Every year I try to come here in the spring and stay in the retreat house for a few nights. It has…read morebecome a special thing for me to do, and I even drive here from Oregon to do it. The retreat house itself is perfect for those doing meditation and Buddhist practices. Every day I can walk in the woods, to the pond, and visit all the special places here, like the driftwood ley line sculpture or the fen pond. Every year things are a little different and there are new things to see and explore in addition to visiting "old friends" like the various stone circles. You can also come just for a brief walk or long walk, there are multiple parking lots. I recommend a change of shoes and socks if your footwear is not water proof.

Plan. Plan. Plan…read more The Earth Sanctuary is a fantastic retreat of walking paths, stone circles, places to sit, think, draw, meditate, remember, and much more. It's only $7 to spend as much daylight as you want while there. You can power walk your way through, but you'll miss the nature and time for self-reflection and teachable moments. Decide why you are going there, even if it is your first exploration. You could spend a whole day by the water writing, drawing, and doing things that fill your soul. Plan to do that. If you have younglings, decide what teaching about Nature you'd like to do. The trails are natural, and this is a place to take it slow for those with mobility challenges. I strongly suggest developing a theme of why you are going and using that as a guideline for a great day. There are porta potties by the parking sites. Bring your water and snacks if you must, but mind the wildlife who get sick from your leaving. A rule of thumb is to take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.

Beautiful space, cannot wait to wander it some more on my next trip. Great spot for people who want…read moresome quiet and serene nature

Meerkerk Gardens was surprisingly massive and absolutely beautiful. There was so much to explore,…read moreand the gardens were peaceful and well worth the visit. I really enjoyed it.

Nothing like walking along the beaches of the PNW and seeing otters, seals, and eagles. Beautiful…read moreviews across the Sound to Seattle, Everett and the gorgeous mountain ranges on a clear day. There's the beach entry and then the wood trail from the south. Both are easily accessible but the beach has more parking. I'm still awaiting the day we walk and there's orcas swimming by with some humpbacks.

I love this park and lighthouse! The view is amazing of the mountains and of Puget Sound and if you…read moreare here at the right time you can see the big cargo ships making slow, gradual turns further into Puget Sound as they are heading to the ports of the larger cities off from the Sound like Seattle or Tacoma. It's also quite peaceful and just a great place to chill out. The beach is pebbly but it's still beautiful. In fact it may be even more beautiful because it is pebbly. I don't know if it's still there but there was a structure made out of wood probably a few beach combers made and it was cool to take a peek inside there too. Anyway I love Puget Sound and have seen it from all kinds of different angles but I think this spot is one of my favorites if not my favorite at the top of the list. The lighthouse is cute, a nice white painted building with red roof. Not terribly tall or towery like some lighthouses but beautifully maintained regardless. Definitely a stop to make if you enjoy lighthouses and absorbing the water and nature of Puget Sound.

Fort Worden is the quintessential WSP (Washington State Parks) experience. Set on an old military…read morefort, it features historic buildings, batteries, beaches, outdoor spaces, trails, and campgrounds for visitors of all ages. I hadn't been here in decades, but recently visited for a few fun days of glamping in the ol' RV. Sadly, despite securing a coveted campsite reservation 9 months ahead, we weren't able to book at the uber-appealing beachside campground; but we found the upper forest campground area just fine. The park itself is vast, clean, and well-staffed. It would be great for a day visit of exploring the beaches; but was also fun for a multi-day visit where we were able to ride our bikes around the park (and also, once, all the way to town!). We also enjoyed beers a couple of times at their on-site restaurant, Taps at the Guardhouse. And ate lunch along the water another day at their casual burger joint. If you're camping, they only take reservations (no walk-ins), and as long as you keep your camping receipt visible in your car, you don't need a Discover Pass during your visit. If visiting for the day, however, a Discover Pass is required. There's plenty of parking, and lots to do (including visiting a beautiful lighthouse). For less crowded beaches, their north beach area was a fun treat. We'll definitely be looking to book campsites at Fort Worden again!

Steve and I returned to Fort Worden State Park after coming here for the first time several years…read moreago. We came here with a relative who recently moved here and it was wonderful to walk around and talk along the beach... visit and catch up as we strolled up towards the lighthouse. It is spring so it was windy and a bit cold but with enough layers we were pretty comfortable on our short walk. Such a beautiful state park and definitely a "must" to visit while in Port Townsend!

Great place to take your kids. New special playground and a skate park as well. There's a small…read moretrail system, which is great for little ones to get them into nature. Only downside is no view of the water.

The south Whidbey park and recreation district takes extremely well care of the facility's they are…read morebeautiful every time I'm here, and while the youngster is at practice for 2 hours there's awesome trails to hike through the woods if you choose. I value the care and beauty here we're pretty lucky and if you choose to stay and watch practice the other littles can exert all there energy on the fabulous play ground in line to see everything going on at once pretty cool

Nice and quiet sculpture forest, very tranquil and beautiful. The sculptures are very nice and a…read morefew are surprising. This is a nice place to bring the family. We came during tourist season and it was not overrun by people, there were plenty of parking spaces available.

An unusual sculpture garden and trail combined into one…read more I enjoyed the walk and the artwork along the trail. The trees, ferns and green growing things along the path were all so beautiful. Seeing the artwork and easy link to via the QR codes to the biography of the artist made it all the more interesting. It is a 40 minute bicycle ride the Ferry land to/from Port Townsend. Easy trip by car.

Great park with beautiful scenery and different routes to choose from. It was quite peaceful other…read morethan the sound of cars driving by when you're parallel to the road. The sound of the creek made up for it and was a nice surprise. The paths were enclosed with trees in some areas and open in others. One side you get views of the ocean and the other side is solely Forrest views. Both are beautiful and a sight to see.

We stopped by recently while roaming the island. We made a loop by taking the Ridge Loop trail to…read moreFern Gulley, around to check out the ancient cedar, into the old campground and back to the parking lot via the Forest Discovery trail. The trails were narrow and a bit muddy, but in good condition overall. The ridge section was okay, but we really enjoyed the scenery as we dropped into Fern Gulley...every shade of green, very pretty. The ancient cedar was a beautiful sight. Great views of the mountains and water from the short Discovery trail. And I always enjoy wandering through campgrounds being reclaimed by Mother Nature. A fun stop-off as we headed up to Deception Pass. Maybe not epic, but certainly an enjoyable trail system.

A national preserve well worth preserving…read more Stunning views of the Olympic Peninsula, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Cascade Mountains. Easily spend the day just marveling the views. This hike can be visited multiple times and never gets old. Time it right ~ when the tide is out the lower beach section is a beauty on its own. Careful to watch the tide coming back in otherwise a very difficult hike back for many. Pup friendly and please pick up after your pooch. *Parking is very limited so come early.

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve was really nice. The scenery was beautiful and it was a…read morepeaceful place to walk around and enjoy the views. I'm glad I stopped by.

This is a really pretty park right along the water. They have play areas for kids, walking paths,…read moreflowers, a dog park, and really nice houses in the surrounding neighborhood. If I lived here, I'd be in this park often.

This is a medium-sized park with gardens, a gazebo, a trail down to the ocean, playground, picnic…read moretables, BBQ's, firepit and a kitchen shelter. Big lawn for relaxing or get togethers. My friend and I walked around to enjoy the flowers and take a walk to the beach. I was not fit for the trek down to the beach though, so my friend went and reported it's really beautiful. There were swallows flying at a crazy fast speed and zooming around us. Felt like Snow White. There are bathrooms here that are the standard expected for a park, but the one I was in didn't have a light at all so I'd avoid it after dark.