We love spending some time at the Fay Bainbridge park anytime we are on Bainbridge Island. We were…read morein Bainbridge Island recently and spent some time after lunch at the park. There's a lot of space and a play area for kids. We love walking along the shore, having to climb around driftwood. It was lovely watching the sky change colors as the sun set.

Tent sites are nice but camper sites are close together. The beach has to much drift wood for my…read morecomfort. You have to step over so much of it to get to the beach. The sand surrounding the beach is full of sticker plants and I was picking stickers from my dogs paws so he couldn't enjoy the beach area. The cabins only have beds. They don't have kitchens so you'll need to bring your own cooking source or cook on the fire pit. I had one day left when the grounds keeper came through with a leaf blower. Mind you the area where he was blowing was dirt and gravel. I didn't think much of it till he came around a third time and at that point I felt he was doing it on purpose so I packed up and left the campground. It is not a place I will recommend nor go to again. Some people love the spot but I've been to better places.

Manitou Beach Park is a pocket viewpoint on Bainbridge Island. It is great that local residents…read moreallow access to view the Seattle skyline. Just remember to drive slowly (20-25 mph range) as the main arterial greatly narrows. Caution should be exercised as there are both pedestrians and cyclists present. (7/7/18)

Delightful little public access spot on one of the beloved stretches of the Bainbridge Island…read moreshoreline. Just three or four public parking spots across the street from a short board walk. Wonderful view of the City of Seattle skyline and the peak of Mt. Rainier. A wonderful place to observe a sunrise or a moonlit evening.

Fort Ward Park was a nice place to visit. It was peaceful, scenic, and a great spot to walk around…read moreand enjoy the outdoors. I enjoyed my time there and would visit again.

There are two parking lots to this Park, one at the upper level and one at the lower level…read more I usually drive south from Lynwood Center along Pleasant Beach Drive NE and park at the lower level. Here you directly accesses a put-in for recreational boats and kayaks. The long, flat, paved trail is waterside and goes from the (lower) parking area to the erstwhile army cabins of this U.S. military installation. It is a pleasant waterside walk, which is incredibly hard to find on Bainbridge Island as every inch of it is cordoned off with hostile "Private Beach" signage of the rich who believe they can fortress themselves away... I enjoyed this walk because it was one place on the island to have wide open views (otherwise you are claustrophobic covered in trees). Across the water is a spit of land in Bremerton (the residential part) and further to the western horizons are the Olympic mountains. Periodically the Seattle to Bremerton ferry (or reverse direction) plies the channel closer to the Bremerton side. Then the quiet water channel will see some surging mini-waves. I love watching the seals playing in the water. A remnant set of wood pilings in the water makes for a stunning perch for a gaggle of cormorants...aquatic fowl with elegant necks that are bendy like ballerinas. Bird watching here is superb. I've seen great ducks on the rocks at the sea-kelp and sea-lettuce strewn water's edge. Other than the barnacle rocks on the beach, the main trail of this park is ideal for those with limited mobility. The upper parking lot has a steep trail down to the water, and it is not recommended for people with mobility issues (nor on slippery wet and icy days). All in all one of the best water access points on this otherwise rather tightly locked-away island.

Please note that Discovery Park Visitor Center is closed until Summer 2027 so I feel like this…read morereview is somewhat incomplete. However, this park is so amazing I think I can rate it 5/5 stars without needing to visit the visitor center! Discovery Park is Seattle's largest park and has amazing views of the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. You can head down to the tidal beaches to look at sea critters if you time it during a very low tide, or visit any time to hike and admire the forest, cross the open meadows, and listen to the streams crisscrossing the park. There's even a lighthouse! During summer season, there's a free shuttle bus Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to help you get around the park, as it's so large some people might be put off by the distances needed to walk around the various points of interest.

The trail is paved and only muddy in some spots, some elevation gain but not too bad…read more The park is crowded but it's a large space so there's plenty of spots for picnics or a walk/trail run. Service is spotty here so I would download a map or pick up a map .

This is a charming little public green space. A few parking spots are available on the side of the…read moreroad at the trailhead. The path winds down a forested area that is lush and shaded. Moss and mushrooms sprout everywhere and the elbows of trees have fuzzy ferns growing out of them. At the bottom of the slope the trail forks and has a short option to the left that goes down to the rocky beach. From the beach you can see the ferries coming in from Seattle. Going back up to the fork, the trail to the right goes over some marshy low areas before spitting out alongside a short stretch of road, and finally to a small pier overlooking the water. It isn't a large park but it makes for a nice walk with people who don't have the interest or stamina for a full hike. From the ferry leaving Bainbridge it is fun to look back to the shore. You can tell where Hawley Cove Park is because it it is the stretch of beach that has been left wild and green sandwiched between houses on either side.

Peaceful beach park that, as described, is pretty rocky - peaceful, definitely need a car, scenic…read moredrive from the ferry terminal

It can get pretty crowded, although it's to be expected to a place this gorgeous. Who doesn't like…read morethe beach? When I visited, there were cyclists, roller skaters, people flying kites, numerous dog-walkers and even a pair out walking their pet goats!? Totally amazing atmosphere. On clear days, there are great views of Seattle and surrounding mountains. On lucky days, you can spot orca whales! Keep an eye out especially during the fall and winter, or if you're particularly committed, there are several social media groups dedicated to posting about whale sightings. You might just want to bring along a pair of binoculars whenever you visit...just in case. There's street parking that's a close stroll to the beach, and one public washroom that I could find.

Amazing sunsets, bunch of restaurants across the street, well maintained, and restrooms close by…read more Wish there were more fire pits as it gets cooler really quickly right after sunset.

Field trip! It doesn't get much more beautiful. It felt other-worldly, serene, inspiring and so…read morelush. Clear water, very cool specimens to explore. It was the perfect way to to kick off the school year.

Stayed for a weekend camping visit! Loved how secluded it felt while still being relatively close…read moreto town. Driving distance from plenty of restaurants and stores. Walk to the water was a bit long and hilly- being tennis shoes! Once there it was a gorgeous view!

I had a lovely time kayaking with Exotic Aquatics Scuba and Kayaking yesterday, 6/26/23. The…read moreweather was wonderful and the course they have you take around Eagle Harbor is beautiful with calm, easy-to-paddle waters. Their kayaks are also an upgrade from the typical ocean kayaks at most rental spots and make for a smooth, fast paddle. The rental process was smooth and easy and I was able to get on the water with no hassles. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys kayaking (or even just wants to try it out)!

We went for the 4 hour Blakely Rocks Picnic Paddle trip and really enjoyed ourselves. The PNW…read morereally is nature's playground - we experienced some beautiful views, saw some wildlife and really worked up an appetite! Although I had a fantastic time, I was hesitant to give 5 stars because the staff were very friendly, however didn't make me feel particularly safe. I've spent some time as a hiking guide up in Denali Alaska, so I suppose I may be a bit biased, but when I choose to go out on a trip with a guide, it's because I would like for them to share expertise and keep me safe; both of which fell a bit short for me on this particular trip. I also recognize it was very early in the season, so some of the staff were training and brand new. However, the whole experience felt a bit unorganized, honestly, and like we were just being rushed in and out. Luckily I am a decently experienced kayaker and it's so hard to have a horrible time out on the water with gorgeous weather and good company!

This is a cool park to check out if you're on Bainbridge. On one side there is a small parking lot…read morethat leads to a larger trail. My husband and I decided to cross over the road on the smaller paths toward the water. It takes you through some trees and seems a bit confusing if you're not familiar with the area. It's worth it, because there are some neat viewing spots along the path that overlook the water (it's a cove like bay so the water was receded when we were there and it was mostly mud). There is an old mill building, I think, that has a bunch of graffiti art. It makes for an awesome photo shoot if you're looking for something like that. There is a cute little bridge you cross over for the rest of the trail. There are bathrooms at different points of the park, unfortunately the one was closed for maintenance when we walked through (and needed it of course). The signage is pretty good once you make it to the trail.

It's so graffitied but it still looks really cool! There's an old pallet to help get up. You can…read moredefintiely tell people have been here doing some things. We did a hike from Fort ward Park to here. Neat that it's small enough to hike a few miles. Appreciate the historical information too! This is a nice short little hike with some lake views. Tons of mansion like houses across the lake.