PORT TOWNSEND

Quick Facts

  • If you love fresh salty sea air, spectacular natural beauty and yearn to go exploring, Port Townsend is the perfect place for you!
  • This area is home to some of the most dynamic and innovative experiential learning programs in the country.
  • The Point Wilson Lighthouse was built in 1879, before Fort Worden, and continues to air marine traffic today.
  • Fort Worden was officially established as an army post in 1902, and was dedicated as a State Park in 1973.

ABOUT THE AREA


With its maritime heritage, artist spirit, and a touch of urban chic, Port Townsend has something for every taste. Most of the city is easily accessible on foot. Cuisine choices are outstanding and include several award-winning restaurants—take time to enjoy a meal. Touring the historic homes and buildings can be done by foot or by car. Port Townsend is only one of three Victorian Seaports on the National Register of Historic Places. There are over 15 unique art galleries featuring classic to innovative visual arts. The artistic soul soars in the community of Port Townsend. Enjoy a walk along the beaches. Stroll the miles of trails at Fort Worden with views of the shipping lanes on the Strait of Juan de Fuca or deep forests where deer still wander without fear.

HIKES WITH HISTORY

Perched at the northern entrance to Puget Sound near Port Townsend, Fort Worden State Park, a military base that was commissioned in 1902, is a legendary gathering place. With a 360 degree panorama of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the Fort's 434 acres are bordered by pristine wetlands and miles of sandy beaches.

Nearly a dozen learning-focused partner experiences people looking for a truly special experience. This is not your typical park! The fort is home to the Coastal Artillery and Commanding Officers Quarters Museums. this expansive park offers miles of trails and old military bunkers to explore. Fort Worden offers an unmatched combination of natural beauty and historic interest. Acres of saltwater beaches, wooded hills, and open fields are framed by stunning vistas of the Olympic and Cascade ranges and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In addition to being a mecca for nature lovers, the Park and it’s nonprofit campus partners is a center for lifelong learning.

SPEND TIME ON THE WATER

Surrounded on three sides by water, Port Townsend is an unmatched destination for boaters and maritime enthusiasts. It's almost impossible to be this close to water and not want to be on the water. Rent a kayak or a classic wooden rowboat for the day; go sailing on boats large and small. Take a day trip to the San Juan Islands or to Protection Island. On wildlife tours, view whales, puffins and seals and learn about the unique ecology of Puget Sound. Feeling more adventurous? Try scuba diving or snorkeling. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center gives you a chance to touch marine life, to see the critters that are often hard to find.

The area is home to many of the best boat building and maintaining craftsmen and women in the world. Many of the marine trades firms specialize in working with wooden boats of all eras. Others do much of their work with more modern materials and leading edge technologies. Maritime activities are clustered in the Point Hudson Marina in the heart of the historic and civic district of downtown Port Townsend, and in the Boat Haven area at the entrance to downtown.