8 Best Sights in The Olympic Peninsula and Washington Coast, Washington

The cape and its treacherous neighboring sandbar—named in 1788 by Captain John Meares, an English fur trader who had been unable to find the Northwest Passage—has been the scourge of sailors since the 1800s, hence its reputation as the graveyard of the Pacific. More than 250 ships have sunk after running aground here. Now a 2,023-acre state park within the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (which also has sections across the Columbia River in Oregon), this dramatic cape with sheer sea cliffs and conifer forest was an active military installation until 1957. Eight miles of trails lead to beaches, and opportunities to spy eagles, whales, sea lions, seat otters, and other wildlife abound. There are three lightkeepers' residences, dozens of campsites, several yurts, and three cabins available for rent. Exhibits at the park's free Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, which sits atop a 200-foot cliff with magnificent views, trace the cape's human and natural history. A larger exhibit ($5 charge for this) in the center describes the duo's 8,000-mile round-trip expedition. Displays chronicle the Corps of Discovery, which arrived at Cape Disappointment in 1805. A ½-mile-long path from the center leads to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. Built in 1856, it's the oldest lighthouse on the West Coast that's still in use, and one of two lighthouses in the park, the other being North Head.

With restored Victorian officers' houses and bunkers from before World War I, this fascinating 432-acre park served as the filming location for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. Built on Point Wilson in 1896 to guard the mouth of Puget Sound, the old fort provides myriad outdoor and cultural activities for kids and adults. A sandy beach leads to the graceful 1913 Point Wilson Lighthouse. Memory's Vault, a series of pillars hidden in the hill above the inlet, features inscriptions of works from local poet Sam Hamill. Touch tanks at Port Townsend Marine Science Center on the pier offer an up-close look at sea anemones and other underwater life. Kayak tours and rentals are also available. The fort hosts music festivals in an old military balloon-hangar-turned-performing-arts-pavilion and exhibits in an artillery museum. Many of the old buildings can now be booked as overnight accommodations, and there are a couple of excellent dining options in the park: Reveille at the Commons serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Taps at the Guardhouse is open in summer for drinks and light bites.

This 618-acre park, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, blends so well into a rocky knob overlooking the river that it's all but invisible from land or water (U.S. 101 passes underneath, via a tunnel). The turn-of-the-20th-century military buildings offer great views of the river's mouth. In spring the slopes are fragrant with wildflowers, and there are 2 miles of hiking trails to explore the grounds. The interpretive center has displays on barracks life and Chinook Indian culture. Two historic buildings on the property are available for overnight rentals.

Take in sweeping views of Whidbey Island's magnificent bluffs and Port Townsend's Victorian skyline from what is now a 1,451-acre marine park perched at the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. This fort, along with Fort Worden in Port Townsend and Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, was constructed in 1897 as part of an "Iron Triangle" of defense for Puget Sound. Surrounded by Puget Sound on three sides, the site served as a military training center through the world wars, and still has old gun emplacements overlooking its rocky, log- and driftwood-strewn beaches. Features include a large campground, a military museum, 3½ miles of coastline, and 5 miles of hiking and biking trails; tours of the historic facilities are offered in summer. Island inlets are great for paddling around; you can book a tour or rent equipment through Olympic Kayak Tours ( 360/453–7135  www.olympickayaktours.com).

You can hit the trails on foot or atop a horse in this 533-acre estuarial park stretching more than a mile along both the Pacific Ocean and the Copalis River. A boardwalk crosses low dunes to the broad, flat beach. The Copalis Spit section of the park is a designated wildlife refuge for thousands of snowy plovers and other birdlife. Favorite activities include picnicking, bird-watching, mountain biking, fishing, clamming, kite flying, and beachcombing.

Located past Oysterville at the less-developed northern end of the peninsula, this 1,732-acre woodland and beach park adjoining part of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge offers 7 miles of trails through temperate dune forests and along Willapa Bay. It's one of the better migratory bird-watching habitats on Washington's coast, and as the park receives far fewer visitors than the beaches farther south, it's also a great place to commune quietly with nature.

As you drive up U.S. 101 along the eastern side of the peninsula, you'll pass right through this 84-acre park that offers some of the best access to and prettiest views of Hood Canal. It's a great place to launch a kayak, stop for a picnic beneath the moss-draped evergreens, or scamper along the beach. There's a campground plus good fishing, clamming, and crabbing, too.

Protected by a sand spit 4 miles southeast of Sequim on Sequim Bay, this woodsy 92-acre inlet park has picnic tables, campsites, hiking trails, tennis courts, and a boat ramp.