Hidden gun emplacements, expansive parade lawns and restored Victorian-era Officers homes place history front and center at Fort Worden Historical State Park.
While today’s park hosts workshops, festivals and family reunions, the Fort Worden of 100 years ago was home to nearly 1,000 troops and officers training to defend the Puget Sound from potential enemy invaders.
Fort Worden, Fort Flagler and Fort Casey, with their big guns and strategic locations, once made up the coastal defense system known as, “The Triangle of Fire.” Constructed between 1898 and 1917, fascinating Fort Worden features more than 2 miles of beachfront and high bluffs with spectacular views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Want a comprehensive history lesson? Start at the Friends of Fort Worden Gift Shop, and grab a self-guided walking tour map. Stop into the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, Commanding Officer’s House and Marine Science Center. Enjoy a meal in the Guard House Pub, and peruse the photogenic 1914 Point Wilson Lighthouse. Explore defunct coastal defense batteries, and imagine the compound teeming with enlisted men, officers and staff during World War I and II.
Nurture your creative side by attending a world-class conference or retreat at the fort. Stay in a barracks-turned-dormitory, a Commanding Officer’s home or a castle. Or camp at the beach, and fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing gently on the shore.
This rich cultural treasure will delight military and maritime history buffs, as well as writers, musicians, visitors to nearby Port Townsend and anyone who’s up for a great place to stay.
Park features
Fort Worden Historical State Park is a 433-acre multi-use park with more than 2 miles of saltwater shoreline and a wide variety of services and facilities, including a full-service conference center that can be booked for daylong or multi-day events.
The park is co-managed by the Fort Worden Public Development Authority, which runs the overnight lodging and partners with Centrum Arts Foundation and other on-site organizations to provide unique experiences for visitors. For more information, visit online.
Discover Pass: A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to state parks for day use. At Fort Worden a Discover Pass is required to visit at a campsite, in the beach area and at the main trailheads for day use parking. For more information about the Discover Pass and exemptions, please visit the Discover Pass web page.
Automated pay station: This park is equipped with an automated pay station for visitors to purchase a one-day or annual Discover Pass and boat launch permit.