Absolutely gorgeous! Requires a discovery pass ($30 for the year) but a great place to explore for a family. Amazing views of the bridge!

Absolutely love this park. Great beach views. It's clean and facilities are well maintained. read more

Deception Pass State Park - West Beach - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

Really nice area to take a little hike best! Nice clean restrooms and scenery is lovely! Thank you God, for all the forests! read more

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The best secret about Deception Pass is that it's a great place to visit on sunny Winter days. Not many people, so you get all those wonderful beaches, trails and views to yourself. Which means you'll see a lot more when beach combing. Come for a picnic and grill out in one of the shelters looking over the beach. read more

Deception Pass State Park - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

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Huge park with so many places to see & hike. The views are great. Several beach locations. If you're not afraid of heights, cross the bridge. You can also go under the bridge, but remember to get back up to the streets, you'll be climbing quite a bit of stairs read more

This park is gorgeous! It's got a bit of everything for everybody. Hiking, beachcombing, kite flying, bird watching, rock hounding, camping, etc. a photographers paradise. read more

I had my family in town last week and we decided to visit Deception Pass State Park for the first time after the Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon. We went along Route 20 and decided to park in a lot right after we passed the bridge. This was when Discover Pass came in handy. You either need to pay $10 for a daiy pass to park (or if you have Discover Pass for $30 and valid for 1 year, you can park there as well). We decided to take a short trail called West Beach down from the parking lot. It was relatively easy and with pretty scenery to look at. My family (who never lived in PNW) were amazed at how pretty the scenery was. The trail took us down to the beach that on the right side has a view of the bridge and on your left side, you have a view of the whole Puget Sound water. Luckily we were there on a weekday afternoon, so it wasn't crowded at all (there were just 15 people max (8 of them were us!). The area also had some tables to sit/set up a picnic. You can also walk along the beach (wasn't too much of a distance, but definitely more serene than what Alki Beach or Golden Gardens State Park have to offer). My 3.5 years old nephew had so much fun throwing the rocks into the water, seeing how far the rocks could go. Overall, the scenery was beautiful. It was a bit further away from Seattle and not many other things to see around the area. However, if you are already around that area (e.g. up north or already traveling from a nearby place like Mount Vernon like what we did), this is definitely a park you could make a 1-2 hours stop. The trail we took (West Beach trail) was just 0.9 miles and very doable. Our 3.5 years old nephew walked all the way down to the beach and back up the parking spot right after the bridge, all by himself. Beware that the place may get crowded on the weekend and in the summer though..so you may not get a serene feeling of a place like we did when we visited on a spring afternoon on a weekday. read more

There are no words you just have to see it for yourself. I think it's worth 100s of visits, and you can find petrified wood for days. This place is special. Respect it but make sure to visit. read more

Our very favorite Washington State Park. Been coming here for over 40 years. A diverse park with saltwater access, beach, freshwater lake, hiking, camping, fishing. Something for everybody. Most of the campsites afford you some privacy between your neighbors, bathrooms are well maintained and clean. Beware though if you are coming in a big rig. There are sites on the west side of the park that can accommodate 40' motor homes, but it is very time consuming getting to them and into them. You really need to be articulated. :) I would suggest for larger set ups that you reserve a spot in the east side campground. read more

Watch out for a particular ranger named Bryce Watkinson at this park. We stayed our first night here on 10/20/2019 after arriving around 10pm. The next day around noon (10/21/2019), we decided to go into town to get a few things. As we were leaving, we stopped at the front gate to pay our overnight fee, but the front office area was closed. So we turned around to go back to see if we could find a member of the park staff. We couldn't find a park employee, so we spoke with the resident camp host and asked what the proper procedure was for paying to stay the previous night as I had never stayed here before. He was very nice and explained that there are envelopes provided to leave cash or a check and a lock box to deposit the payment. So we drove back to the payment area, filled out the appropriate information, and left the payment in the enclosed envelope. We decided to stay another night or two so we returned later on the same afternoon (10/21/2019) after getting our things from town. We selected a full hookup space so that we could have the convenience of the provided water and electricity. On the morning of 10/22/2019, I was awakened by someone banging on the door of my camper. It was Bryce Watkinson, a park ranger along with another ranger. His first words to me were, "why are you moving campsites and not paying your fee?". I said that I had paid the fee and put it in the locked "fee" box. He asked me which one. I explained which one I had deposited the payment into and he told me that I was lying because he had checked that box himself and there wasn't an envelope from me in that box. He then started his interrogation style questioning insinuating that I hadn't paid and told me to show him which box I put it in. So I got dressed and walked down to the area where I had paid. He kept up his questioning and making up scenarios of how he knows I hadn't paid with his smug attitude and intimidation tactics. Another park ranger was called by the name of Nathan Anderson who I believe was his superior officer. Officer Anderson was very nice from the start, asking my side of what had happened so that we could get back to our day. While telling officer Anderson what had happened, Bryce walked over and said that the payment had been found and had been picked up previously by another park employee. There was no apology from Bryce regarding the mistake on their part or his insane accusations. All over a $30 overnight camp fee. Needless to say that I won't be returning to this park all because of Bryce's unstable demeanor. He was looking for a fight and is someone who lacks the communication skills and character required for a position in law enforcement of any kind. read more

Rest views and lots of options for views. It can be a little unsafe for some seniors, children, and others with mobility concerns if they go off the bridge to the hiking trails. The particular concern is under one bridge there is loose rocks and a steep fall just make sure to stay in the safe zone. The deeper hiking trails take you to a beach and a great trip under the canopy and an option to climb 200ft trees. read more

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Neat state park. The view was breathtaking from the west and east. Parked in the parking lot as soon as you cross the bridge. It was 10$ for a day. There are other locations to park as well inside the state park. Went for a hike along the shore. Thought the hike was a trail path in the woods near the shore, but it was just a hike along beach. Would recommend this place. read more

Deception Pass State Park - View hiking down from the parking lot by the bridge. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

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Deception Pass State Park is the starting point of the scenic isle roadway off the coastline of Washington. The towering bridge crossing gives you a wonderful view of Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands below. You can take photos from the edge of the bridge which is very scary or you can walk down steps to the beach and take photos looking up. Either way, the views are great! Deception Pass leads you to Oak Harbor, Coupeville, and a number of other small, quaint, Pacific Northwest island towns. read more

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I love Deception Pass! You can spend an entire day here without becoming bored. I've visited on several occasions and discovered new things. Parking is $10/day or $30/Discovery Pass. Either way, it's well worth the money. Hiking Beaches Camping Beautiful Sights Bathroom facilities read more

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Really loved this area. The scenic views of the ocean were spectacular. Only thing I was a bit EHH about was that the campsites are like pretty close to one another with little room for privacy from something like shrubs or trees. Other than that it's clean and loved that my dogs could go and enjoy it too! Lots of trails too! read more

Deception Pass State Park - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

Beautiful !! It's a great to go in a sunny day and being able to hike as well in a rainy day and being able to take all what Mother Nature has provided us for free!! One of the best serene places I've ever been!!! Totally worth going!! read more

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What a beautiful spot! My sister and I decided to stop here on our way back to Seattle. We parked in the parking lot, but downside, you have to pay to park. We decided to risk it as we were just stopping to take a few pictures... just FYI, they patrol this park. We were heading back to the car after only being in the park for about 5 mins when the patrol showed up. read more

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Large beaches, cold water, and trees. Lots of room for kiddos to run around. People walk on the bridge, which is very far up from the water. There are tour guide boats cruising around. This is a neat place to go on a date, weekend outing, or take the family to do something. read more

Deception Pass State Park - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

Don't camp at this park. It is directly in the landing pattern for the nearby Naval Air Station and the jets are insanely loud. Like camping on the deck of an aircraft carrier. We live in the flight path of SeaTac airport and I grew up just a few miles from Miramar Air Force base in San Diego. I can handle jet noise, but these jets are flying literally just a couple of hundred feet over your head (and they have to turn so their engines are aimed right at the campground when they pass) so the sound is deafening. The jets are practicing touch and go landings so when we were there there was one flying over every couple of minutes. We talked to the other campers and they said the jets had been flying continuously from 8am until 10pm at night. Listen: * I'm not mad at the Navy. If anything I'm grateful for the dangerous work they do and I know they need to practice landings. * I'm not mad at the park. It's a beautiful park, with well maintained trails and bathrooms. And they did specifically warn me there could be jet noise when I booked my campsite (just had no idea how loud it would be). It's a shame but it is what it is. Just trying to warn any other potential campers who might be doing their due diligence to choose another park. read more

The views from the bridge are breathtaking! Do the hike down to the beach. The views along the way are fantastic.

Deception Pass is one of my favorite day trips from Seattle. It takes just over an hour to get there, you can then drive down Whidbey Island stopping by the bunkers or any number of small towns and end the day with a ferry trip back to the mainland. Deception Pass itself offers a number of short (but moderately steep) hikes, a beautiful beach (including several secluded areas not usually crowded by people), a very tall bridge (not for the squeamish) and quite a few photo opportunities. Only downside is the $5 parking fee - but it goes to park maintenance so it's a good cause. read more

Deception Pass State Park - Picture taken from under the bridge at Deception Pass. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

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I am only giving this a 3 for a couple of reasons. I reserved a spot for our trailer 3 months in advance. We came 2 hours after checkin time and someone else was set up in our spot. They were told to go pick a spot, set up then register. We could have made them pack up and move but that's such a hassle. My friends had the same thing happen. Just a word of warning they don't honor their reservations. Also near a Navy base so Navy Jets flying overhead till midnight. Positives beautiful place on Puget Sound. read more

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It was beautiful. We spent three nights there. The campgrounds are well maintained. We would definitely camp there again

Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. Really busy on nice weekends.. make sure you do some hiking!

This is the best date I've been taken on and I'm not normally an outside person. The view was just spectacular. The water seemed intimidating and a bit scary but there's an area nearby where you can touch the water; it's clear and cold, yet beautiful and breathtaking. It's free for anyone to walk through and it's something to see if you love nature. read more

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The views were gorgeous, but not a huge fan of the park. Too many cars on the road and no room for bicycles. read more

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Hands down my favorite state park of the many I've been to in Washington. I'm also friends with the ranger so he's show us a lot of smaller, less trafficked spots in the area that I like to visit when I'm here. You need a Discover Pass to park here ($30 yearly or $10 for a day- splurge for the year, it's worth it!). The parking lots are almost always chock full so if you see a spot along the road, don't pass it up and just park there and walk a ways to where you're going. I don't what more to say about this place other than that it's beautiful! The pictures don't do it justice, so go here and see for yourself! read more

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It's a supremely majestic place to check out if you're in the area. Visiting family in Anacortes, this was our first stop in our sightseeing ventures. The trails were fairly easy, winding through the fern-lined forest of moss-covered trees. We walked the Goose Rock Summit trail, stopping frequently to look at things, and got up there in under 30 minutes. The summit was nice, but not as great as the view from the bridge. Signs all along the trail kept warning to not walk on the "balds," bedrock laid bare after the ice receded 11,000 years ago. It warned that careless steps on these areas could wipe out what little growth has managed to occur in that time. Of course, you get up to the summit and everyone's walking all over it, stepping over the wood perimeter, since the balds are right on the edge and the hikers all want to see the view from them. Back at the bridge, we saw a bald eagle flying under it, along the swift-moving current. Not sure if it was fishing, but it was beautiful to behold. If you want to avoid the $10 day pass, you can always park on the Fidalgo Island side and walk across the bridge. Do remember to use the underpasses, though. We kept seeing people trying to run across and try to jump the barriers and nearly getting taken out by 18-wheelers speeding down the way. Darwinism in action, folks. read more

Ranger was super friendly. Mentioned that all the profits stay in the park which helps with park maintenence. We got sour patch kids and reese's for the drive home. They have bug spray, firewood, chapstick, paper plates, and a bunch of helpful things. read more

200 reviews. It's amazing how much had happened whilst I wrote all the lines where I describe, relieve and revive the past year-and-a-half of my life. I've had the chance to experience with familiarity, involvement, participation and understanding. I've opened my eyes to different human behaviors, my nostrils to new and old aromas, my palate to a feast of flavors. And I've taken my time to write with purpose. For this milestone, I knew exactly what I wanted to write about. Yes, I chose this spellbinding, almost mystic place based on the bewitching beauty of the Pacific Northwest that adorns every inch of the area. But in my heart, Deception Pass is the most important place for me in the entire world. I think about it and get misty eyes. Here, my life companion, my love and the best and noblest man I've ever met, asked me to marry him. I have never felt such happiness or been more blessed: I got to meet The Dude. I have all I need in life to be happy. The day he got down on his knee, I was finally able to understand what my favorite American poet, Marvin Bell, felt when he wrote this beautiful poem to his wife: "To Dorothy You are not beautiful, exactly. You are beautiful, inexactly. You let a weed grow by the mulberry and a mulberry grow by the house. So close, in the personal quiet of a windy night, it brushes the wall and sweeps away the day till we sleep. A child said it, and it seemed true: "Things that are lost are all equal." But it isn't true. If I lost you, the air wouldn't move, nor the tree grow. Someone would pull the weed, my flower. The quiet wouldn't be yours. If I lost you, I'd have to ask the grass to let me sleep." I remember listening to Bell himself at a reading in Iowa City, and wishing with all my heart to be able, someday, to forward the poem to the one who would make me feel like that. I even asked Bell if he had to wait long to get to that point. He said "Don't think about it. It'll come to you, ma'am." Looking at the man who was asking me to share my life with him, in this place so close to both our hearts, I realized that love is, among all things in life, the best thing that has happened to me. Of course, I said yes. read more

Hands down, one of the best camping grounds/parks and places I ever visited. My girlfriend and I were looking for a spot to go camping in the beginning of September, and our friends recommended Deception Pass. We went online to their website and found a camping ground on a lower loop for 35$ a night + fees. The camping spot we got was unbelievably nice! The parking for a car right next to, place for a fire, trailer and just amazing spot in general. Beach area was very close, and the beach itself was a clean cool spot. In general, this is hands down one of the best camping spots in Pacific Northwest. Check it out! Great spot to come with friends or family! Will recommend and go again! read more

While other reviews tell you all about the cornucopia of natural beauty here at this park, I'd rather tell you about how I got owned by a 6-year old girl. Would it help if I told you that she's my niece? Okay, a little background on the beautiful park. About 2 hours north of Seattle proper, this remote park area has a narrow bridge that spans the gap to South Whidbey Island. Breathtaking is simply too understated a word to use. But, along with that, the bridge is very high, the winds are pretty strong, and you can walk across. Though, as Eric B's review points out, the railing is low, the path narrow, and the way down is long. Go look at the pictures and you'll see. Having visited my sister, brother-in-law, and their kids on my September vacation, they thought it would be a nice "together time" activity to go up to this park. Great idea, I thought. But, sitting in the jump seat at the back of a minivan for 2 hours made me rethink this. Next time, I'm insisting on the limo. Anyway, since my niece and nephew are used to the Washington terrain of hills, mountains, and valleys, they weren't fazed at all by the incline of the approach to the bridge. Or, to its wide open nature. Like two mountain goats, they practically bounded out of the minivan and skipped to the path's start. Meanwhile, Uncle Flatland [this is me] gingerly exited the van and crept a few feet before coming to a complete freeze. Niece comes back, grabs my hand, and says: "Come on, Uncle! We can walk across the bridge now." I shake my head violently, lean back with all of my weight, and say: "No way. I'm not going." So, me and my 50-pound niece are playing a tug-of-war on the side of the road while carloads pass by watching. I am not too proud to say that I did not go on that bridge footpath. After a bit, we all got back in the van, crossed the bridge, and went to the park beach, which was equally lovely. Not a French Riviera white sand beach but still a nice Pacific Northwest beach with mellow sunset. Campgrounds and cottages for rent are available, too. Call me crazy but I think my 6-year old niece is going to remember how Uncle Flatland was spooked by the high bridge. And, bring that story back up at the most embarrassing points in time - most likely in front of my future ex-husband. But, the park and bridge are still a gorgeous day activity. read more

Steven got an annual pass for Washington state parks and that pass was starting to burn a hole in our pockets. We went over here for a trip to Whidbey Island and decided to have our picnic lunch here. As it turns out this was our favorite part to the whole trip since we were not really all that impressed with anything else on the trip all that much. We picked to go on a weekend and of course the park was crowded but as it turned out it was not bad once you got parked to enjoy the park easily. After we chowed down on some delicious chicken sandwiches made at home with garden fresh tomatoes we decided to take a walk down to the beach. Pretty much like anywhere along the Puget Sound the view was beautiful and so enjoyable. Aside from the beach and boating docks there is a beautiful Northwest Native American statue telling native folk lore. I won't get into the details of the story but it reminded me very much of The Little Mermaid, very similar themes! On our way back to the parking lot there was a cute little open cabin where a family reunion was being held. They had everything decorated to perfection! Just before we got to our car there was a tiny little symphony playing music. At first we thought it was from a radio but it was not. Normally we don't like to go to places like this on the weekends because of the crowds but by going and being around other people added a perk or two to the experience! This park was definitely the highlight of our daytrip up here! read more

I have loved this place since I was a little girl when my mom would take me here on weekend road trips quite frequently in the summer. Hands down the best place to camp IMHO out of anywhere in WA. You are surrounded by incredible beauty between the towering century old trees, the inlet of the Ocean and Straight of Juan De Fuca, the Islands, perhaps a pod of whales if you are lucky, the bridge towering over sheer cliffs and the peaceful Cranberry Lake. The options to recharge peacefully or take in some entertainment and hiking are endless. The only downside to the park, or perhaps lack of luck on my end is that it rains pretty much every time I camp there. Yes, including this last weekend when our temperatures in Seattle were soaring in the 90's! Thus I highly recommend bringing lots of tarps or outdoor tents so you are covered. The weather here can be unpredictable. That and it has become quite popular so you'll need to make reservations far in advance, we made ours 6 months ago. It was worth it and we had a great spot, #155, large and private in the lower loop, a few minutes walk from the North Beach, West Beach and the lake. However the great part is that you can book online and there are pictures and descriptions of each of the sites so you can make an informed decision. There are also showers on the grounds of which can make everyone's stay a bit more enjoyable and funk free! They are also dog friendly however I must say that I found it extremely disappointing how many stray piles we found about. C'mon people, pick up after your pets so that we may continue to bring them along with us! No to mention keeping the habitat free from bacteria. Lastly, I must rant. Waking up at 6am to kids screaming at the top of their lungs is very inconsiderate! As one of our camping companions said, "I laid in my tent and thought of the day when I have children and of the speech when we go camping where I'll remind them that this is an experience for everyone to enjoy and nature is a place where we use our quiet voices." This instead of screaming, "I'm the king of the castle and you're a dirty rascal!", with sticks yeilded and whacking at at the beautiful vegetation and trees. I mean WTF people? Teach your kids to conserve nature and respect your fellow campers and the wildlife by keeping the noise level more tolerable will ya?!?! read more

It's our annual family campout destination. Deception Pass is great not perfect (what is?) but well worthy of 5 Stars. I'll focus more on the campsite than the actual park, although the park is very beautiful. This year they must have been doing some air force training or something (a US air base is its neighbor) because during the day there were constant places flying overhead and it would go to 11 p.m. on some nights (albeit with less frequency the later it got). It bothered some other campers we talked to but it didn't bother me - it's better than listening to crows squak in the morning, that's for sure. And yes, lot's of crows around. Which I've got a tip on if you read to the end. We have our favorite camp spots - which makes a difference - you've got to know which ones to choose - considering what the makeup of your group is.Our group had a lot of kids so it was great to be right across the street from the bathroom, and water tap, and just a short walk down the street to the beach. If you're going down on your own (group of 4 or less adults) spot 115 is prime. Nice and large, close to the water, with a good site layout. We take the best double campspot which can fit four cars and 4/5 tents. It's the best. Email me if you want to know the numbers. Sure Cranberry Lake gets to be a zoo with kids, but what the hell do you expect? It is what it is. We're always there around 10:30 a.m. to setup for our group and always get the best spot - people start to filter in from about 11:30 a.m. on. It's a stones throw from the ocean - which is cool, although we never go over to that side when we're enjoying the lake. It's a perfect place for kids, and I've head one guy make mention f the loud kids - I've never thought that was a problem. The campsite is pretty much a morgue once 11 p.m. hits and is pretty quiet after 10 p.m. TIPS - bring your own wood - it costs $6/bundle at the camp - it costs about $4.50 in town at the 7/11. You can get it for free by going down to the beach and gathering some drift wood - it's smoky, but it's free. - bring your own hand soap for the washrooms - they don't have soap at the sinks. - if you're going to shower, take at least 2 - 3 minute tokens in with you - showers are hit and miss - you might have cold water for half of one of your tokens. - if neighbors are partying late and piss you off with their incessant crap - and especially if you're going to leave the next morning - take a loaf of bread and spread it around their tents. The crows will be all over them. Squawking the morons into insanity. read more

Breathtaking. Serene. Rejuvenating. I promise I will be camping here once it's warmer. Maybe kayaking, too! read more

I've been here one other time just as a day trip, but this time around, I came here to camp on their campgrounds and I will say, I'm sad we didn't stay longer! First off, this place is just gorgeous all around. We've been to a couple of different spots between this trip and our previous one, and there's always a great view. I'm the type that loves to just soak everything in when you're in spots like this, and I could be here for hours. On to the campsite. I couldn't tell you the cost of our site, as it was reserved by someone else in our party, but I will say I ours was kept pretty neat. Granted, my husband and I have a fairly large tent, so it was a little difficult to accomadate it for our lot, but we made it work. Our site (#206, represent! :) ) was very close to the restrooms, which I noticed were very well kept. Besides the typical piece of toilet paper fallen on the ground, it was clean and there was also a shower which is nice if you've done a bit of swimming. The nice thing too is I don't feel this is a terribly far drive. Not too far, but it's far enough :) Definitely planning on coming back here! read more

One of my most favorite places in the world! The view from the bridge, either side, is nothing short of spectacular!!! Day trips here are recommended and it's a great starting point in checking out the rest of the longest island in America ~ Whidbey Island. Beautiful, serene, spiritual.....not enough words to describe the views. read more

This park is nice very scenic parking is a hassle. Unfortunately I didn't plan enough time to explore the park. read more

Deception Pass State Park - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

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Beautiful! Parking can be hard during peak season of course, but it's gorgeous! You can usually spot seals at the beach!