There are two parking lots to this Park, one at the upper level and one at the lower level. 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. read more

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A fun historical place to hike, or kayak or paddle boarding, beautiful day for all the above ( definitely need to get a paddle board) shady trails with spectacular views of the mountains, both the Olympic and Cascade, along with peeks of Rainier. Easy fun trails, gave me some time to spend on the rocky beaches, listening to waves and taking in the relaxing smells of ocean salt water on the light breeze. A fun way to explore a little of the many hiking trails on the peninsula. Close enough to the ferry to hear the horns blowing during arrivals and departures. Exploring new adventures! Cheers! read more

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Fort Ward Park has a variety of hiking trails, walking paths, picnic tables, and beautiful scenery. If you're looking to get some exercise and wander through the woods, there are hiking paths with a few trail markers along the way. You can even hike down to a beach area. The trails are well-maintained but they do split at several points so be sure to map your desired trail and pay attention to the markers. Google Maps can provide a bit of assistance along the way too. I really enjoy the beautiful water and mountain views from this park. The woods are full of ferns and a variety of tree types, many with pretty moss on them. Parking can be found at several lots but each is a bit small so be prepared to find an alternative. read more

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We have friends who live on the island and have taken us to many spots over the years, but this spot is pretty special. You can do a loop trail that will take you up a strenuous hill and through the woods, or stroll (like we did with our puppies) along the water and gaze at the mountains of the Olympic national forest. They have restrooms, and a few picnic tables along the water. Bainbridge offers so many sweet spots to hang out at, but this one is a favorite. It's not a place you'd go if you've wanted a long hike, but pack a lunch and make it a combo like we did. Side-note: share the bath with the bikers. On a busy day parking can be a challenge. read more

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This was such a nice little park! It's amazing how many houses are nearby. We took the loop around the beach all the way to blakely harbor and back, it was about 4.5 miles with some wandering around. There is plenty of parking at all entrances, I can't imagine it being full, it seems to have more parking than trail. You do have to cross some roads, so if you're trying to be one with nature, it ain't really gonna work. But it's nice because you won't get lost! Alltrails says that it's aboit 500ft in elevation climb, the only climb was going up a steep path, then it's flat the rest of the way. read more

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Love love love this park! Campsites are amazing and it's a great family park. Exploring Fort Worden is such a fun adventure it's a family event for us yearly! I have to give a special shout out to the amazing park rangers for this years annual visit. We stayed for a long weekend and camped with friends. On our check out day , just one hour before our check out time we decided to do one last walk on the beach. While walking on the beach our friend had a medical emergency and had to be rushed to ER. We we're unable to check out on time and I immediately went to park rangers and explained we may have to stay an additional night.... They were so understanding and even though they had to move other campers to other spots they assured us it would be ok . Well we were able to eventually check out later that day and it was several hours past check out...... they actually refunded us the extra $$$ we had paid for not checking out on time. We love this place and the extra care the park rangers showed was amazing! read more

This is a great walking park. You are bordered on one side by a peaceful part of the Sound, and, on the other, by what appears to be a gazillion year-old almost-rain-forest, with many kinds of foliage and trees climbing the hillside. There is a trail that leads off this direction too. If you continue along the coastal part though, you have a beautiful view of the sunset in the evenings, with ferries coming in and out, and birds swooping down over the water. read more

Fort Ward Park - A beautiful place to walk - Parks Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

The waterfront here is ABSOLUTELY beautiful. You get a gorgeous view of the mountains, water and the best greenery the Pacific Northbest has to offer. I walked both the easy and medium trail from the main parking lot of the park with my 9 and 6 year old and they were both able to handle the terrain and slopes just fine. The medium trail from the parking lot does have a steep slope (albeit paved), but it was easy enough I could maneuver it wearing sandals. I wasn't aware of the terrain I would be walking when I RSVP'd for an event here or else I would have chosen different shoes! The trails and waterfront area are well kept and beautiful though and I would walk again it I flip flops if need be :) The reason for the 4 star review is there are multiple ways to access the waterfront portion of the park but it can be confusing (borderline difficult) if you aren't familiar with the area and don't have any helpful "locals" around to show you. read more

Fort Ward Park - Beautiful horizon! Perched upon the old wooden posts is a row of crows. - Parks Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

I'm truly disappointed in the poorly executed high-school-grade "satanic" graffiti on the bunkers at this park. Bad graffiti is an affront; there should be some equivalent to the Hippocratic Oath with defacing public (or, for that matter, private) property...maybe worded something like this, "Kindly do not make shit even uglier." Come on, my paint-spattered teen friends, and elevate your game. My sons did better work at three, holding crayons with their forehead. The lopsided pentagram is just embarrassing; don't be afraid to use a grid if you have to. Recommended viewing: Exit Through the Gift Shop. Now, go practice on cardboard. That said, Fort Ward gets incredibly high marks for its freakishly beautiful sunsets. Pink and gold ribbons stretch out across the horizon, fragmented and reproduced on the slight chop of grey evening waters while two ferries glide slowly past one another. The running trails, steep climbs that level off pretty quickly, are great fun if not exuberant, and the paved area at sea level is a pretty one to trot or bike down. This is lovely, but the problem with this park is that it's so...abbreviated. Just when you build up steam on the paved area it goes residential. The houses get the view, and you get to count mailboxes. Then, just as it picks up on the seawall again, and you're flanked by open waters, it...ends. It ends, right smack into some guy's house, with your only egress being either a reversal or a sketchy uphill battle called "Toe Jam Hill" buttonhooking to your left. Along the trail, brace yourself for friendliness. For anyone who's used to running in Seattle, it may drop your jaw to realize everyone you encounter will probably smile and say hi to you. Adjust your ipod volume accordingly! The trails up in the hills aren't QUITE so abruptly ending but you do need to backtrack or go across multiple trails to get a decent-sized run in. Also, it's certainly not Fort Ward's fault that I got insanely lost, apparently went off-trail, and ended up first in someone's lawn, then in a construction area festooned with angry and vaguely emergent NO! TRES! PASSING!!! signs, and finally in some swampy nettle-and-thorn bracken bowl where I ended up with poison ivy or some poxy thing or other all over whatever flesh I hadn't covered. I don't blame you, Fort Ward. Spare the rod, and all that. read more

What the HEEZY!?!? We wandered off the ferry like two lost marks. HAHAHAHA. We were greeted by a young and handsome bald cabby that convinced me that I just had to see this park. "It's beautiful and has lots of historical army bunker areas and hiking trails." he said. I don't hike!! But of course the kid wanted to see. So, baldy said he would take us there for 20 bucks and give us some great island facts along the way. Off we went... His facts were kinda useless. More about himself than the island. In fact, he said famous people lived on the island but he couldn't remember who. Luckily I did my research on wikipedia that morning and knew that such names as the Professor from Gilligan's island, Chris Kattan (SNL) and some band member from SoundGarden were some of the most famous to call it home. I know what you are thinking....big, big names! The ride was nice. Beautiful homes and all. The further and further we went into the island and seclusion, I wondered if the cabby was gonna take us to the forest and slash our throats, never to be seen again. One too many viewings of Jason movies I guess. Luckily, we ended up in the middle of a residential area where there were more people so I felt safe. Oh and some locals pointed out a beautiful home that was once owned and occupied by Kenny G! More big names here people.... The realllly cool thing is our cabbie waited while we did some quick exploring. We saw an area for salmon farming and the kid even saw some jumping out of the water. Then an old gun bunker where they used to protect the water hidden land mines in the 1800s. And finally, a small picnic area where you could hear the sea lions and take in the LOVELY clean, ocean air! If you are an outdoors type and like hiking...this is the place for you! For another 20 bux we had a nice scenic drive back to the town shops. read more

My 2 year old son, my husband, my dog, and I went to this park today... It was a drizzly, cold and gloomy day. Even with that, it was still an awesome and beautiful park! We had so much fun. The paved walking path was wide enough for walkers, bikers, dogs... everyone. The view and sound of the water was relaxing. There were separate little trails thru the trees that made this park fun to explore. No playground with swings, etc that I saw, but that didn't matter. My son had a blast. We will go back soon with a packed lunch and make use of the picnic tables they have. Best park I've been to maybe. :) read more

My rule of thumbs with state parks is that they have to be given credit where we don't give the credit due. In other words, state parks are usually shittier than city and national parks. (Although, these days, national parks are just shitteously upkept by the Bush. HAHA unkept bushes by the Bushes). Right. Back to the point. I ended up at this beachfront property by accident. I saw the signs while driving aimlessly on the highway, and took a turn in the rain to the site. Although the weather lacked credibility, there were still campus and parkers abode. Right as we drove into the parking lot, my friend goes "aww! look at those two chairs" .. as if the most romantic environment was created by Mohammad and placed on this beach... sitting there were two empty wooden, beach-lounge chairs pivoted 30-degrees into each other and facing the open beach. Waves crashing, clouds moving, raindrops fallin' on my head. It was cute. I was also pleased with the greenery-to-beach ratio of DRAMATIC. As a kid, these quick changes in scenery are awesome. I also found the camp sites to be enormously cute for a family getaway! Somewhat private, but not wholly secluded. Those latter types lead to insecurity and wilderness vulnerability. Beautiful place. I might just plan a summer camping trip to here! read more

I hiked the easy trail in a 45 minute period just before dusk. The trail was easy. I would have liked to wonder off of the path. I also wanted to hike the medium trail. Perhaps I will next time. This place has adequate restroom facilities. read more

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This place is beautiful and so peaceful. We parked by the boat drop and played on the beach before walking down the path for a mile or so with the little ones. They have some old WWI memorial along the way which was cool to see. Plus it looks like they have places to camp at. It is a very peaceful area and we loved it. We will be back. read more

Was a decent place to sit and relax, roam a bit. Not very crowded. A short walk along tje trail, took us to the bunkers from the world war 2 era. Though I heard these didn't ever get ised, it was interesting to look at how welll built they were and overall structure. The park did have some tables and good seating area. Also, the parking was close by, so not much of a walk if one chooses too. Though there is a trail for trail lovers. read more

This beautiful park deserves 5 stars. The trail is right along the beach. If you choose, you can go on the beach to relax and enjoy the peaceful view of the water. The kids had a good walk and fun on the beach. read more

Fort Ward Park - Parks Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

This isn't the best park in the world, but its a great place to relax on the beach, take a nap on the grass, go for a jog or ride a bike. I had a friend who lived at the entrance to the park growing up. We always had a great time exploring all the old WWII bunkers that are being eaten up by the forest. The free boat launch gives great access to puget sound for fishing, scuba diving (I really recommend going around here) or just plain old fun. So if you are ever on the rock and want a nice little park to pass some time or suck back a few cold ones, Ft. Ward is a nice little park. read more

This is THE park for bike riding with kids on Bainbridge Island! A huge paved stretch of road. No car access and a clear view of your child no matter how fast they zoom off! Enjoy the beach and the forts at the end of the path. This is a great place to tucker out the little ones with endless energy!! Also, a great summer spot ;) read more

I hate this park. If you have kids, it is a major pain to get to any nice parts of the park. There is a sliver of rocky beach. We've never made it any further because my kid gets tired. Go to Faye Bainbridge instead. read more

This is a good park for being close to home...but if you want to see some crazy bunkers, don't bother. Just go to Fort Worden in Port Townsend instead. read more

park was kinna boring :( not much to see and enjoy. it's good for bike ride or if you're just runing arand. there should be some attraction for kids read more