Fort Ward Park
Enjoy rich views across Rich Passage
Quick Facts:
Location: Bainbridge Island
Land Agency: Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District
Round Trip: 2.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 140 feet
Contact: Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District
Recommended Guidebook: Urban Trails Kitsap (Mountaineers Book)
Access: From Bainbridge Island Ferry follow SR 305 north for one mile turning left onto High School Road. Continue west for 2.0 miles and turn left onto Fletcher Bay Road. Drive 1.3 miles and turn right onto Lynwood Center Road. Continue 1.1 miles turning left onto Pleasant Beach Drive. Follow this road for 1.3 miles to trailhead at park.
Good to Know: Kid-friendly, dog-friendly, birdwatching, historic, ADA accessible, Practice Leave No Trace Principles
Commissioned in 1903 to protect the Bremerton Naval Shipyard, Fort Ward was decommissioned in 1958 and became a state park. Today it’s managed by the BIMPRD.
The best way to enjoy this 137-acre park is to hike its 2.0 mile loop. Start by locating a wide track taking off northwest into a forested bluff. Under a canopy of stately old trees come to Battery Thornburgh. The strategic view across Rich Pass to the former defense installation at Manchester State Park is now blocked by over a half century of greenery. The battery sports some unsightly graffiti, but still warrants a look see. Interpretive panels help you understand its past function.
Continue on the wide trail steadily ascending and coming to a junction. The trail right meets back up with the loop offering an alternative route. The main route continues left through a forest of big maples and big firs. At 0.7 mile reach a four way junction. The trail right is the alternative loop. The trail left travels through old cedars and along a lush creek bed to Blakely Harbor Park.
For the loop continue straight soon reaching the northern parking lot and trailhead. Pick up a paved path at the south end of the lot and steeply descend. Bear right where a path heads left to Fort Ward Hill Road and to the former Fort residences that are now privately owned. Reach the paved former road trail. To complete the loop, head right and follow the wide and shaded old road trail—or better yet—follow the road trail and divert onto the two short paralleling shoreline paths. The two paths tunnel through rows of Nootka rose and hawthorn and traverse open bluffs along Rich Passage granting exceptional views and bird watching. Mosey across the open fort fields too—and past a couple of restored buildings returning to your start at the northwestern parking lot.
Fort Ward Park is one of the featured destinations in my best-selling Urban Trails Kitsap (Mountaineers Book). For more details on this hike and others (including many not found in other guides), pick up a copy of this book today!
