Park overview:
Manchester State Park is a 111-acre camping park with 3,400 feet of saltwater shoreline on Rich Passage in Puget Sound. The park is covered in woods of fir and maple.
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: 8 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk.
The park is open year round for camping and day use.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Winter Schedule for all Washington State Parks
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 35 tent spaces, 15 utility spaces and two restrooms/showers. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability). One dump station is located near the entrance.
To make a reservation, visit
online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688. Campsites are only available first come, first served between Sept. 16 to May 14.
There are three hiker/biker campsites available only to hikers and bikers and only on a first-come, first-served basis. These sites include a picnic table. Braziers are not provided.
Group Accommodations:
One group camp is available which will accommodate 20 to 130 people. It includes a large fire circle, 12 RV hookups, plus a covered shelter with eight picnic tables and electricity. Several unsheltered picnic tables and braziers are also in the camp. There are two unisex restrooms/showers (ADA accessible). Fees vary with size of the group. To make a reservation, visit
online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688. For further details, call the park at (360) 871-4065.
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.
To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the
reservation system and campsite maps.
Driving Directions
Located six miles east of Port Orchard, Wash., on Puget Sound in Kitsap County.
Park address:
7767 E. Hilldale
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Camp Calvinwood address:
6838 Calvinwood Road S.W.
Port Orchard, WA 98367
From I-5:
Take the Bremerton exit (Hwy. 16) to the Sedgewick exit in Port Orchard. Follow signs to Manchester State Park. Camp Calvinwood is located 13 miles southwest of Manchester State Park.
Park Maps
To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the
reservation system and campsite maps.
Manchester downloadable pdf map #1
List of all downloadable Washington State Park
maps.
Park Features
Nestled in woods of fir and maple, the park sets on the shore of Rich Passage on Puget Sound. Bainbridge Island and Seattle are visible from the beach.
The park also features Calvinwood Lodge, a picturesque lodge perfect for weddings, reunions and group meetings. The lodge is located 13 miles southwest of Manchester State Park and is set in a secluded forest with several small lakes and wetlands nearby.
History
The park was named for the nearby small town of Manchester. Originally called "Brooklyn," the citizens renamed the place "Manchester" in 1892 on account of their expectation that Manchester, Washington would become an active seaport comparable to Manchester, England.
The park itself was constructed at the turn of the century as a U.S. Coast Artillery harbor defense installation for the protection of Bremerton. During World War II, the property was converted to a navy fuel supply depot and a navy fire-fighting station.
A former torpedo warehouse, built in 1901, still stands in the park. It was later an officer's club, a barracks and a mess hall, and is now a picnic shelter in the day-use area. The small concrete building east of the torpedo warehouse was originally used as a mining casement, and later for coal storage. A gun battery also remains from the park's early days. All three of these structures are on the register of National Historical Monuments.
Interpretive opportunities
There is one interpretive display inside the former torpedo warehouse, which is currently the park's reservable picnic shelter.
Services/Supplies
| Available in the park | Available in the area |
• Camping
| • 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
|
Services are available in Port Orchard, about six miles east of the park.
Activities
| Trails | Water Activities | Other |
• 1.9 mi. Hiking Trails
| • Boating (saltwater)
• Diving
• Fishing (saltwater)
| • Bird Watching
• 1 Horseshoe pit
• Mountain Biking
• 1 Volleyball Field
• Wildlife Viewing
|
A volleyball net doubles as a badminton net. Horseshoe players must supply their own horseshoes. The beach is closed for shellfish harvesting.
A recreational license is required for fishing at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website. |
Events
Free days at state parks: Visit Washington state parks for free. The Discover Pass is not required to visit a state park on ten designated free days in 2013.
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.
Full list of
events at Washington State Parks
Boating Features
Kayaks or small watercraft may be carried to the beach area for launching.
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
The old brick “torpedo warehouse” is a large reservable picnic shelter and there are two small reservable picnic shelters available at the park. To make a reservation, visit
online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
Thirty-six unsheltered picnic tables are available first come, first served. Most of the picnic sites have braziers.
Please note: amplified music, Disc Jockeys, or portable amplification systems are not allowed in the park.Wildlife
| Mammals | Birds | Fish & Sea Life |
• Bears
• Chipmunks
• Coyotes
• Deer or Elk
• Foxes
• Otters
• Raccoons
• Skunks
• Squirrels
• Weasels
| • Chukars
• Doves or Pigeons
• Ducks
• Eagles
• Geese
• Gulls
• Hawks
• Herons
• Hummingbirds
• Jays
• Ospreys
• Owls
• Pheasants
• Woodpeckers
• Wrens
| • Clams
• Crabs
• Mussels
• Sea Birds
• Seals
• Shellfish
• Starfish
• Whales
• Salmon
|
Environmental Features
| Physical Features | | Plant Life | |
| | • Cedar
• Douglas Fir
• Hemlock
• Nobel Fir
• Alder
• Ash
• Maple
• Daisy
• Foxglove
• Lupines
• Rhododendron
• Rose
• Berries
• Ferns
• Moss or Lichens
• Seaweed
• Thistle
• Poison Oak
|
|
Park photo gallery
We'll be adding photos to this page soon.