Fort Worden State Park

Fort Worden State Park encompasses a total area of 433 acres of land that is located at the northern limits of Port Townsend and along Admiralty Inlet in Washington state. As the name of the park suggests, the place has its roots as a military installation, and it was created to defend Puget Sound. The fort was named after U.S. Navy Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden who was a commander of the USS Monitor during a battle in the American Civil War. 

The fort was built between 1898 and 1920 and was one of the largest Endicott system forts to be made. The Endicott Program was mostly implemented between 1895 and 1905 and led to the large-scale modernization of harbor and coastal defenses in the country. More specifically, modern reinforced concrete fortifications, installation of large caliber breech-loading artillery and mortar batteries were constructed. In fact, the Endicott period projects were more of well-dispersed emplacements with a few large guns in each location as opposed to fortresses.

Today, Fort Warden houses the Port Townsend Marine Science Center which features saltwater aquariums, touch pools, and other exhibits. The park has not forgotten its military past and is also the home of the 248th Coast Artillery Museum. These two attractions are maintained and operated by private interests. Other recreational activities that can be enjoyed at the park include scuba diving, fishing, camping, boating, hiking, crabbing, water skiing, swimming, biking, kite flying, and tennis.

Dogs are allowed into Fort Worden State Park albeit with some restrictions. Mainly, dogs should always be kept on a leash that is no longer than eight feet in length. If your tail-wagger is not on a leash, then your dog should be kept in a secure enclosure. Additionally, dogs and other pets should be kept out of restricted areas of the park, which includes park buildings.