Located about 15 miles west of Port Angeles, this state park has something for just about everybody — camping, hiking, picnicking, play park, tide pools, stunning views, and military history! And best of all, there’s no entry or day use fee (though there is a fee for overnight camping).
From the Salt Creek side of the park (the lower left boundary in the map), you can walk along the creek, wiggle your toes in the sandy beach, build a fort with the drift wood, and enjoy the view. One of these days, I’m going to collect up some bull kelp that is often washed up on the shore (particularly after a storm), and try my hand at making bull kelp pickles.
From the northern end of the park, is the campground, with stunning scenic viewpoints. On a clear day you can see Victoria, British Columbia across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The campground is easily walkable, with play areas, restroom facilities, picnic areas, drinkable water (though it’s limited October through April when the park gets winterized).
Stairs from the outlooks give access to amazing tide pools at low tide. But be warned, the stairs are pretty steep (though not too may steps), and lead down to rocks that you have to walk over to get to the tide pools.
History fascinates me. It’s a vast collection of stories about people, places and events, and who doesn’t love a good story? So when I heard that Salt Creek park encompasses Camp Hayden, a World War II coastal artillery installation, I had to go check it out. There are still numerous bunkers and fortified gun emplacements to explore.
Built as part of the Puget Sound Harbor Defense and named after Brigadier General John L. Hayden, Camp Hayden was active for only 7 short years, 1940-1947. It concealed two heavily camouflaged, bomb-proofed two-gun batteries: one six-inch installation 2,000 feet up Striped Peak and a 16-inch battery on Tongue Point. The guns were test-fired only once. The bunkers housed 45-foot long guns and protected the entrance to Puget Sound, the Victoria, British Columbia harbor, and the Canadian naval base at Esquimalt. You can drive through the encasement at Tongue Point, and the other can be reached via the trail to Striped Peak. Depending on the route you take (direct or loop), the trail to Striped Peak is between 1 and 5 miles long, and gains about 1,100 feet in elevation.
There’s also a US geological boundary, decided at the Treaty of 1908, which provided clearer demarcation between the US and Canada. My cell phone apparently doesn’t do locations well, as it offered me a roaming plan, having decided I was now in Canada!
Location:
3506 Camp Hayden Rd, Port Angeles, WA
Links of interest:
- Clallam.net — Salt Creek Recreation Area, information on the park, facilities, fees, and more
- History of Camp Hayden, with historical photographs
- Striped Peak Trail information
- International Boundary Commission detailing the history of how the boundary between the US and Canada was decided.
