Twanoh

Twanoh State Park features some of the warmest saltwater swimming in Washington State. This is because of its location on one of the more sheltered parts of Hood Canal. Swimmers, kayakers, and shellfishers will appreciate the temperature that nears 60°F in the summer, which can still be chilly but is comparatively warmer than other Puget Sound waters. As you wander the beach, look for shorebirds and the crabs, mussels, and sea creatures making homes in tidepools. In the evenings, make your way back to the forested campground at Twanoh, which has a distinctly rustic feeling. It features several picnic shelters and structures built in the 1930s by young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps providing for their families during the Great Depression. If you need some peace and quiet, hit the trail on the south side of the park that cuts through towering Douglas fir and western red cedars dripping with lush moss. The name Twanoh comes from the Native American Twana tribes, or the Skykomish, who are the original inhabitants of this land. “Twanoh” refers to the entire Hood Canal watershed.