Fort Casey Historical State Park
Coupeville, WA
Fort Casey Historical State Park sits on Whidbey Island's west side near the Port Townsend ferry terminal, a 467-acre park built around a genuine 1890s coastal defense fort with intact gun batteries and a 1903 lighthouse. The driftwood strewn beach below is a solid spot for kite flying and watching ferries cross Admiralty Inlet.
A genuinely strong combination of real fort history, a lighthouse, and beach views, popular with locals and visitors for good reason.
How we score beachesClimb through the old gun batteries before heading to the beach; it's a real, walkable fort, not just a plaque, and kids especially tend to want more time there than expected.
A Discover Pass ($10 a day) is required. Camping is available, 35 sites.
Good for kite flying and beachcombing most of the year. Summer brings the calmest ferry-watching weather.
More Pacific Coast beaches
Zuma Beach
Malibu, CA · Pacific Coast
A wide stretch of sand backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, with reliable swells that draw surfers year-round and plenty of room to spread out even on busy weekends.
Huntington City Beach
Huntington Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Known as Surf City USA, with a mile-long municipal pier, consistent breaks for surfers of every level, and a laid-back boardwalk scene along Pacific Coast Highway.
Main Beach
Laguna Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Tucked between rocky headlands, with tidepools to explore at low tide, calmer coves for swimming, and an arts-town backdrop of galleries and cafes just steps from the sand.