My four-year-old daughter and I LOVED Fort Ebey State Park. We went on a sunny August day and had the best afternoon. Coming from out of state, we easily purchased a $10 Discovery Pass day ticket and parked in the lot. Using our flashlight on our phone, we explored the actual fort, built during World War II as a coastal defense. The fort is preserved well and you can go inside all the rooms and tunnels. There are also trails along cliffs lined with meadows and forests, offering beautiful views of the water. There are public restrooms near the parking lot. read more

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Ebey's Landing is a great place to start exploring Whidbey Island because this is where Colonel Isaac N.Ebey started his exploration of the island and also died here during a revenge killing. He died at the hand of Hatain native men. He was the first non native resident of the island. Today it is a great place to enjoy a picnic, stroll the beach, skip rocks, explore whatever is brought out by the tides, and just have a great time. read more

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My kids were fascinated by this place, part of the "Triangle of Death" that was built to protect Puget Sound during WWII. There are the remains of gun turrets (the guns were scrapped long ago) and spooky bunkers. Freezing cold even on a hot summer day. Unfortunately this visit triggered hours and hours of discussion about World War II with a second grader during the rest of our trip through Washington. We tried our hand at fishing in Lake Pondilla, but no luck. We also enjoyed playing on the beach and hopping along the driftwood, looking for crabs. The area where the bunkers are located is an open bluff with views towards Port Townsend. There were some nice trails connecting the beach and the bluffs. read more

Fort Ebey State Park - Parks Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

I have gone camping here at least once a year every year for the past five years. I live in Seattle so it's a nice 2-3 hour drive, depending on the ferry back up. We went this past weekend and it was absolutely stunning weather. The views from the trails and the Fort itself are gorgeous. Lots of wide open space. A big beach with pebbles and driftwood to explore. Attached to the Kettles Trails which is a lot of winding trails in an interesting forest. A nice tour of Fort Ebey by entertaining rangers, too. The campsite itself is nice - bigger sites than a lot of State Park campsites. We usually stay in the walk in area which affords a bit more privacy, depending on your neighbors. Reserve ahead of time because the sites fill up quickly. If it's raining, which, of course, it often is, there's a lot of tree cover so you don't get completely soaked. Nice little commute into Coupeville too if you've forgotten your marshmellows - on the way home we like to go to Whidbey Pies and a winery or two. My only complaint with this campsite has to do with the other campers. We had five or six people walk directly through our campsite in the course of the day when we were there, setting our dogs off. We also saw multiple people with unleashed dogs wandering through the campground - I don't care how friendly Bingo is - we, our dogs, or kids, might not want to meet him. If campers used a bit more consideration at this site it would be a way better place. read more

Gorgeous. Stunning. Quiet. Perfect. It's hard to decide what to see on Whidbey Island. There's parks everywhere, and the island is actually rather large. We got views of the mountains, climbed in an old (and kind of creepy) bunker, and climbed rocky hills. Definitely make Ft. Ebey a stop on your Whidbey Island tour. read more

Fort Ebey is a fun little stop on the way down or up Whidbey Island. There are two big holes where there used to be gun turrets from World War II. The range on the guns was rather short, and the turrets became useless once enemy ships had guns with a larger range. These are kind of cool, but the best part of the place is the cement bunker embedded into the mountain side. It is pitch dark in there, and thus absolutely spooky! We walked with only our cell phone to light the way and the kids screamed constantly! I really felt like we were somewhere where we shouldn't have been allowed. Maybe we were, and it is normally locked, who knows! There is a beach which is pretty cool simply because it's filled with tons of driftwood (see pic). Drive a few blocks north from the turrets to find it. You have to hike down to it, but you are rewarded by a gorgeous view and you will probably have the beach all to yourself. read more

Fort Ebey State Park - Lots O' Wood - Parks Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

This is a beautiful park with amazing views of Juan de Fuca. Highly recommend the bluff trail. Plan to spend at least two hours here. If you have more time 3-4 hours. You need to get a pass for parking which is $10 for a day pass and can be used at the other parks on the island too or $30 for an annual pass which allows you to park/enter any Washington state park. This is a great place to visit and should probably be #1 on places to visit on Whidbey. Visit the park and plan to have your lunch or dinner in Coupeville to get fresh and inexpensive mussels from penn cove. I would love to spend a weekend camping in this wonderful park. read more

Fort Ebey State Park - View of Juan de Fuca from the bluff trail - Parks Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

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Great camping spot! They have a beach (sand and rocks), a lake, picnic areas, and lots of trails (walking and bike). We have seen around 8 deer already and hiked 2 trails. The beach has a great view of the mountains. It was very quiet and peaceful last night. We slept great! The ranger office sells firewood, water, t-shirts, and more. Great find!!! read more

Fort Ebey State Park - Parks Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

My husband and I originally wanted to stay at Fort Casey because he camped there a lot as a child. It was full so we ended up at Fort Ebey. We didn't do a lot of exploring but there are a lot of campsites, a good number of hookup sites, clean restrooms and the staff was very friendly. It was clean and quiet. There were a lot of trails which we were unable to explore but it was due to lack of time. It's a quick drive to the ferry where we took our bikes across to Port Townsend. It's also very close to Coupeville so if you forgot something, you could stop by the local store. The ocean view from the gun battery was BEAUTIFUL. We plan on going again in the future and hiking the trails. Hopefully after our next visit my rating will remain 4 stars! read more

Amazing! Just breathtakingly beautiful! And not a ton of tourists so we were able to really enjoy! read more

Fort Ebey State Park - Parks Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

We had a small family gathering here in June 2015. This park was amazing. Great views, not very crowded, BBQ grills at most picnic spots, restrooms, water. The old bunkers were pretty cool to explore. Overall just a really great place to take the family for a few hours. We'll be back. read more

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Excellent weekend campground and hiking trip! Our party of 4 - 1 almost senior adult and 3 young adults (daughter, friend of daughter's, and nephew visiting from out of state) had reserved a tent spot for Saturday night. We took the ferry over to Whidbey Island and it was an easy and beautiful drive to the campground. When we got there, we signed in, found our spot, and were confused and somewhat bewildered to find a tent already set up in our spot. We knew they were full, so we went back to the ranger's office to ask if maybe there was a mix-up or problem...what should we do? Turns out the tent was set up earlier that day and the campers signed in without reservation - and no payment could be found. Because it was an awkward situation for us to be in, the ranger and the camp hosts sent us to another spot that they hold in reserve for situations like this. This spot was fantastic! Private and secluded with trees, yet with an open meadow behind us that gave us beautiful morning sunshine. The burn ban had been lifted so we were able to enjoy a nice campfire. Firewood can be purchased onsite from the wonderful, caring onsite hosts. We had an awesome time. The hike to the beach is worth the effort. (It was my nephew's first time on an ocean beach - very special!). The place is historic too. The gun bunker is a fun and cool place to explore. Even though the campground was full, it didn't seem overcrowded. A real gem for both tourists and locals. read more

My friends and I went here on a road trip. It was absolutely amazing. We hiked around some of the trails. We went near the beach/shore area. It was a nice sunny day so it was amazing scenery all around. This is a great place to walk around and check out with family. I would certainly return here again. read more

Great park. We camped there from Aug. 28-31. Great weather, lots of trails for hiking and breathtaking views of the Straight of Juan de fuca. Would come back for sure!!! read more

Fort Ebey State Park is by far the best park Whidbey Island has to offer. It is a haven for surfers and paragliders during the winter months. And, a hot stop for tourists during the summer months. With numerous winding trails along the coast line and some historical bluffs, this park is a must see for all visiting and a best kept secret for many islanders. read more

Wife and I stopped here and explored the beach and the Fort. Be sure to take a flashlight and explore the underground bunker.

My friends and I recently came here for an overnight camping trip to celebrate my birthday. It was such an awesome park! There are so many trails to explore and things to see and do. The park was very private and woodsy. You couldn't see or hear your neighbors which was awesome. We stayed in sight number 45? I believe and it was close to the trail that over looks the bay. My friends are born and raised LA girls and have never seen such beauty. I definitely will be back! read more

Fort Ebey State Park - Bunker at Fort Ebey. - Parks Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

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Excellent spot for a day trip, especially with kids: short trails, great views of the Olympics and San Juan Islands and plenty of spots for a picnic or sand castle. read more

Great place to take a walk. The recommend early or make sure your crew is ready for a little walk.

Another cool place that a lot of people don't really know about. great trails for walking or bikes. they have free grills and tables right by the water. The views of the ocean is well worth it. Enjoy. read more

Right among my favorite places on the island. If you're going south from the pass, keep an eye for the right turn- if coming north from a ferry, keep an eye for the left turn. It's easy to miss. Take your left before you make it out to the grilling site by the beach at the end of your first turn towards the park- can't remember that street name right now but it's either Coronado or right by Coronado. Or go out to that grill site- it nice, as well. You have to wind back into the park on the small road. I say all this because it's likely you'll lose all cell service out here. You need a Discover Pass or a $10 day pass. Favorite place to run on the island is the Bluff Trail. I recommend starting at the beach and going from there. If you're a trail runner, while it's only a few miles, it's so dramatic you'll appreciate it- winding through massive evergreens then out to sheer cliffs overlooking Juan de Fuca. The goat trails are "off limits" and marked as such, and they have washed out considerably, but might still be worth it to the adventurous at your own risk. The old gun station is creepy and dark but worth checking out for some history. You're likely to see a bald eagle or two and a lot of snow capped mountains on a clear day- Olympics and Cascades. The wind is usually high, so you might see some people gliding out there. read more