There are a few places that I've returned to because they are so fascinating and Fort Townsend is one of them. This is a medium sized park - there are about 5 -6 miles of trails, so it's a good destination for a half day stop. There are quite a few other places in a very short driving radius to explore for the rest of the day too - spend the morning here and the afternoon at Fort Flagler (like we did this time) Anderson Lake, Fort Worden & the town of Port Townsend, or Indian Island.
Now onto why to come here - it's the plants!! This little patch of forest has remained relatively untouched due to it's use as a small fort with a few gun emplacements. The forest beyond the bluff was left mostly alone and remains a tiny taste of coastal old growth. There are an abundance of rare plants, especially saprophytes (plants that do no use sunlight and chlorophyll, but rather live off of decaying organic matter) here, at least one that in all my wanderings, I've never found anywhere else - Hooker's ground cones. There are also a plethora of orchids, pine sap, ghost pipes (there were literally thousands of these just beginning to break the soil) and the elusive little gnome plant. Come here from around mid May- mid/late June, depending on the weather to see the show and enjoy the very quiet trails - even with the campground looking relatively full, the trails were deserted. Do treat it gently and do your best to not disturb the rare plants - some are right along the trails.
For the afternoon we went after a little more of the beach scene at Fort Flagler. We walked down the road towards the lighthouse taking the first little trail to the WWI rifle range. Though the map shows the trail as stopping, there is a boot path, slightly overgrown, to the beach beyond. Check on the tides first - there is a headland with a steep, sandy, eroding cliff- while it doesn't look like the high tide always cuts it off, it appears that it certainly can - then walk down the beach to the campground where the bluff descends to meet the beach. Right now there is a "shipwreck" (abandoned sailboat) to have a look at. Climb the back up the bluff on the appropriately named Bluff Trail, to return and check out the old fort, with side trips if you wish into the old forest. Lots of opportunities to bird and wildlife watch here - many species of birds - including ravens and eagles and deer browsing around.
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