North Beach, Port Townsend

North Beach Park provides easy access to Port Townsend's North Beach and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Located just west of Fort Worden State Park, accessing the beach here is free and likely to be less crowded. The park is cared for by a volunteers and by Fort Worden State Park, and it is a fairly straightforward day use area: you'll find plenty of picnic tables distributed on a grassy field, one small sheltered area, and several portable toilets.

North Beach is the main attraction here, and it stretches for more than 3.5 miles along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from McCurdy Point in the west to Point Wilson in the east. A mix of pebbles and sand, this open beach is enjoyable at all tides and provides clear views of Whidbey Island, Mount Baker, and the North Cascades on clear days. You'll also have views to the east of Fort Worden's Artillery Hill and the Point Wilson Lighthouse just beyond the fort. If you are up for the walk, it is approximately 1.75 miles to the lighthouse from North Beach Park. When the winds are picking up along the beach and howling down the strait, check out the conditions on east-facing Fort Worden Beach, which also leads to the lighthouse.