Bay View

Views of the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountains never disappoint, and you’re sure to get plenty on clear days at Bay View State Park. Bay View is a 66-acre camping park located on Padilla Bay on the Puget Sound. Choose from standard campsites or cabins nestled amongst the trees, and enjoy plenty of beach activities during your stay. When tides are low, beachcombing and birding are popular. This park is also known for light breezes that pick up off the water, which often makes for ideal kite-flying and windsurfing in the afternoons.

Around a half mile from the park lies the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is one of only five similar protected estuaries in the western U.S. You can join the scientists, students, and other curious visitors to learn about the unique habitat of the estuary including eelgrass beds and tidal marshes, and the animals like sea stars, urchins, and herons that call it home. The Breazeale Interpretive Center also includes a free aquarium and exhibits.