Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Park overview:

Bay View State Park is a 25-acre camping park with 1,285 feet of saltwater shoreline on Padilla Bay. Over 11,000 acres of Padilla Bay are designated as National Estuarine Sanctuary. Breazeale Padilla Bay Interpretive Center is located a half mile north of the park.

Dump station closure notice: Due to a failed drain field, the dump station at the park is closed indefinitely. Park staff will provide directions to local dump stations in the Burlington/Mt. Vernon area.

Please Note: Until further notice, there is no shellfish harvesting at Bay View State Park.

Campsite Information:

The park has 46 tent spaces, 29 utility spaces, six cabins, two restrooms and six showers. Maximum site length is 50 feet (may have limited availability). The campground is divided into three areas.

Sites 1 to 9 (the view sites) provide the best opportunity to view Padilla Bay and are also utility sites. Site length is approximately 50 feet and all sites are back-ins.

Sites 10 to 30 (the utility sites) face a 1.5-acre grassy section, which provides space for kids to play safely and for parents to keep an eye on them. Site length varies, with 40 feet the maximum length. All sites are back-ins.

Sites 31 to 76 (the standard campsites) provide a parking place, stove, picnic table and space to pitch a tent. Tent size and vehicle parking lengths vary from 25 to 40 feet. Only a few of the sites can accommodate a large tent. All sites are back-ins.

To reserve a campsite, call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.

Group Accommodations:

The park provides one group camp for tents only. The camp accommodates 20 to 64 people. There is no space for RVs. Showers and restrooms are nearby. Fees vary with size of the group. To reserve, call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.

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).

2010 Fees
An additional $2 per night is added to the basic camping fees listed below at this high-use park. Basic camping fees are:
Standard campsite, $19.
Full utility campsite, $26.
Partial utility campsite, $25.
Primitive campsite and water trail camping, $12

An additional $3 fee (standard) or $5 fee (utility) may be charged for select premium campsites at some parks.

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 during the summer; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.

To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the reservation system and campsite maps.

Park hours/updates:

Summer: 8 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk.

The park is open year-round for camping and day use. Some campsites are closed in winter.

Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

Closure notice: Due to a failed drain field, the dump station at the park is closed indefinitely. Park staff will provide directions to local dump stations in the Burlington/Mt. Vernon area.

Park Winter Schedule

Campground Closes		Campground Reopens		Day-Use Closes		Day-Use Reopens		Watercraft Launch Closes		Watercraft Launch Reopens
Partial		Partial		Open		Open		None		None

Winter Schedule for all Washington State Parks

Driving Directions

Located seven miles west of Burlington, Wash., and 14 miles east of Anacortes, Wash. in Skagit County.

From I-5 north or south:
Take exit #230. Follow Hwy. 20 seven miles west to Bay View-Edison Rd. Signs will alert you to a right turn. Turn right onto Bay View-Edison Rd. Park is four miles north of Hwy. 20.

Park Maps

To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the reservation system and campsite maps.

List of all downloadable Washington State Park maps.

Park Features

The park offers views of the San Juan Islands fronting Padilla Bay, one of 28 existing national marine estuaries. On clear days, park users see the Olympic Mountains to the west and Mt. Rainier to the south.

History

Bay View State Park was the home of Pat-Teh-Us, a Noo-Wha-Ah Indian chief and signer of the Point Elliot Treaty. The town was named by William J. Mckenna, who plotted the original townsite in 1884. The original portion of the park was donated to the state in 1925 by the Skagit County Agricultural Association with the understanding that it would become a state park. Additional parcels were acquired up until 1968. The park site, formerly a baseball field and racetrack, derives its name from the community of Bay View.

Interpretive opportunities

There are currently no interpretive opportunities at this park.

Services/Supplies

Available in the park	Available in the area
• Camping • 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

Ice is available for purchase at the park. Most services are available within 12 miles of the park. There are five golf courses in a 30-mile radius.

Activities

Trails	Water Activities	Other
	• Boating (saltwater) • Fishing (saltwater) • Personal Watercraft (saltwater) • Swimming (saltwater) • Water Skiing (saltwater) • Oysters	• Beachcombing • Bird Watching • 1 Fire Circle • 1 Horseshoe pit • Interpretive Activities • Sailboarding • 1 Volleyball Field
The beach area is good for swimming, but no lifeguards are on-site. On windy days, with appropriate tides, sailboarding is becoming more popular.

Boating Features

The park is on Padilla Bay with a public watercraft launch three blocks from the park. Be advised Padilla Bay is heavily influenced by tidal action. The bay becomes a large mud flat during low tides.

Skagit County Parks provides a boat launch eight miles west of the park, just off Hwy. 20 under the Swinomish Channel. The launch is useable under various tide conditions.

Events

Full list of events at Washington State Parks

Picnic and Day-use Facilities

The beach shelter capacity is 175 people. It provides a view of Padilla Bay, two large barbecues and ADA access, but no electricity. Rental fees vary depending on size of the group. To reserve, call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.

The park also provides six sheltered and 62 unsheltered picnic tables available first-come, first-served. No keg beer is permitted on the premises.

Wildlife

Mammals	Birds	Fish & Sea Life
• Chipmunks • Coyotes • Deer or Elk • Rabbits • Raccoons • Skunks	• Crows or Ravens • Ducks • Eagles • Geese • Gulls • Hawks • Herons • Hummingbirds • Jays • Owls • Pheasants • Swans • Woodpeckers • Wrens	• Clams • Crabs • Oysters • Sea Birds • Seals • Shellfish