Lower Oak Bay Park

There are two sections to this small, tucked away campground on the edge of the Salish Sea, one in the forested area and another out on the beach spit. We camped along the spit, and had an amazing time. And even in the final days of summer, it was a lovely temperature to hang out for the week and we even got to see the Northern Lights one night!  One extra clear days, you can see Mt Rainier directly across the bay.  That incredible sight just never gets old.

The nearby towns of Port Townsend, Port Hadlock and Chimicum have most of the things you might be looking for in terms of groceries, eateries, and entertainment.  Definitely put Finn River Farm & Cidery on your must-do list while you are here.  So much fun...great food, great cider, fun atmosphere, live music!

The sites down on the spit are first-come first-served, with 4 tightly packed together near the single vault toilet and fresh water tap, with several more further down the spit.  The sites all had a grassy spot, picnic table and fire ring.  As this is also a county park, there’s lots of vehicle and walking traffic but it is all deserted by sundown. It’s very quiet at night unless you have some rowdy neighbors, but we rarely had neighbors except on the weekend nights.  Met some nice locals who come to camp on weekends.

Across the canal there’s a naval armory which plays the National Anthem at 8 am and Taps at 8 pm, so enjoy that nice touch. We had great solar accessibility and phone service as well as an unobstructed view for satellite internet. Up in the forested campground (Upper Oak Bay) there is less solar access, and a lot more trees, but feel more like a campground.

This is a great tide pooling and bird watching area, with great opportunities to put the kayaks, or paddle boards in the water for a short trip. While street walking is easy here, situated in a residential area, more significant hiking is a drive away. We went to Fort Worden State Historic Park to get in some miles- lot’s of history there. Olympic National Park is also within an hour’s drive. Road cycling is pretty good in the area, but be aware of the narrow lanes and heavy traffic. We bounced over to Marrowstone Island to get away from traffic and have a wander by bike.