There are many fancier parks around, and if you're looking for nice grass then forget about this one, but if you're looking for an un-crowded, relaxing escape without a lot of kids (I don't see many here) then this might be a park for you.
The view is gorgeous. I don't think there's a more beautiful "ocean" view anywhere on Whidbey. It's wide open and sweeping with Admiralty Inlet to the south where the Olympic Peninsula and it's majestic mountains erupt out of the inlet. The Straight of Juan De Fuca is due west and is wide open to the Pacific 100 miles further west. Vancouver Island is way off in the distance and floats like a questionable specter, and the San Juan's dot the water to the north.
What's that thing about a mile off shore? Is that a submarine? No, it's a submarine shaped island of course! The hatch is a little house, the periscopes are microwave towers. There's some type of bunker on it, and the entire island only has one, lonely, tree (that's dead) with what look like big, huge vultures perching on it. (I think they're bald eagles) But it sure looks like a submarine!
Sunsets are gorgeous here.
There are a few picnic tables on the upper slope and at the beach, which is about 50' lower in elevation than the parking lot. There's also a bench and a wide, easy trail to the beach. They all afford gorgeous views.
The beach is long and narrow with a lot of driftwood and there's a cabana above the log jam with a desiccated patch of grass that might be good for beach volley ball - but wear shoes or get stickers in your feet.
There are also some nice hiking trails through the trees.
It's a good place to get away from everyone. I've never seen it crowded. It's also pretty cool, weather wise I mean. We went there a few days ago to escape the heat in Bothell. When we left Bothell it was 89, it was 72 at Joseph Whidbey, we arrived at about 2pm. So, as my granny used to say, "always bring a sweater!". read more