Belfair: Overview
Park overview:
Belfair State Park is a 65-acre, year-round camping park on 3,720 feet of saltwater shoreline at the southern end of Hood Canal in western Washington. It is noted for its saltwater tide flats, wetlands with wind-blown beach grasses and pleasant areas for beach walking and saltwater swimming.Want to support Washington State Parks? Get involved by joining a friends' group. For more information, visit the Friends' Group web page.
Park hours/updates:
Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk
Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Current alerts:
Agency information:
Don't move firewood: Please protect the Pacific Northwest from invasive species by obtaining or purchasing your firewood at or near your camping destination (within 50 miles). Firewood can carry insects and diseases that threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by buying and burning your firewood locally. For more information, visit online at www.dontmovefirewood.org or the Washington Invasive Species Council website.
The Discover Pass now can be used on either of two vehicles!Annual pass: $30
One-day pass: $10
(Transaction and dealer fees may apply)
A Discover Pass is required for motor-vehicle access to state parks and recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Exemptions: Your purchase of the Discover Pass supports recreation on state lands. However, the Discover Pass is not required if you are camping or renting overnight accommodations, for the duration of your stay at that state park. For additional exemptions and more information, please visit the Discover Pass website.
Campsite Information:
The park has 120 standard tent sites, 47 utility sites, three restrooms (two ADA), eight showers (two ADA) and one dump station. The park has three camp loops.The main loop is open year-round and has 19 full hookup utility sites and 37 standard sites. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability).
The beach loop, is open year around, has 28 full hookup utility sites and 17 standard sites. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability).
The tree loop, open mid-May through mid-September, has 66 standard sites. Tree loop has a size restriction and cannot accommodate trailers over 18 feet or motor homes over 25 feet.
To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
2013 camping fees:
Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).May 15 – Sept. 15 (peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $23 non-premium site, $26 premium site
Partial-utility campsite*: $30 non-premium site, $35 premium site
Full-utility campsite*: $32 non-premium site, $37 premium site
*Please note: Camping fees during the 2013 peak season are $28 for partial-utility sites and $29 for full-utility sites at Beacon Rock, Brooks Memorial, Columbia Hills, Conconully, Lewis & Clark and Schafer state parks. These parks are first come, first served.
Jan. 1 – May 14 and Sept. 16 – Dec. 31 (off-peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $22 for non-premium and premium sites
Partial-utility campsite: $28 for non-premium and premium sites
Full-utility campsite: $29 for non-premium and premium sites
Maximum eight people per campsite.
Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.
Dump stations (if available): Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
More about park hours
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park from April 1 through Sept. 30; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.
Park Features
The park features swimming, wading, shellfish harvesting, over 3,000 feet of freshwater shoreline and 3,700 feet of saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal. This scenic park lends itself to kite fliers and windsurfers with the warm summer breezes. Interpretive programs are held all summer long. Kayakers will enjoy day trips or overnight outings from the easily accessible sloping gravel beaches. Fall brings large salmon runs to the creeks that flow through the park.
History
Long ago the site was a central meeting place for generations of Indians. The Skokomish tribe used the area as a campsite and for gathering shellfish. The area was later used as a log dump before officially becoming a state park in 1952. The park is named for the town of Belfair.Interpretive opportunities
The park offers interpretive displays on shellfish, water quality and the life cycle of salmon. Interpretive programs are held all summer and include beach and nature walks as well as weekly campfire programs with the park rangers or special guests.Services/Supplies
| Available in the park | Available in the area |
| • Camping • Pay phone • Fire wood | • Auto repair • Airport • Camping • Diesel • Fishing/hunting • Gasoline • Gifts • Golf • Groceries • Hardware • Hospital • Marine supplies • Overnight Accommodations • Pay phone • Postal service • Propane • Recreational equipment • White gas • Wood • Swimming |
Ice is available at the park.
The town of Belfair, three miles away, has supermarkets, hardware store, giftshops and restaurants.
Activities
| Trails | Water Activities | Other |
| • Fishing (freshwater) • Fishing (saltwater) • Swimming (saltwater) • Clamming • Crabbing • Oysters | • 1 Badminton area • Beach Exploration • Bird Watching • 2 Fire Circles • 2 Horseshoe pits • 2 Volleyball Fields | |
One multi-purpose grass area may be used for softball, soccer or football. The park is situated on the warm saltwater beaches of Hood Canal. A bathhouse is nearby. An open field near Hood Canal is popular for kite flying. A state fishing license is required to fish Big Mission and Little Mission creeks, and a state saltwater license is is required for crab and shellfish harvesting and fishing. Shellfish regulations change periodically, so it is encouraged that you check the most recent updates before collecting shellfish. The Department of Natural Resources Tahuya Multiple Use Area is nearby, with trails for motorcycles, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and off-road vehicles. There are several golf courses in the area. Gathering firewood is not allowed, but firewood is for sale in the park. A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website. | ||
Events
The 2013 State Parks free days are as follows:
Jan. 21 – In honor of Martin Luther King Day
March 30 – In honor of Washington State Parks' 100th birthday on March 19
April 27 and 28 – National Parks Week
June 1 – National Trails Day
June 8 and 9 – National Get Outdoors Day and Department of Fish and Wildlife Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4 – Peak season free day
Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 through 11 – Veteran's Day weekend
Please note: A Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife during State Parks free days. For more information, please visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
Find other events at Washington State Parks
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
The park has 2 picnic shelters with no electricity, available first-come, first-served. Groups of 50 people or more need to contact the park at (360) 275-0668 about group accomodations and activities.The park has two sheltered and 130 unsheltered picnic tables. Braziers and ADA picnic tables are available.
The day-use area is very level and has ADA restroom facilities and beach access.
There is a large playing field for sports, and a play area for children is nearby. The warm waters and fine gravel beaches of this Hood Canal park are ideally suited for swimming, snorkeling, wind surfing, kayaking and other water activities.
Wildlife
| Mammals | Birds | Fish & Sea Life |
| • Deer or Elk • Muskrats • Otters • Raccoons • Squirrels | • Crows or Ravens • Ducks • Eagles • Geese • Gulls • Herons • Hummingbirds • Jays • Ospreys • Pheasants • Woodpeckers | • Clams • Crabs • Mussels • Oysters • Sea Birds • Shellfish • Salmon • Steelhead • Sturgeon • Trout |
Environmental Features
| Physical Features | Plant Life | Special | |
| The park has primarily coniferous forest and marshlands on Hood Canal, with streams, tidelands and wetlands. | • Cedar • Douglas Fir • Hemlock • Alder • Apple • Ash • Cherry • Maple • Daisy • Rhododendron • Rose • Berries • Eel Grass • Ferns • Moss or Lichens | Many generations of Indians once frequented the area where the park is located. |
