My wife and I went camping here last weekend and Oh My Gosh was it beautiful!! I'm still adjusting to how populated camping in WA is, so put the campsite neighbors and noise aside this was a great spot! (It wasn't too noisy, and people respected quieter night hours). The beach is a quick 5-8 minute walk from the campground, depending on where your spot is. And there's also plenty of hiking paths around the peninsula! I think we clocked in at 1.5 miles, but it's kind of steep in parts. My favorite part about the campsite was the tree cover. There was always shade throughout the day, which kept the temp cooler. It also lightly rained for several hours Saturday afternoon and then again over night, but with all the trees our picnic table stayed mostly dry and our tent didn't get too soaked! Overall, very beautiful park and campground. I want to come back and experience this place again read more

See all

Spent one night here recently. The winter (upper) loop was pretty good, not massive spaces but way bigger than some with decent privacy on certain sites. We walked through the lower loop on our way back from the trail...closed for the season, but it looked even better, sites seemed bigger and more private overall. Beautiful trees and shade throughout. We took the battery and interpretive trails, nothing fantastic but still enjoyable with some nice bay views and little critters along the way. We ran into the campground host once who was very friendly and helpful. The day use area was good, with a large picnic building and lots of parking. Overall a nice, quiet stay and well-kept grounds. read more

See all

A quiet and serene park for an afternoon picnic and nature walk/hike. There is a good amount of parking for day use. Lots of tables and benches for lunch, picnics, or parties. I wouldn't say there is a lot of waterfront area to walk from what I saw, but there is a nice piece of waterfront with a beautiful view. Find your spot and enjoy! There is also a few pathways and trails to walk. My husband and I took the main one as you're in the picnic area and it takes you through the trees and you can see the water peep through on your left. I didn't use the bathrooms while I was visiting this time around so I can't speak to cleanliness, but they do at least have a standard bathroom that's easy to find. There are a few historical buildings and sights to see. Some I've pictured, but there are others you have to adventure the park to find. It's definitely worth the trip if you're into historical buildings and military structures. read more

See all

Employees were helpful and nice. Camp is beautiful. Hot showers available. I will definitely be back

Cute, quiet state park. It's an 8 mile, mostly flat bike ride from the Southworth Ferry so it would be good for a bike-packing trip, or, as we did, a day trip. Not very crowded, even on a nice Sunday at noon. Has a beach that's a bit mucky but good for exploring. Nice wide and flat trails - saw quite a few older people enjoying the stroll. Very clean bathrooms, and although we didn't camp there the campsites looked nice enough. read more

Manchester State Park - View from the trail. - Parks Near Me - Port Orchard, Washington

See all

Great park for camping. Lots of sites, but not too close so you'd still have some privacy. Love that showers are free.

Nice area with beautiful and distinguishable landmarks. I've seen the building during a wedding, birthday and graduation photo shoot. Good spot for walking the dog or just looking for crabs with kids. read more

See all

Sooooo quiet here. We get a kick out of calling in the owls in the forest. Great place to recharge. read more

Manchester State Park - Our oasis on wheels. - Parks Near Me - Port Orchard, Washington

See all

Very clean, smaller state park in the Port Orchard area. Daily parking pass, or yearly pass required for entry. Plenty of hiking trails, beach access, tent and RV camping. A RV dump station is available at the exit. read more

Manchester State Park - Beach - Parks Near Me - Port Orchard, Washington

Have always loved Manchester but it has turned into the homeless get away. Stayed the week of 6/28/20-7/3/2020 and one group was in the day use for 4 days till I asked a 12 yr old(he looked that) ranger if that was legal and he said he had no knowledge of people staying there and would contact someone else. Then, a group in a car pulled up to the biking/hiking sites at 9:30 and unloaded their car and moved into those sites. I contacted the hosts which just came on site today... they contacted rangers who Came out and said , I have the authority to let some one stay for one night after 6pm to stay in a site even if it was not what the site was meant for .... such as sell the handicap site.... yet they had no record of these people staying there until he got their information right then at 10:12pm. Shady people have moved in here and no one is monitoring them. read more

Check in for the campsite was super easy. We stayed in a partial basic site #7, which was a back in with water and electric. It had a bit more privacy than the pricier pull through partial popular sites, so we were pleased. The road through the campground is a bit narrow and people at pull through sites didn't always have their vehicles completely off the road making it a bit tight getting by. There is firewood available from the camp host, we found it to be priced fairly compared to what we saw in town. The bathrooms are clean however they were having issues with hot water at the time of our stay. Freezing cold showers are no fun. We never used all the tokens we bought as we didn't want to pay for cold showers. The overall atmosphere of the campground is good. Lots of families and a few groups. A few campers looked a bit run down and one just kept moving from site to site. My husband was walking dogs one morning and saw a gentlemen who appeared to be relieving himself on a fence near the road instead of in the bathroom just a few sites away. For the most part it was quiet and people were friendly. We explored the park one afternoon. Never found the beach it claims to have. We did see rocky areas so not sure if that's what they meant. There a several hiking trails which our dogs enjoyed exploring. If we are ever heading back to the Kitsap Peninsula, we would consider staying here again. Just wished they would have had laundry facilities. read more

Manchester State Park - Site 7 - Parks Near Me - Port Orchard, Washington

See all

Manchester State Park is kind of tucked away back in Port Orchard. It's down a side road that you could easily miss if you're not paying attention to the directions. There is a farm on the corner which has camels. That's right, there are CAMELS in PORT ORCHARD! How cool is that!?! Ok, maybe I get too excited and it's not really part of the park, but it's awesome. I have never been in the camping areas, so I can't really comment on those, except for the fact they exist. The main area of the park has some old buildings along it, which are pretty cool. If you walk back a bit too you can find an old fort. There are lots of picnic benches and BBQ areas here. They have bathrooms and a few different hiking trials. The park is situated right on the water front so you can get some great views and enjoy one of the many rocky beaches in WA. I've been here a few times, but on the first kind of sunny day of 2011 the park wasn't too crowded which was nice. read more

See all

This park is actually quite nice. Since it's a state park, of course you need to have the Discovery Pass or pay to park. There is massive amounts of parking in multiple lots so there shouldn't be a problem with finding a spot. There are plenty of trails and camping grounds and the beach access is so unimpeded and open. They have barbeque spots and as you may see from the photos places to take wedding photos. It's perfect for kids or to take a walk or go fishing or set crab pots or do a family reunion or cookouts. Read the signs though about all the warnings. No metal detectors. See list of fines in one of the photos. It's super quiet out here so plenty of space and air to enjoy without some silly goose yappin. read more

We visit The park often and have nothing but great things to say about the park staff and facilities. A really beautiful destination, offering hiking, camping and beach access. read more

Manchester State Park - Parks Near Me - Port Orchard, Washington

This is a Washington State Park near Port Orchard, a quaint little town to visit. Remember to bring your discover pass or buy one there. We did not camp there but went to hike the trails. There a couple different trails, one is called the "interpretive trail" that has been left untouched for 100 years and has signs for different plants/trees. The other trails meander through an old war battery and torpedo warehouse (underwater mines). In the 1900's "middle point" now known as Manchester state park, was created to protect the Bremerton Navy Yard with a minefield in the water. There are restrooms by the torpedo warehouse. The views of the water with ferries passing by are truly relaxing. read more

See all

Park staff are rude. Makes a nice family day end on a bad note. Trails are short so it's not really much of a hike. Lots of poison oak - some has warning signs, some doesn't. There are historic structures which are neat, but you can find similar elsewhere. Camping is far from the water. Which is probably ok since the beach is rocks and seaweed. I wouldn't make a trip out just for this - and I hope park staff can be re-trained to be more polite. Because of this I'm not donating to state parks when my tab renewal comes this year - my tax dollars don't need to treat me like crap. read more

We visited today haven't been here in years, and it's just as pretty as ever. Trash free, dog friendly, neat trials so mamas you can carry your kids or walk with them . Not stroller friendly. Amazing view of the water and ferry going through. Calm quaint little area . Definitely spent the afternoon here there are many walking trails , just didn't go on all them. Make sure you have a Discover Pass ! read more

I really hate to give any Washington State Park less than 5 stars, especially one as beautiful as Manchester, but their poor choice of staff leaves me no choice. On more than one occasion I've been treated rudely by park rangers here. Most recently I was working in the area and wanted to make a quick stop to use the restroom and stretch my legs. Ranger at the booth (in a very snotty tone): "there's a ten dollar entrance fee if you want to go into the park". This is *partly* correct: Washington State Parks now require a $10 per vehicle day use fee or a $30 annual Discover Pass (which I do have, but it wasn't in my possession at that time). The WA State Parks ALSO allow 15 minute FREE parking for exactly the purpose that I was here. Anyway, I didn't argue with her because I could tell from her attitude that it was pointless, and besides I had had other bad experiences with the staff here in the past. I've also had a few great experiences during the off season when I didn't run in to any surly or overzealous employees, and I would say it's a great place to spend a few minutes or hours anytime but the summer. read more

Great park for camping if you just want to hang at your camp site. Located just outside of Port Orchard and Manchester, this campground is close to amenities if needed and far enough to feel off the beaten path. The campsites vary in size. There are spots for backpacker's, tents, trailers, RV's, small groups, and a large group site. Reservation are a must so plan ahead or keep your eye on the website for openings. We got lucky and got a last minute spot after someone canceled. The spots are close together but there is enough underbrush to obscure the view of your neighbors. Kids can be heard playing around the park, which is good if you are a parent and like the youngster's to feel independent but still monitored. There is electricity and water at the spots and comes in handy. The bathrooms are close to all campsites, are well maintained, and have a shower. Bring your own hand soap to wash up as there isn't any available. There are a couple of hiking trails that are pretty easy to navigate. We brought our bikes and were disappointed that there weren't many nearby trails. The beach at the park isn't great. It was full of stinky seaweed and dead jellyfish. Off the hiking path there is a better beach, but it isn't easy to get to. Despite some dissatisfaction with some aspects of the park, it's still ok. I recommend it if you want a close place to get away for the weekend. There were a lot of folks there and it felt very safe. Given the many other places to camp, we will likely go somewhere else next time. read more

I'm trying to convince a friend and her boyfriend that moving out to the peninsula isn't a bad idea, and in doing so, I've decided to woo her one state park at a time (playing up to her love of nature - which north Seattle lacks a bit of!). We popped in to Manchester today to see what we could see, and to take advantage of the free entrance weekend in celebration of Veteran's Day. There was practically no one else around when we arrived, which was nice for the peace and quiet. The shoreline is really neat. I mean, it's not any better than any other shoreline in a state park, but the amount of sea life we found was fantastic! Lion's Mane jellies and Moon jellies, and even a little shrimpy type guy. Bald eagles were soaring above us en masse and it was just such a wonderful morning on probably one of the last beautiful days before the onslaught of late fall/early winter weather. Truth be told, after plodding around in the seaweed and rocks, we left for lunch, so we didn't get to explore the rest of the park. Definitely a must when we return. One fun highlight are the bactrian and dromedary camels located around the corner from the park over on Leighton Road. We missed the turn in to the park and our minds were blown as to why exactly a farm had camels out here. There's even a little informational sign on the fence on Leighton Road. Just remember if you go that way that it's someone's home and they don't want anyone feeding or pestering the camels. Be respectful of their area, but definitely go take a peek if you want to be able to say you saw some camels in the flesh. read more

Here for a wedding. It's fine. It's better than it's 2 1/2 star average if for no other reason than its historical significance. This has some old buildings that have been gutted and are now open for public use. They were formerly used for storing (sea) mines and torpedos back when there was a thought that the Puget Sound needed to be defended from foreign invaders (apparently just after the turn of the century (the last one not this one). You can still see the tracks that were used to transport the weapons from the structure down to the water. Pretty cool. It's also right on the water (obviously, I suppose, given its historical context), which is pretty. A-OK. read more

Love this park. Lots of neat trails and the views are amazing!! You can see the ferry boats while walking the trails. A great place to picnic. Also great for family pictures!! read more

Just got back from camping there. The park is pretty clean and the bathrooms are nice, but the park rangers are fuckers. If you make so much as a peep past 10pm they'll be crawling up your ass. It almost turned into a joke after the third night. We eventually got so tired of them coming by that we started calling out the countdown to 10pm. "OKAY EVERYONE ITS 9:55!!! FIVE MINUTES UNTIL BEDTIME!!" Theres only one private and secluded campsite in the whole place, and its right next to the rangers site. They drive around every five minutes to make sure nobody is having fun, creeping by real slow and eyeing your campsite. We went there during the biggest burn ban weve ever had, and everyone there had a campfire going but i guess forest fires arent as important as us playing cards and laughing too much. read more

We have been camping here for many years now. It was always such a nice local place to camp at. It has now become a greedy money making joke. My Dad came to bring me and the kids some more firewood on Friday. They tried hard to charge him $10 to drive to our camp site! He kindly refused. We had already paid $54 dollars for a non hook up site- 2 nights. Even that seemed high- especially for non season camping. So then Saturday my mom and stop brother stopped by to bring more firewood and some milk. They charged my mom $10 and my brother in law $10 (each in their own car) to stop and see us for less than an hour. The rangers say one thing and then do another. I complained about an annoying barking dog. They said they will have a ranger stop at the camp site with the dog. Never did. I about died when I went to use the restroom. They must have used 50/50 bleach mix. It was toxic and very noxious. I opened the doors and windows. The ranger said she would wash it down- never did. I also mentioned I was concerned I had see no signs of life at the camping spot across from us the entire weekend we were there. The ranger asked if there were any lights on at night- I said no. The rangers did nothing to investigate it if all was ok. I even buy start park plates to help out. The rangers knew this as well. Yet- they are all greedy pigs just like the entire state with their fee's, permits and BS. Sad that the state has to destroy good ol family camping too. CHANGE YOUR POLICY MANCHESTER- STOP RIPPING PEOPLE OFF. read more

I have never been camping here, but my wife and I go to the park frequently. There are a few nice trails and a couple of different spots along the water that have amazing views. On a sunny day, it is nice to sit on a bench by the water and watch the ferry go by. read more

Great family camping spot. The only reason I gave it only 4 stars and not 5 is because the actual campsites are not ON the water, it is a short walk but a walk on a street, would be better if a trail led to the water. But overall wonderful! read more

Drove 3000 miles across the country to see family and friends. Stayed at Manchester for eight days and had Ranger Dick in our back pockets the whole time. The beach was disgusting. My grandson stepped in some muck and lost his shoes. Turns out it wasn't just muck. It was obviously sewer and cleaning him up was beyond gross. I ended up just throwing away his pants, socks, and shoes! Friends and family were coming and going to visit and the state park system made a mint off entrance fees during our stay. Even if my 83 year old mother was just coming in to drop something off they hassled her (gave her a citation) for not parking in an "approved" location for less than 10 minutes. He told everyone who came in the evening that they needed to leave at "dusk" when the park closes at 10:00. He told us we could not leave or return to the park after 10:00 which made it very difficult to spend time with people we had not seen in years at their homes or our camp site. He intruded into our space for no reason just to "make sure" our dogs were on a leash. (They were. ) If I wanted to stay with my mother I would have. We were not being noisy or disruptive and no one made any complaints about us (we asked). Should have stayed at Walmart. Not being able to have a camp fire was another downer but we understand the reason for that although our site was very damp and full of mosquitoes, and the wet blanket who kept dropping by would have taken care of any possibility of a fire mishap. Oh, and I'm having a hard time posting this because Internet reception is practically nonexistent. read more

I camped here for two nights with 4 adults and 8 kids. We had sites #21 and #22 which is a multiple site. It was great. Beautiful, lots of trees for privacy, good level ground for tents. We fit 5 tents at our site. There was still lots of room for our kids to run and play too. We were close to the bathrooms which had a token shower and was extremely clean although it didn't have hand soap. There was plenty of little trails to walk along and a beautiful little beach area. The park map said there was swimming but it's the puget sound so it was a rocky, seaweed covered beach and the water was ice cold. We were there on a weeknight so the place wasn't packed and the few campers around us all observed the quiet hours. It rained on the second night all through the night but we had so much tree coverage that our tents didn't get that wet and one of picnic tables was totally dry. My kids got a kick out of all of the chipmunks that kept running around. I will definitely come back to this park. read more

Great camp grounds we musta missed something cause hiking was dirt roads and can't enjoy any water fun it's toxic it says on the Sign and i went anyway cause they rent kayaks and I sunk ankle deep into soft oil mush read more

I have a park pass so, I visit the park rain or shine year round to walk my two German Shepherds ( Dogs must be on leash otherwise there is a 87.00 fine). The park has a nice trail above the water . At the end of the trail is a hefty flight of stairs that open into a field area. Today a park ranger was in he truck at the field. He got out and came within 30 feet of me and said "you know dogs have to be on leash through out the whole park" I showed him that my dogs who were in a sit stay we're indeed on leashes that were attached to my wrist. He said"they are for now". So this ranger ASSUMED I was going to let them off leash and decided to get on my case for doing NOTHING WRONG! So enjoy the park. Stay away from the ranger. He is rude. read more

This is a beautiful state park. Super clean! Friendly staff! Lots of trails and things to do. Lots of families and activities for young kids. Safe and fun! Would recommend to anyone with small children. Beach access is minutes from the camping sites! read more

THE WORST PARK RANGERS/CAMP GROUND RANGERS EVER and b/c of them OUR CAMP TRIP WAS RUINED!!!!! The staff there are absolutely ridiculous and anal about noise level and parking when we are not even loud or parked inappropriately. They came exactly at 10pm to tell us to be quiet b/c its "quiet hours" and we complied. They came every 10minutes checking up on us and giving us warnings b/c they can hear us but when asked if our neighbor campers complained, they said no. We honestly were not obnoxious or loud and we were very considerate of our neighbors but we were the only ones having a bond fire so the rangers kept stopping by. They even told us after 3 warnings they're kicking us out as a threat rather than being informative. They're even more strict and anal than a father not letting his daughter go out. Absolutely ridiculous and will never ever come there again and will never ever recommend about this place. Our trip was for 3 days 2 night but b/c of their unpleasant attitudes and their unwelcoming that us campers are their for a good & relax time that we left the next morning and didn't even bother to ask for a refund. The area is clean but with lots of mosquitos but b/c of the rangers, we couldn't enjoy our trip or the camp site. Also bathroom does not have any soap whateversover, gross! read more