Really lovely area to explore the rocky coast of Washington. Free entry, free parking, plenty of places to explore, hike, enjoy a picnic, play on playgrounds, you name it. A bit secluded which just adds to its allure in my book. Love the coupling of large trees and rock beach right next to each other, such a unique thing to experience. read more

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Birch Bay is probably in the Top 3 of my favorite state parks. It's in an idyllic, bayside setting, with a huge campground and lots to do in the area. I spent many a summer weekend tent camping there with my kids, and recently returned to camp again for the long weekend over July 4th. As any local will tell you, the Birch Bay area is THE place to be to celebrate and over-the-top Independence Day. Since my tent camping with kids days I've upgraded to a small teardrop travel trailer. Luckily, the majority of sites at the BBSP campground accommodate smaller travel trailers. They even have water/electric hookup sites but these are almost impossible to procure. Still, it was fun to boondock for four nights at one of their many double/group sites - which we shared with some friends. I was thankful for having a trailer, because it rained HARD for two of the days we were there and everything was soaked. Our group site (107/108) was also located near a bog so it got especially muddy. Still, we didn't let it ruin the fun - but it was a good reminder that it's never a bad idea to bring extra awnings and canopies on these PNW camping trips. The park itself is well-managed, with rangers regularly circulating and a camp host on duty most of the day. The bathrooms are clean and serviced regularly, and there are coin-op showers to keep you clean. The beach is a short walk from the campground, and an amazing place to watch sunsets. We also rode bikes into the village - it's perfectly level and there's a bike lane most of the way. We ended up at the local brewery, which was right across from the beach and a great place to listen to some live music and enjoy the weekend. Birch Bay State Park will always be on my radar for great, not-too-far-away, family-friendly camping spots. Reserve early for best selection! read more

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Places like this make me realize just how lucky I am to live in this state. Although I only live a few miles away, I still camp here often. The bathrooms are clean and showers are large and warm. Everywhere you look, is majestic trees, ferns and moss. Coming here, I am able to gather my thoughts and reflect on the good things. The state park never gets old. It can accommodate a lot of people and I rarely feel claustrophobic, even at the height of the summer season. Combing the beaches, for rocks, as you can watch the beautiful sunset. Take a stroll in the giant Douglas Firs or watch the Blue Heron and Bald Eagles hunt for food or soar about the sky. Bring your kayak, if you have one and watch the sunset in the water. I cannot say enough great things about Birch Bay State Park. If you have yet to visit the park, I highly recommend putting this place on your bucket list. You don't want to miss this amazing place. read more

Birch Bay State Park - Taking in the sunset, from the best spot around. Birch Bay State Park - Parks Near Me - Blaine, Washington

It's was a little chilly at the end of March. Definitely need a jacket and bring some gloves to pick up rocks! There's little tide pools with tons of snails and even little crabs. Great for bird watching. Most of the bathrooms are closed. There are picnic tables right in front of the bay. Plenty of space to be out in the open :) read more

Birch Bay State Park - Parks Near Me - Blaine, Washington

Our gem in the upper edge of the map! My favorite park! Many walking trails, plenty of parking! Upper area campsites and plenty of signs. Love enjoying this park year around and being able to just listen to the ocean! I also really appreciate all of the public restrooms and how clean they are! Very much appreciate how well these and the showers are maintained well. I like how the personnel explain things simply and ensure the gates are closed timely in the evenings. Makes me feel good since we live around the corner! read more

Love this place. Year 8 for our holiday. Skate swim play ride. Get the pass online - Avoid the fine!!! read more

Birch Bay State Park - Parks Near Me - Blaine, Washington

Clean camp sites. Nice size camp sites. Trails and beach to enjoy. Clean and individual bathrooms. Needed place to wash off dishes, would have liked to have electrical socket but that wasn't absolutely necessary. Noisy in the morning with trucks- maybe garbage trucks, running for the quiet early hours. A little annoying. I would visit again. read more

This review is for the campsites at Birch Bay. We booked site 23, which faces the water, for tent camping. However, we noticed that pretty much all the other sites were RV camping. The ground for the tent was flat dirt with very minimal rocks which made setting up a breeze. We did notice the next morning that there are many ants/spiders in the area though. The campfire pit has a built in grill that cannot be removed, so it did obstruct our fire a little bit since we were just using it for smores. Bathrooms are clean and spacious; showers are available for 50c per minute. Our site was just a short walk away from the bridge over the small river to the beach where you could go clamming (the clams are huge!) and kite-flying. The sunset on the beach was also absolutely beautiful! We loved this site and would definitely consider coming back again in the future! read more

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Birch Bay State Park borders the oceanfront and encompasses one of the few estuaries where the freshwater Terrell Creek Marsh meets the saltwater of the Salish Sea. The road along the water is wide and has bike lanes. The speed limit is 25 MPH. There is a lot parking along the roadway and picnic tables. Bathroom facilities were also available. The beachfront is rocky and sandy. There are large logs that you can rest on to enjoy the view. If you buy a permit, you can catch crab and clams during their respective "hunting seasons". Inland, there are campsites nestled among Birch trees and Douglas Fir as well as an easy, 1/2-mile interpretive, loop trail. The path is easy to follow and takes you to a viewpoint along the Terrell Creek Marsh which is good for bird watching. Since this is a state park, you will need to display the Discover Park Pass. You can either get a $10 day pass or a $30 annual pass for use at any Washington State Park. You can purchase the pass during business hours at the ranger station located at the inland, entrance gate. Alternatively, there is a automated pay station within the park that you can use anytime. Lovely park along the water. Great place to enjoy crabbing at the beach, or bird watching in the forest along the marsh. read more

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Went to a crab boil in berch bay. What a great park , plenty of rest rooms , picnic tables and fire pits, and great beach area. Had a fun day, and when I return would love to explore this park more. read more

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Great park for day-use with lots of parking, pic-nic tables and restrooms. The beach is wonderful at low tide and you can walk far out to collect shells and we've seen others digging for clams. You also have great sunset views from the beach. We also camped there and for this reason had to deduct a *, the sites are fairly open to each other and there is a lot of background noise. You can hear the train and planes going by and we were unfortunately squeezed in between both bathrooms and the new eco friendly hand dryers are just way too loud. Other parks have hand dryers too, but the older kind are just a lot more quieter. You can hear them day and night and even my husband (who sleeps through anything), wasn't too happy. Otherwise, the park is very vell maintained, the bathrooms were always clean and stocked and seemed pretty new? I think overall, they have the best facilities in the area, but just make sure to get a site away from the bathrooms, especially if you are a tent camper and can't close out the noise. read more

Gorgeous park with Plenty of parking and easy access to the beach. There is a good cycling and walking path and I always see an amazing amount of wildlife here. You will not find a prettier place to see a sunset. read more

On a recent day visit to Birch Bay State Park, I misplaced my cell phone. When I discovered this, I knew I had left it at the restroom near the pavilion. One of the folks there suggested I check with the rangers. I contacted Ranger Luis Medina on the road. Ranger Medina was most helpful. He confirmed the phone had been turned in to the Ranger Station. Since I cycle, rather than drive, he had me wait and went to the Ranger Headquarters, secured the phone and brought it back to me. Without his kind and understanding help, I would of been unable to complete some very important tasks. It is people of Ranger Medina's caliber that create outstanding experiences for park visitors, and he is to be commended. read more

Go here a lot considering I live right down the road. I parked at the bathroom area to use the restroom when this happened. The two little dogs In my car hopped out for a couple seconds and when this happened my group was greeted with a very rude park ranger. He went on about how they were to be on a leash and in control which yes leashed areas I get the concept but they hopped out to pee They weren't bothering anyone. I didn't appreciate the tone or the way the reminder was worded. A simple "Could you put them on a leash please" would have been okay instead of a lecture in a condescending tone. read more

Awesome place for clamming. The beach is littered with a variety of clams: manila, cockel, varnish and butter. We came on 4/30 and there was probably a handful of people digging for clams. It's really super easy but just requires some hard labor. You'll need a shovel, hand rake and a bucket. That's it! Oh and of course your shellfish license. Limit is 40 per person. Check low tide before coming and we usually arrive 1 hr before the lowest levels to take advantage of the water not coming ashore. We limited out on 4 people within 75 mins. It was amazing!! The clams are super fresh and tasty. I prefer cooking the smaller varnish and Manila clams in their shell. For everything else, the size of the clam's intestines/gooey stuff kinda gross me out and it's hard to eat whole. So I usually clean each of those clams out and save the meat for another day. This is such a family friendly activity. I highly recommend it, especially here! read more

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passed by this state park before heading home and was amazed by its beauty. there is a scenic route in from blaine i-5 which one can take passing thru blaine then to birch bay then to ferndale... this route also passes by the birch bay campgrounds which i saw was really clean and well maintained. anyhow...why 3 stars? first off, the state park or ocean view picnic grounds had very old picnic table spread throughout the route, but only the main area had washrooms with running water. all the rest hd basically 2 rusty picnic tables and a fire pit. plus, there is absolutely no shelter of any kind from the sun. its a bring your own canopy/tent for a daytrip picnic. day pass is $10/ yearly is $30...a bit too steep in my opinion because of the lack of upkeep and facilities. the beach had a lot of moss and very rocky. water was warm when i went and the tide low..so you could walk for miles and take in the view. would only come to camp then go for a beach walk but never a day trip. cheers! read more

Birch Bay State Park - beach area - Parks Near Me - Blaine, Washington

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Birch Bay State Park has got to be the best place to camp and hang out on the beach. I have been going here for almost 15+ years and it has been a family tradition. Camping and crabbing have been the theme of our trips but over the years the crabbing has been replaced with hiking. You will have the regulars and the newcomers but no matter who you are this is a great place. I love walking into town where I visit the toy store as well as the candy shop where you can watch them make it :) I love camping anywhere but this place holds a special place in my heart and I will always be here on Labor Day. read more

Birch Bay State Park - Parks Near Me - Blaine, Washington

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We spent the weekend up at Birch Bay and had a great time. While the views are beautiful, the best part was looking through the tide pools at low tide. We found lots of crabs, fish, plants, shells, and ... wait for it ... a small octopus! A picture is attached. There are areas of the beach which are rocky, and areas which are sandy and muddy. The rock beach has the best tide pools, but the sandy areas are the best to dig in and look for clams. The kids were amazed by how far the tide moved between low and high tide. Outside of the beach, there isn't much around. There's a water slide park, but it wasn't opened for summer yet when we were there. A weekend is the perfect duration due to there not being much around. read more

Birch Bay State Park - Octopus! - Parks Near Me - Blaine, Washington

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I love Birch Bay! I am lucky enough to have a friend whose family has had a home right on the bay for years. Its a great place to vacation during the summer. Quite large crowds are found here during the summer months. This state park only allows visitors to park during the day and you must move up to the campgrounds if you stay here. There is also a $10 parking fee which is great for the local community. If you are lucky when the tide is out there is a lot of sea life to find. The public beach is well worn but if you have access to the private beaches more sea life is found. A bit of a walk down a few miles south on the beach is a blue heron sanctuary. read more

What can you say about the natural beauty of this friendly seaside park? It doesn't get much better than Birch Bay State Park! read more

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What a wonderful spot. Campsites were beautiful nestled in the trees. The water views are gorgeous. The facilities were clean and the people are nice. read more

Love it here. I also live here. I love to paddle board, go for a quick midnight dip, and pee here if I'm on a run. It's lit to dig for oysters and mussels here. Lit time. I'm vegan so sometimes I eat seaweed if I need a little snack when I'm out here. So lit. Very considerate of the ocean to provide for me like Mother Nature does best. Mmm. BUT FOR REALS. Fun for all ages. My mum and her friend sit out here for hours and talk smack about people and drink wine. I go out on my paddle board. My bro goes kayaking. SIDE NOTE: Don't rent paddle boards here. Those fools with charge you the mother lode for them. Enough to send yo kids to college. Good lord. Steal some rather than rent it. read more

This is a great place to relax in the afternoon. There's plenty of parking, restroom facilities, picnic tables, camping, and playground area. I go here solo sometimes just to enjoy the peace and quiet of an afternoon. Plenty of rocks, sea "things", and shells to discover. Don't forget to bring your Discovery Pass! You'll need it here. read more

I love BB. Just came back from a week long camping trip up there. It was so nice to be covered in the shades of the trees, we didn't realize how hot it was when we left the park. The beach is just a short walk down the hill from the campgrounds. The marsh is smelly of course, but the beach scene is nice especially @ sunset - beautiful! The park has plenty of tables for picnics. There's a basketball court on the upper side of the park and a large field by the playground next to a covered picnic area below across from the beach. The beach is rocky. The facilities are nice and clean. Showering at the beach is free, but not if you want hot water. The showers @ campgrounds are not free - $0.50 for 3 minutes and each quarter is 1.5 minutes (quarters only). Bathrooms in the campgrounds are nice and clean. The campgrounds themselves are great and the larger loop (70+) seem to have more privacy @ each site. Not so much in the first loop where the RVs are (on the right side when entering the park). There's a laundry mat next to the general store down the road. There's also an ice cream truck that usually comes through in the late afternoon/early evening. $3 ice cream chocolate bar was heavenly @ camp, but not at home lol. read more

This is a nice place to go if you want to chill and look at the scenery. The beach is covered with rocks, seaweed, clam shells and dead crabs. There are plenty of picnic tables and logs for you to sit on. It costs $10 for a one day pass and $30 for the year. There is more to explore here, so I will come back again. read more

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Beautiful place to camp! Old growth trees shade the camp sites, a short walk to the beach, and clean bathrooms. What more could you want? We stayed at site 18, and it was pretty good as it had the water-view and not far from the bathroom or beach. The only thing I didn't like is they don't separate the RVs from the tents. In a tent, we camped on the ground of forrest-floor (no pebbles, barely a twig on the ground, mostly dirt). I prefer the softer grass, but I can't stand the pebbles or uneven ground, which is why I give the 5-star: the ground was fairly even and softer dirt ground with shady trees. We went into town for meals and spent the day at the waterpark, so having a place to rest our heads at this campsite was perfect! read more

Very pleasant campground with lots of shady spots. You really have to seek out the ones with the most privacy, but there are some great ones. Bath/shower rooms for section with sites 1-40 is the best. Easy trail to the beach. Most respect the quiet hours. Camp store has almost everything (except the air pump we needed on a Sunday). Quick drive to small town of Blaine for restaurants, ice cream, bike rental and water park. read more

My family and I camped (lot 71) at this state park. From our camp ground, you can see the water (accessable also by a trail from our site or a 5 minute walk via the regular route). It would had been nice to have more privacy between other sites, but the people (mostly Canadians) were friendly and courteous. Sites were mostly in the shaded area and has that "forest" feel and stayed fairly cool. The fire pit was very good in size. I was disappointed we had to pay for warm water (shower/ .50/3 minutes) and rest rooms did not have hand soap. Other than these 2 minor whine, I like this state park a lot. It's well kept and clean (including the bathrooms). I also felt safe and the convenience store right before the state park entrance is very helpful and "convenient" as it has pretty much anything you'll need to camp (things you've forgotten to bring like seasonings, condiments, fire wood, etc). The locals were also very helpful and friendly. We will definitely go back! read more

As a family of avid shellfishers Birch Bay is one of our favorite places to enjoy a low tide. With a few miles of beach to combe it will be able to provide any outdoor activities you could be looking for. The parking is plentiful, granted peak summer weekends get full just like most starter parks. They have multiple public bathrooms that are maintained well. Their are public grills and fire pits to ensure your BBQ is a win. Being pet friendly is a plus too. I have been told that the campgrounds are really fun for a weekend getaway, just be sure to reserve your spot early in the year for the summer time. Throughout the year clamming is open. Their is a fair amount of razor and butter clams but they are on the small side. Towards the north end of the beach there are a lots of oysters that can be found on the surface when there is a zero or lower tide. TIP: Be sure your permit /licence is current as I have been check by the park Ranger many times. Though friendly will go out of their way to give you a ticket for braking the rules. Example, not shucking oysters and leaving the shells at the beach. Also a discover pass is required to park here. But towards the north end there is parking on the road outside of the park where you can still wall down to the. Beach Bring a lunch and make it a day! read more

Overall a great park. The beach is great. The campsites are nice, especially those near the beach. My main quibble is that at night, when the campsites quiet down, you can hear the oil refinery. It's sort of creepy and detracts from an otherwise cool park. Also weirdly there is no soap in the bathrooms - BYOSoap. Flat and paved - great for bikes/scooters. read more

It's not hike in camping, but drive up. Parking space, bathroom, showers that have low water flow, 3 min, 50c. Dirty. Sinks come with foam hand soap, paper towels. It's good for families. Not to be confused with safe. I heard someone had to chase down someone who took something. ... but that's just what I overheard on the camp ground, not that it happened to me. No camp fires allowed. read more

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Just driving by and decided to take in the beautiful scenery. We spend an hour there looking for shells and throwing rocks. Very relaxing time. There was nobody there but us. read more

I love living so close to a State Park! Birch Bay State Park is really Beautiful you get views of Canada and the Canadian mountains, and the San Juan Islands. You can walk along the beach and find seashells all over the place. They have a really nice restroom Building. And just recently added a great kids playground right next door. You can come here to camp at the campground or just for the day and have a picnic at one of the picnic tables on the beach. There is a neat little hiking trail in the park as well the Terrel Creek Marsh. And Just outside the park is point Whitehorn which is a great easy family-friendly hike as well. You need a Discover Pass to visit the park which cost $11.50 for the day or $35 for a whole year so it's a better deal to get the yearly pass it will pay for itself in just 3 visits. They have a few free state park days throughout the year as well where you don't need a discover pass to visit. read more

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So few places for families to go and just camp out. The beach and picnic area are wonderful, some with barbecue spots. The clamming is awesome and if you have kids that want to just run on the sand there is plenty of that when the tide is out. read more

High tide or low tide this is a great place to walk the beach. Nice new play are for the littles to climb around on.

What a beautiful gem nestled in this amazing setting. The trees are absolutely amazing. The camping spots are big a spaced apart nicely. Just a short walk to the beach with stunning views of the islands. A nice walk to town and you can enjoy ice cream and other yummy treats. read more

Great little park. Enjoy riding my bike through the large stand of deciduous tress, peaceful almost feels like you are in a large church. Many restrooms and picnic tables. Its a favorite spot for both our Canadian neighbors and fellow Washingtonians. Sit and enjoy the sunsets. It does not get any better then that. read more

Great park! We enjoyed camping in our site, fairly private and well maintained. The kids loved riding bikes around the park on the flat, paved trails. They also enjoyed riding into town where there are some cool little stores to visit and an outdoor book store. My only problem was the skunks. Come early evening the skunks came out of the culvert near our water tap and kept us away from there. They are quite bold as well, while sitting at the fire one night one came up within 6 feet of us. When we told the volunteer ranger about it she just brushed it off and didn't want to hear about it. During the day this place was awesome though! read more

This place is gorgeous! The families are well kept and the spots are good size. The layout allows for privacy and it's extremely short walk to the beach. No sewer hookup but there is a dump station on your way out. We had such a great time at this place and can't wait to come back. read more

Easy to walk on the shore line. Lots of herons to see.