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Reservations (non-Mobile content)

Park overview:

Fort Worden State Park and Conference Center is a 434-acre multi-use park with over two miles of saltwater shoreline and a wide variety of services and facilities. The park rests on a high bluff overlooking Puget Sound. Many historic buildings remain at this 19th century military fort.


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Park hours/updates:

Camping and conference facilities are open year-round.

Lower campground is open and reservable during winter.

Check-in time for camping is 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

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.

Campsite Information:

Fort Worden State Park features two campgrounds with 80 campsites that may be reserved up to one year in advance. Both campgrounds have restrooms with showers. Maximum site length is 75 feet (may have limited availability).

The beach campground with 50 full-service hookup sites is tucked between the bluffs and the beaches of Point Wilson. The Point Wilson Lighthouse and the Strait of Juan de Fuca are visible from most of the sites. All sites are level, spacious and open and a few are surrounded by wild rose and trees.

The upper campground features 30 sites with water and electricity. A sewer dump station is nearby. The campsites are mostly forested, some with privacy. All sites are long and fairly level, accommodating larger RVs. This campground provides easy access to miles of trails throughout the park.

The campsites are popular year-round. Reservations are highly recommended. The campgrounds usually fill even on winter holiday weekends, and are often filled mid-week and weekends during the summer. The upper campground is closed during cold weather.

Group Accommodations:

Fort Worden offers a rally site for groups only. Qualifying groups must have a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 22 self-contained RVs. Please contact the groups and conferences office for more details at (360) 344-4435. For individual campsite reservations, check availability online or call (360) 344-4431.

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.

For more detailed information regarding reservations at this park, please visit our non-mobile Fort Worden pages.

Park Features

This historic fort offers a full-service conference center, an ideal setting for seminars, conferences, retreats and family reunions. Historic 100-year-old Victorian-style parlors, century-old officers' housing, spacious carpeted dormitories, a castle and hookup campsites meet the needs of just about any small or large group. The center has a dining facility and a wide range of meeting rooms and historic vacation houses. All accommodations are located on beautiful state park grounds with miles of trails, sandy beaches and unparalleled views of the Cascade Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

History

Fort Worden, along with the heavy batteries of Fort Flagler and Fort Casey, once guarded nautical entrance to Puget Sound. These posts, established in the late 1890s, became the first line of a fortification system designed to prevent a hostile fleet from reaching such targets as the Bremerton Naval Yard and the cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. Construction began in 1897 and continued in one form or another until the fort was closed in 1953. The property was purchased as a state park in 1955. Fort Worden is named after Rear Admiral John L. Worden.

Interpretive opportunities

The Coast Artillery Museum was established to preserve and interpret coast artillery history with special emphasis on the harbor defenses of Puget Sound as they existed and functioned from the late 1800s to the end of World War II. Among the collections and artifacts, visitors will see a three-dimensional scale model of Battery Kinzie showing the design and structure of the massive fortifications and the emplacements for the two 12-inch disappearing guns that were kept in readiness for possible attack from 1910 to 1943. The museum is open daily from noon to 4 p.m., with extended hours Memorial Day through Labor Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Commanding Officer's Quarters overlooks Admiralty Inlet with the Cascades in the background. Completed in 1904, 33 families called this place home during the days of the fort. The building has been restored and furnished in keeping with the late Victorian period (1890 - 1910), providing a glimpse into the life of an officer and his family in the first decade of this century.

Rothschild House is located on a bluff on the corner of Franklin and Taylor Streets in Port Townsend. Built in 1868 by the Rothchild family, the home open to the public as a historic site in 1962 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is now a museum, offering visitors a glimpse into late 1800s and early 1900s culture.

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center founded in 1982 is operated from the Marine Lab and Aquarium building at Fort Worden State Park. Dedicated to marine and shoreline environment education, more than100 volunteers operate the Center for people of all ages. The unique facility sits on a pier on the cusp of the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan De Fuca, offering science exhibits and events to all interested in marine life.

Services/Supplies

Available in the park	Available in the area
• Boat rentals • Camping • Commissary • Park store • Pay phone • Postal service • Fire wood	• Auto repair • Airport • Boat rental • Camping • Diesel • Fishing/hunting • Gasoline • Gifts • Golf • Groceries • Hardware • Horse rental • Hospital • Marine supplies • Overnight Accommodations • Pay phone • Postal service • Propane • Recreational equipment • White gas • Wood • Swimming

Equipment rental: The park provides rental equipment for tennis, croquet, bocce ball and shoe-less horse shoes. Available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tennis rentals include two rackets (adult or junior) with a fresh can of tennis balls (yours to keep). Equipment rentals are $10 per day. There is a $50 charge for lost or damaged sports equipment. Call the park for details.

Kayaks and bike rental: Kayaks (singles) $25 first hour, $10 each additional hour. A variety of kayaks and rowboats are available. Bikes (singles) $15 first hour, $10 each additional hour. Tandems and trailers are available. Call the park for details and reservations.

Most services are available within 20 miles of the park.

Activities

Trails	Water Activities	Other
• 5 mi. ADA Hiking Trails • 12 mi. Hiking Trails • 12 mi. Bike Trails	• Boating (saltwater) • 2 boat ramps (saltwater) • 235 feet of dock (saltwater) • 235 feet of moorage (saltwater) • Diving • Fishing (saltwater) • Personal Watercraft (saltwater) • Swimming (saltwater) • Water Skiing (saltwater) • Crabbing	• 1 Amphitheater (sheltered) • 1 Baseball Field • 1 Basketball Court • Beach Exploration • Bird Watching • 2 Fire Circles • 3 Horseshoe pits • Interpretive Activities • Mountain Biking • Museum • 1 Softball Field • 2 Volleyball Fields
In addition to those activities listed above, fort visitors also enjoy kite flying, tennis and photography. Several golf courses are nearby, along with the historic town of Port Townsend. 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

Events
Date/time	Event description	State Park
Ongoing	Centrum Workshops: Centrum offers a wide range of enrichment workshops for musicians, writers and visual artists of all levels of experience throughout the year. A full schedule of workshops may be found at www.centrum.org/calendar-of-events/. Registration fee may be required for participation. For more information about Centrum, visit www.centrum.org.	Fort Worden, Centrum (360) 385-3102
Feb. 24 2 p.m.	Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival – Baroque Offerings: The West Coast’s finest Baroque musicians gather at Fort Worden State Park to perform gems of the era. Headlining is concertmaster of San Franscisco’s Philharmonia Baroque, Elizabeth Blumenstock. The concert features works by Purcell, Blow, Bieber, Schutz, Bonporti, A.Scarlattis and Handel. This concert is part of the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival. Tickets are available for the series or for individual concerts. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.centrum.org.	Fort Worden, Joseph F. Wheeler Theater (360) 385-3102
Mar. 3 - 8	Explorations: Students in grades 7 to 9 are invited to a special workshop offered in partnership with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The week-long program is a total immersion residential experience for young artists. Participants will converse, draw, sculpt, paint, dance, perform and write with their peers under the instruction of gifted faculty artists. Tuition, room and board are required for participation. Scholarships are available, with a deadline of Jan. 14. For more information, visit www.centrum.org.	Fort Worden, Centrum (360) 385-3102

Find other events at Washington State Parks

Boating Features

Two boat ramps, two mooring floats, 8 mooring buoys and a launch float are provided by the park.

A daily watercraft launching permit for $7 and a trailer dumping permit for $5 is available at the park.

Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at region offices, online and at parks when staff is available.

Boat moorage is also available.

Moorage fees are charged year round for mooring at docks, floats and buoys from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. For information call (360) 902-8844.
Moorage fees are charged year round for mooring at docks, floats and buoys from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. Daily and annual permits are available. For more information, call (360) 902-8844.

Picnic and Day-use Facilities

Fort Worden offers dozens of day-use and picnic areas. Whether overlooking the high centennial cliffs of Artillery Hill and the often wild Straights of Juan de Fuca or a placid vista featuring views of Mt. Baker and Point Wilson Lighthouse, numerous day-use picnic tables and fireboxes provide picnic spots for any occasion. The Cable House Canteen is an on-site food and convenience store, offering sundries, burgers or hot breakfast entrées.

Wildlife

Mammals	Birds	Fish & Sea Life
• Bobcats • Chipmunks • Coyotes • Deer or Elk • Foxes • Otters • Rabbits • Raccoons • Skunks • Squirrels • Weasels	• Crows or Ravens • Doves or Pigeons • Ducks • Eagles • Geese • Grouse • Gulls • Hawks • Herons • Hummingbirds • Jays • Ospreys • Owls • Pheasants • Quail • Woodpeckers • Wrens	• Clams • Crabs • Mussels • Octopuses • Oysters • Scallops • Sea Birds • Sea Cucumbers • Seals • Shellfish • Shrimp • Squid • Starfish • Whales • Bass • Cod • Eel • Perch • Red Snapper • Salmon • Shark • Steelhead • Tuna

Environmental Features

Physical Features		Plant Life
		• Cedar • Douglas Fir • Hemlock • Alder • Apple • Ash • Maple • Daisy • Foxglove • Lupines • Rhododendron • Rose • Berries • Eel Grass • Ferns • Moss or Lichens • Seaweed • Thistle

The Discover Pass