A long time ago, when I was a teen, my parents moved us to The Rock, known as Whidbey Island. I wasn’t happy overall, I lived 10 miles out-of-town, with no car and no transit. The fact that we lived literally across the street from Deception Pass State Park was mostly lost on me.
Growing older, I quickly realized how awesome those years had been. I never get there enough. I prefer off-season, like visiting Mt. Rainier NP, Deception Pass is extremely popular in summer. It is usually, if not always, the most visited state park in Washington State. The park itself reaches across 2 islands, and has a number of distinct area. Though most tend to visit West Beach and North Beach, as they are most visible. West Beach is great for small tidepools.
I had never taken the boys there, so we stopped in as the tide was just changing. Lots of barnacles and even hermit crabs to look for.
The sand on West Beach is great for walking and playing in.
I took Kirk and the boys down to North Beach, which is the long beach visible from the Deception Pass Bridge. We often came here because we could hop on a trail and wind there from our house when I was a teen. Back in the day the park was free, so picnics with my family were also popular.
A short hike from the parking lots leads to a curved beach. If you were to walk down it, to the left, it leads to West Beach. There are also trails above.
North Beach gives great views of the bridge. There was also fantastic jet watching that day – since NAS Whidbey is the park’s neighbor. The Sound of Freedom….well, I lived under the flight path for so many years, I actually miss it at times.
The boys settled in happily. Sand, rocks, shells, pieces of wood? Not much else needed.
What I love about this beach is that you are so close to so many people – but it feels lonely. There is shade along the edge for the parents, and the kids can make an entire day of fun here. There is many miles of trails to be had as well (38 miles!) that cover the park. But as I said…for the best feel, visit in October. It’s cold and lonely then.