Scenic Beach State Park — Attraction in Erlands Point-Kitsap Lake

This is one of the best state parks in Kitsap County and they have awards to prove it. We are local to the area and stay in the campground area 2 or 3 times during the year. The Campsites are spacious, clean and all but a few are very private. The sites are heavely wooded and could be a problem for someone using solar, but there are a few sites on the upper loop that you may get some good sun exposure in the afternoon, and almost all sites are level. Steve the senior Ranger is extremely helpful and friendly, as are all the other staff members. Bathrooms have showers that take tokens only, you will want to purchase the tokens when you check in or you will have to take a small hike down to the Rangers station before showering, and it IS a hike back up. There are no hook ups in the Campsites, but potable water is available throughout the campground loop and a dumpstation is available for a small fee (2016 it was $5.00). This park is ALL down hill, so if you have a problem walking, and want to see the park grounds I would suggest taking your vehicle and parking in the parking lot, you will need a discovery pass to do this but well worth it if you want to walk the park grounds, play on the rocky beach or just see the view of the Hood Canal ( there are no water/beach views from the campground) I do believe they sell the discovery pass at the Rangers station, but not 100% sure, if you are camping, then no need for a pass if you walk down to the park from the campground, it is only if you want to park a vehicle in the parking lot. Pets are welcome on leash and poo bags are available through out the park. The prettiest trail in my opinion starts just below the rv pump out area in the campground area, it leads you throw moss covered trees and huge rhododendrons, down to the old group camping area and ends at the water front, you can also enter the trail from the parking area and come out in the campground area, from there you can go back the way you came or take the paved road back down to the parking lot. Not a...

This one star rating is based on our experience for this particular visit in August 2023. Otherwise I would give this state park 4 stars.

We camp here every year, multiple times a year for crabbing & shrimping seasons, as our family has a slip at the Olympic View Marina around the corner.

The campsites themselves are small, driveways & pull-throughs have ample space. The sites are very private from other campsites in view, not by sound. Sound really travels in this park! You can hear everything and everyone! Good family and dog-friendly park!

The restrooms are clean earlier in the day, but by early evening they are trashed and filthy most times. Not to the park maintenance staffs doing, they’re great with keeping up the park! It’s the people who camp here. People are DISGUSTING! Clean up after yourselves or your children!

The problem lies in the park entrance. There needs to be a major improvement made here! Every other state park I’ve been to has AT LEAST 2 lanes to enter the park. 1) Lane 1 - Folks can stop at the kiosk to check-in, buy wood, ask questions, etc. 2) Lane 2 - Folks can drive-on through if they are previously checked in, or have a Discover Pass to proceed to the Day Use area. THERE IS NO SECOND LANE!

So if you decide to go out to exploring, or out on your boat for the day, and return in the afternoon/early evening, you will have to sit behind a line of cars out to the Main Street of folks checking in. We sat in line for over a half hour!!!😳 I even got out of my truck, walked up to the kiosk and politely asked the female ranger if it was possible for us to drive through the exit lane because my child needed to go to the restroom. She didn’t even look up at me, just shook her head and repeatedly said, “Absolutely not!” Everyone in line had a face of disgust.

This is not a one time thing. This happens A LOT, all summer! They need to work on getting a second drive-thru lane like every other state park…they’re setup...

TL:DR- highly recommended for a great trip. Camping: there are 50 or so sites. While we didn't make a thorough analysis of all the sites, we were very impressed with the one we got: 48. It was right next to the trail that leads to a well-kept bathroom but we never saw a single person, owing to the secluded nature of our back-in spot (there are pull-through spots as well). All camp sites are level, wide open spaces with defined, well kept fire rings. The spots were GROOMED when we arrived; raked, fire ring cleared and empty. There's a rock bed about 4 inches below the dirt surface. This was the only issue I had the whole 3 days of camping. Water and bathrooms are accessible. If you travel in late summer, you'll be able to take advantage of the park's primary privacy vegetation: huckleberry and blueberry shrubs. Camping pancakes with fresh picked blueberries are AMAZING. Beach: the beach's name gives you most of what you need to know. It's scenic. It's really really pretty. Medium smooth rocks peppered with oyster shells (natural beds are located all over these shores and all the way to Seabeck). I found the shore water clear and warm in late summer, and several people were taking advantage of the shore and the ocean. Seabeck is a short jaunt down the road- grab some pizza or firewood and drinks at the general store. Guillemot Cove is a scenic drive and hike. Unfortunately, the beach access in the cove is closed indefinitely. I had a great stay and wish...