Today I present two quick trips out-of-town to the beach. So grab your bike, a pair of panniers, and a tent. Plus a few bucks for the bus and/or ferry.
1. Saltwater State Park
One of the closest state parks to Seattle, Saltwater has a handful of campsites and a nice beach in between Des Moines and Tacoma. Sites are spread amongst the trees, and aside from a few under an overpass all the sites are pretty quite given the proximity to seatac.
Depending on how much time you have, the park is either a commute bus to the sea-tac area and an 8 mile ride, or about 25 miles from anywhere in Seattle- an easy after-work ride.
The ride can be made on busy urban streets, car-free trails, or somewhat windy roads. Your choice. There’s a small camp concession that sells decent food, or you can just head a few miles into Des Moines’ cute downtown.
2. Fort Flagler State Park
A bit further, perfect for a longish weekend. A long ride, but a great bike+bus trip for under $15 in ferry fares and transit $. Campsites are often hard to come by, but there are two hiker-biker sites reserved for folks on foot or bike. Outrageous views, close proximity to Port Townsend, and flea-free sand bless the Marrowstone Island park.
To get to Fort Flager, take the Bainbridge Ferry from Seattle, hop on the Kitsap 7A bus, transfer in Poulsbo to Jefferson County Transit heading to Port Hadlock, and ride 10 miles from Port Hadlock.
Fort Flagler is an old military base and part of the “Triangle of Fire” surrounding Admiralty Inlet and the entrance to Puget Sound. Mountain-biking trails and a main road provide infrastructure in the park, which varies between concrete bunkers, dense forests, and grassy bluffs.
Have fun and take a night away from home.
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