Fort Flagler State Park
Marrowstone Island, WA
Fort Flagler State Park spreads across the northern tip of Marrowstone Island, where Puget Sound opens into Admiralty Inlet. Old coastal gun batteries sit half swallowed by blackberry vines above a beach that's mostly driftwood and rock instead of sand. You can spend a whole afternoon just walking the shoreline and finding a different view of the water every few hundred feet.
The gun batteries, the driftwood beach, and the view out toward Admiralty Inlet make this a real favorite for a day trip or a weekend of camping, though you'll want a wetsuit and low expectations if swimming is the actual goal.
How we score beachesSkip the main day-use beach on a summer weekend and walk out past the old fort buildings toward the point instead, where the crowd thins out fast and there's usually a better chance of watching a ferry or a seal go by.
A Discovery Pass is required to park anywhere in the park, sold as a ten dollar day pass at the entrance or as an annual pass. There's plenty of room in the lots near the beach campground and the historic area, even in summer.
Paved park roads run close to several beach access points, so the walk from a parking spot to the water is usually short. Once you're at the shoreline, though, expect rock and driftwood rather than soft sand underfoot.
Dogs are welcome on leash (up to 8 feet) throughout the park, including the saltwater beach, year-round.
Summer, especially July through September, is when the park dries out and the camping fills up fastest. The water off Marrowstone Island never really warms up, so this stays a beachcombing and history walk rather than a swimming spot any time of year.
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