Once again, my wandering car, prompted by my usual “I wonder where that road goes,” led me to an unexpected bonus. Heading down Hwy 104 toward the Hood Canal Bridge, I turned down Shine Road. It’s a lovely drive along the edge of the Hood Canal, though it’s all residential, with some narrow spots. Not for speeding by any stretch of the imagination!
And then I saw the sign — Hicks Beach County Park. Well, I had to investigate. It’s a small park with the usual pebbles and driftwood Pacific Northwest beach. There’s limited parking (I’d guess about 15 cars, if they all park cooperatively), a small boat ramp, a picnic area and a vault toilet that I imagine gets a bit odiferous on hot summer days.
Even on an overcast, chilly Fall day, it’s a pretty spot.
Hood Canal views no matter which way you look.
The boat ramp is not useable for larger boats or at low tide.
You can barely make out the Hood Canal Bridge hiding behind the trees on the left. The beach has private tidelands on each side, clearly marked with signs.
Pebbles, waves, fall colors, this small beach is quite pretty!
