castle, renovated barracks, and even the option to stay in the Point Wilson lighthouse.
We had the opportunity of staying in one of the cottages from Officers Row, and it was a really cool experience to see inside the homes. The Officers Row cottages are perfect for larger families, because there are numerous bedrooms and lots of space to spread out.
There are two campgrounds at Fort Worden State Park: one at the beach and one in the forest. There are 80 campsites between the two campgrounds. Each campground has flush toilets and showers available. We highly recommend that you make reservations in advance.
We wrote a full post about the best hotels in Port Townsend, linked here. Be sure to read our in-depth review!
Fort Worden is located adjacent to the quaint city of Port Townsend. You can drive into town, or you can walk down the beach from Fort Worden State Park (depending on the tide schedule)!
There are plenty of things to do while at Port Townsend:
We first visited Fort Worden State Park as part of a work retreat. Despite living in Washington State for most of my life, I had never really spent time at this park. I’m so glad I was introduced to this state park, because it’s now one of my favorite parks in Washington State. Since that first visit, we have been back several times. We hope this information was helpful in planning your trip!
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After studying abroad in Spain, I became passionate about international travel. Since then, I’ve traveled to 6 continents and 36 states within the United States. When I’m not travel blogging, you can find me hiking, reading books in Spanish, or playing cribbage. I hope my blog inspires you to see the world!
