"Deception Pass Beaches" Deception Pass State Park Things to Do Tip by glabah

Despite the large number of sheer drops from the tops of the rocks to the water level, there are also a number of popular beaches in Deception Pass State Park. Facilities depend a great deal on which beach you are visiting. Some of the beaches are remote from facilities, while others have full restrooms and parking lots. Some are much harder to get to.

If you decide to go into the water, be warned that the water here has strong currents in many locations, as well as occasionally having large trees floating just below the surface that have fallen into the water. It isn't an extremely dangerous place to visit the beach, but it does require that visitors use some sense and just be aware of some of the dangers here. The water is usually quite cold.

"West Beach" has good facilities and is close to parking, but it also gets a direct blast of wind of ocean-like wind from the Straight of Juan de Fuca.

"North Beach" faces north, and is partially blocked by the steep hills of the inlet, so doesn't get quite as much sun exposure. Also, "North Beach" has considerable sections that require a little bit of a walk to get to - which means they are farther from some facilities, and also somewhat less crowded on really good peak tourist days.

Both "North Beach" and "West Beach" are reasonably close to the extensive Cranberry Lake campground.

"Rosario Beach" faces southwest and south, with the two sections separated by Rosario Head, which is a rock formation at the end of a very narrow peninsula. The part of this beach that faces the Straight of Juan de Fuca also has ocean-like winds, though it is somewhat sheltered from the Straight of Juan de Fuca by the islands. It is in the northern part of the park on Fidalgo Island. The south facing beach is sheltered and a small boat dock has been built there. There is a large grass picnic area here, which the other two beaches lack. This is also the setting of a Native American story, and a monument at the beach tells the story.

See the specific tips for each beach for more information.

To really understand this tip, you need to see the park detail map, which is available as a PDF on the state parks web site. It is possible to access this map from the page in the link below.

Directions: Various places throughout the park. See park map, and explore to find the place you like best. There are several beach facilities to suit different tastes.
Website: http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Deception%20Pass&subject=all