Fort Worden Historical State Park — Attraction in Port Townsend

I visited both Fort Worden and Fort Flagler (over on Marrowstone Island) in the same day, doing Flagler first and then Worden. By the time I got to Worden, it was early afternoon and the entire place was pretty busy. Flagler had been the opposite! Fort Worden is definitely set up to maximize park usage, which certainly works to its advantage for upkeep and revenue, but for a history buff tourist like me, I prefer a little less crowd. My wife & I went to see the historic fortifications, the Puget Sound Coast Artillery museum, and the Point Wilson lighthouse. Unfortunately, the only fortifications you can get to by car are Battery Kinzie (which was very crowded, since it is right next to the RV campground, beach, and science centers) and Battery Vicars (which is small and not notable really). The hike to get from the parking area to the other, more secluded fortifications is just under a mile - not really something I was interested in doing after hiking around Fort Flagler for three hours that same morning. And finding that route was tough since there was no signage pointing vehicles to that side of the park. So, we skipped the outlying batteries, and only visited Kinzie and Vickers. Kinzie is really big and impressive, with a fantastically beautiful view of the surrounding cliffs, so despite there being folks shouting and carrying on inside, it was still worthwhile.

Point Wilson lighthouse was unfortunately closed for filming, but looked neat from a distance. There was a group of people fencing on the beach, I'd never seen THAT activity on the beach before! There ended up being two museums down near the parade ground that I thought looked interesting, the Coast Artillery museum I had planned for, and a tour of an Officer's Quarters - but both had short business hours, and I was unable to squeeze both into an afternoon. Each is managed separately and has its own cost.

The Coast Artillery museum was good, not as good as the Fort Flagler Historical Museum but broader in scope and with interesting artifacts from throughout US military history. The room with information on how Puget Sound, Seattle, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca was defended during WWII and the Cold War is the most interesting part. The museum is within an old barracks, so the space isn't conducive to a typical museum flow, the customer service desk is between the two galleries so you have to pass back and forth to see everything. There was a guided tour of the museum going on, but from what I heard, it wasn't worth spending the time on - the guide was basically just saying what was on the signs, and the tour was barely through the first room by the time I was done with both galleries - and it had already started when I arrived! There is a small entrance fee, and they have books for sale on a variety of interesting military history & local history topics.

Overall, the museum was the highlight, and worth the visit alone - but again, if choosing between Worden & Flagler, I'd recommend Flagler & its museum over this one. As with any other Washington State Park, you need to have a park pass - which you can buy on-site for $10 for the day, or $30 for the year (and it covers all Washington parks). Consult the Washington State Parks website for specific location, some parks have both machines that take credit cards and a visitors center option, some only have...

I usually say timing is everything when choosing when to camp at specific parks around the Northwest. However, Fort Worden isn't one of those places. BUT, and there is always a BUT, if you like music, I.E. the banjo, violin, cello, guitar, fiddle, or such like instruments, then the first week of July is the time to schedule. They have Fiddle Week. I could spend hours explaining just how phenomenal it is but you can google it for more info. However I will say that even if you google it, the justice isn't really done. I recommend going to Youtube and searching for Fiddler Week. Now about The First itself. Most are aware that the movie An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed there. The full full hook-up sites are then on the beach surrounded by the beauty of admiralty inlet. Watch the infinite amount of boats and ships go back and forth sailing off to whatever adventure lies ahead. I'd highly recommend insuring that you bring a way to secure your awning because believe me when I say you'll have and experience the winds of the inlet and at times it can be quite windy. Everything is located on the main road where the full hookup sites are. Kayak rentals, a cantina that you pretty much can get whatever needs you might have from meals and snacks to some camping needs. The partial hookup sites are in the upper forest campground. Water/ electric. Maybe a mile from the beach but tucked away in the woods and NO wind. If you love deer, then this is the place to be. They're EVERYWHERE and don't fear humans. They have a lot of history here with concrete forts and bunkers scattered throughout the fort. There's around 12 miles of hiking trails and literally a LOT to explore for young and old alike. They have the Marine Science Center and museum down on the main road at the beach as well. With Port Townsend literally a couple kf miles from the post and with the beauty and charm it has to offer, you'll be very happy you chose Fort Worden as your camping destination. I could write another 2 hours about just how beautiful Fort Worden is but you'll have to come here and experience it yourself. Reading about it didn't do it justice. All I can say is that it's not on the top of our favorite State Park list...

We've been wanting to stay at Fort Worden, in one of the officers' houses, for a very long time...and we were finally able to do it!! We stayed in a 'Corporals' house on NCO Row, and it did not disappoint!

For those of you expecting a 5 star hotel experience, this is not that, and it is not intended to be....these are historic buildings, a piece of Washington State's early history, part of an old military defense fortification to protect from enemy ships entering Puget Sound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. From what I could tell, it was no easy task to get these buildings up to today's standards with plumbing, electrical and such, and it was done very well, including extensive remodeling and furnishings to make it comfortable, and yet still retain its old-world charm...WELL DONE!!

We happened to be there around the time of various musical workshops and performances, including fiddling....so we were surround by people carrying banjos, fiddles, guitars, mandolin's, etc...and hearing music wafting through the air that made me feel like either Leprechauns or Hobbits would come dancing out of the forest at any moment! haha! I'm a guitar player and had brought my instrument with me, so I felt right at home!

In addition to the above, exploring the old military bunkers & gun artillery batteries that housed the large cannons was fascinating! It is a fairly vast complex, but within walking/biking distance and well worth the effort. A bit further walk takes you to the large beach bunker complex, plus the beach itself which is very nice. We enjoyed walking, biking and exploring the Fort Worden complex and nearby beaches, and used our location as a hub for venturing further out on day trips as well!

And I must not forget to mention the movie 'An Officer and a Gentleman' which was filmed at Fort Worden in the early 1980's...we made a point to watch the movie while we stayed there!!

Thank you Fort Worden and Washington State Parks for preserving this gem of the...