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Fort Worden State Park |
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Park Overview
 Fort Worden
State Park Conference Center is a 433-acre multi-use park with 11,020 feet of
saltwater shoreline and a wide variety of services and facilities. The park
rests on a high bluff overlooking Puget Sound. Many historic buildings remain at
this 19th century military fort.
A vehicle parking permit is no longer required for day visits.
Park Hours Camping and conference facilities open year-round.
Lower campground open and reservable during winter; upper campground closed Dec.
1, reopens Feb. 14.
Driving Directions Located in the Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend,
Wash.
From South Seattle and Tacoma:
Take the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Hwy. 16) northwest to Bremerton, and Hwy. 3
north to the Hood Canal Bridge. Cross the bridge and take Hwy. 19 (about five
miles, turn right) north through Chimacum to Port Townsend. With normal traffic,
it is 1 1/2 hours driving from the Tacoma Narrows bridge to Fort Worden State
Park.
From Seattle or Everett:
Take the Bainbridge Island or Edmonds/Kingston ferry, and travel to the Hood
Canal Bridge. Cross the bridge and in about five miles take Hwy. 19 north (to
the right) through Chimacum to Port Townsend. With normal traffic, it is one
hour from Kingston to Fort Worden State Park.
From Mt. Vernon, Bellingham, Vancouver B.C.:
Take Hwy. 20 west from Mt. Vernon to Whidbey Island, follow it south to the
Keystone Ferry. Take the Keystone Ferry (1/2 hour crossing time) to Port
Townsend.
From Olympia:
Either use the Tacoma directions, or follow the scenic route up Hood Canal on
Hwy. 101. From Olympia, the travel time either way, depending on traffic is
about two hours.
Picnic Facilities Fort Worden offers dozens of outstanding day use / picnic
areas. Whether overlooking the high centennial cliffs of Artillery Hill and the
often wild Straights of Juan de Fuca. Or a placid vista encompassing the distant
Mt. Baker, framed by Pt. Wilson Lighthouse and the Port Townsend Marine Science
Center on the end of the pier. Numerous day-use picnic tables and fireboxes
provide the excellent picnic spot. The Cable House Canteen is an on-site food
and convenience store, offering sundries, delicious burgers or hot breakfast
entrées.
Activities
| Trails |
Water Activities |
Other |
- 5 mi. ADA Hiking Trails
- 12 mi. Hiking Trails
- 12 mi. Bike Trails
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- Boating (saltwater)
- 2 boat ramps (saltwater)
- 235 feet of dock (saltwater)
- 235 feet of moorage (saltwater)
- Diving
- Fishing (saltwater)
- Personal Watercraft (saltwater)
- Swimming (saltwater)
- Water Skiing (saltwater)
- Crabbing
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- 1 Amphitheater (sheltered)
- 1 Baseball Field
- 1 Basketball Court
- Beachcombing
- Bird Watching
- 2 Fire Circles
- 3 Horseshoe pits
- Interpretive Activities
- Mountain Biking
- Museum
- 1 Softball Field
- 2 Volleyball Fields
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In addition to those activities listed above, fort visitors also enjoy kite
flying, tennis, and photography in this grand setting.
Several golf courses are nearby, along with the fascinating historic town of
Port Townsend. The Olympic Mountains rise majestically nearby. From nearly
everywhere, you can hear the cry of the gull and the call of the sea.
Boating FeaturesTwo boat ramps, two mooring floats, 8 mooring buoys, and a
launch float are provided by the park.
A daily permit is available for watercraft launching and trailer dumping at the
park for $5.
Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at
region offices, online, and at parks when staff is available.
Boat moorage is also available.
Moorage fees are charged year-round for mooring at docks, floats and buoys from
1 p.m. to 8 a.m.:
-Daily moorage fee is 50 cents per foot, with a minimum of $10.
-Moorage buoys, $10 a night.
-Annual moorage permit fee is $3.50 per foot, with a minimum of $50.
Moorage permits are available at parks offering moorage. For information, call
(360) 902-8844.
Telephone Device for the Deaf, (360) 664-3133.
Featured Creatures
| Mammals |
Birds |
Fish & Sea Life |
- Bobcats
- Chipmunks
- Coyotes
- Deer or Elk
- Foxes
- Otters
- Rabbits
- Raccoons
- Skunks
- Squirrels
- Weasels
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- Crows or Ravens
- Doves or Pigeons
- Ducks
- Eagles
- Geese
- Grouse
- Gulls
- Hawks
- Herons
- Hummingbirds
- Jays
- Ospreys
- Owls
- Pheasants
- Quail
- Woodpeckers
- Wrens
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- Clams
- Crabs
- Mussels
- Octopuses
- Oysters
- Scallops
- Sea Birds
- Sea Cucumbers
- Seals
- Shellfish
- Shrimp
- Squid
- Starfish
- Whales
- Bass
- Cod
- Eel
- Perch
- Red Snapper
- Salmon
- Shark
- Steelhead
- Tuna
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Environmental Features
| Physical Features |
Plant Life |
Special |
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- Cedar
- Douglas Fir
- Hemlock
- Alder
- Apple
- Ash
- Maple
- Daisy
- Foxglove
- Lupines
- Rhododendron
- Rose
- Berries
- Eel Grass
- Ferns
- Moss or Lichens
- Seaweed
- Thistle
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History Fort Worden, along with the heavy batteries of Fort Flagler and Fort
Casey, once guarded nautical entrance to Puget Sound. These posts, established
in the late 1890s, became the first line of a fortification system designed to
prevent a hostile fleet from reaching such targets as the Bremerton Naval Yard
and the cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. Construction began in 1897 and
continued in one form or another until the fort was closed in 1953. The property
was purchased as a state park in 1955. Fort Worden is named after Rear Admiral
John L. Worden.
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