Fort Ward Park - Bainbridge Island

Fort Ward was established in 1891 to protect the Bremerton Navy Yard. It was named and commissioned in 1903 in honor of Colonel George H. Ward, who died at Gettysburg. Around 1909 the buildings and gun emplacements were installed. After the Navy left, it became property of the state and it was a state park from 1960 to 2011. Today, the Bainbridge Parks and Recreation now owns and maintains it. The park is designed for hiking; the main attraction is the long paved walkway that accesses many picnic areas and beaches. When the tide is out, from the parking lot, you can walk the trail and the beach back. There are some information kiosks, restrooms, picnic tables, a Cascade Marine campsite, old bunkhouses and the gun emplacements. Views are good of Rich Passage and the Olympic Mountains. Activities include boating (public boat ramp), fishing, clam digging, birding, scuba diving (underwater park), picnicking, jogging, walking and bicycling. The lower picnic area along the beach is accessible only by foot while an upper picnic area has sites accessible by car.