Fort Townsend Historical State Park has all but returned to nature. Other than a World War II era munitions tower, no structures from the fort remain. What it does have is 417 acres, 6.5 miles of wooded trails, and secluded campsites, only 3 miles from Port Townsend. 

Towering redwood cedar trees surround the trails throughout the grounds.

No, this is not a B-grade horror movie set, just tree stumps, moss, ferns and spiderwebs along the trail.

The bluff trail at Fort Townsend features some spectacular views of Port Townsend Bay. You can see the Coast Guard munitions loading station on Indian Island in the distance.

The bluff trail was a delight to walk on this warm and sunny afternoon. The trees kept me from getting too sunburned.

Madrona trees along the Fort Townsend bluff trail.

Fort Townsend was built in 1856 as an Army post designed to protect early settlers when the city of Port Townsend was the port of entry for the whole Puget Sound region. In 1859, troops were sent from the fort to assist in the San Juan Island boundary dispute between the United Kingdom and the US,  known as “The Pig War.” (There were no fatalities, except for the pig, whose death tiggered the whole thing.)  The fort  reopened in 1874, but a fire in 1895  – started by an exploding kerosene lamp – destroyed the barracks. The fort was decommissioned but was used during World War II as an enemy munitions defusing station. In 1953 it was turned over to the State Parks Commission.

There is a short historic/interpretive trail along the Parade Lawn and former Officers Row, with plaques and old photos marking the sites of the buildings of the fort.

One of the 15 markers along the historical trail.

The bricks by the sign are all that remains of the Commanding Officer’s Quarters, or of any structure of the fort.

Looking down the Parade Lawn.

The cemetery is long gone, all the bodies reinterred at the Presidio in San Francisco.

The Friends Barn, a replica of the fort’s stable, is available to host events.

You can walk through the mostly empty brick Torpedo Tower (or X-ray Tower) built during World War II as a US Navy Explosives Lab. Per the information sign:

“Enemy submarine torpedoes and sea mines were brought here to be disassembled. A large two-million volt x-ray machine was utilized to detect the exact position of the detonation fuse. Ten inches of steel could be penetrated by the high powered machine. The facility was also used to check ships’ propeller shafts for cracks or weak areas.

After the war, the laboratory was decommissioned and the x-ray machine was sent to Bremerton Naval Shipyard.”

Since none of the buildings at Fort Townsend survive, I found these historical photos in the University of Washington’s Special Collections Archive.

Barracks at Fort Townsend circa 1885 (University of Washington Archive)

Interior of barracks at Fort Townsend, circa 1885.(University of Washington Archive)

Guard House at Fort Townsend, circa 1885.(University of Washington Archive)

Buildings at Fort Townsend, circa 1860.(University of Washington Archive)

Trail map

Things to keep in mind:

• Open year round for day use. Campgrounds closed Oct. 1 – April 15. The water supply in the day-use area is turned off for the winter season. The restroom is open year-round.
• 40 reservable standard campsites, four hiker / biker campsites that are first come, first served. The park has one dump station, two restrooms and one shower. No RV hookups.
• Boat moorage buoys lying one mile south of Glenn Cove on the west side of Port Townsend Bay. The nearest launch ramps are at Port Townsend, Fort Flagler, and Hadlock. Fees apply.
• Discover Pass required

Links of Interest:

• Fort Townsend Historical State Park website
• The History of Fort Townsend, 1925. (PDF)

Location:

1370 Old Fort Townsend Road, Port Townsend, WA 98368