Five things
#1. Fort Casey is one of the three Triangle of Fire coastal defense forts built around the turn of the 19th century century to guard the entrance to Puget Sound amid concerns about attacks from the Pacific during the Spanish-American War. Fort Flagler and Fort Worden, each about four miles away across Admiralty Inlet, complete the Triangle of Fire, and standing at Fort Casey visitors can see how the forts worked together.
#2. When completed, Fort Casey had 11 gun batteries with 34 pieces of artillery: 12 disappearing guns, mounted on retracting platforms; six pedestal guns, and 16 mortars. It was a lot of firepower, but other than drills, it was never used. Thirteen of the artillery pieces were shipped overseas for use in World War I, and most of the rest disappeared after that.
#3. When Fort Casey opened as a state park in 1962, there were no guns on site. But a local naval pilot and coastal defense fort history enthusiast tracked down some of the original artillery on Grande Island in the Philippines, where it had been shipped during the Spanish-American War, and started a campaign to bring the guns back. Several three-inch guns were installed in 1963, but it took another four years and a lot of local fundraising to get two 10-inch guns to the park. And one almost didn’t make it, as it shifted on board during a storm at sea and nearly went overboard. It arrived in San Francisco partially hanging over the side the transport ship.
#4. The first lighthouse at Fort Casey, Red Bluff Light, stood closer to the water, but a planned gun emplacement made it advisable to move the structure. Then, the concussion from the guns firing during target practice threatened the light’s structural integrity, so the federal government replaced it in 1903 with Admiralty Head Lighthouse. Local high school students restored the weathered lantern as a metal shop project between 2010 and 2012.
#5. Fort Casey feels like three parks. The largest segment is the coastal fortification, with its multiple batteries, long lawns, and trails to the beach. The lighthouse area comprises another segment, where volunteers offer tours seasonally. Finally, the park campground runs along the 1.5 mile-long Keystone Spit, where campers don’t have much privacy but do enjoy an excellent view of the ferries coming from Port Townsend. On the other side of the ferry landing, scuba divers can explore the Keystone Underwater Dive Park while pigeon guillemots watch beadily from the rocks.
Fast Facts about Fort Casey Historical State Park
- 999-acre camping park, open year-round
- 10,810’ saltwater shoreline on Admiralty Inlet including Keystone Spit
- 22 standard sites, 13 partial utility sites, max length 40” (limited availability), one restroom with showers, three hiker-biker sites
- 68 picnic tables, grills, fire circle
- 1.8 miles hiking trails plus roaming the wide lawns and exploring the gun batteries, lighthouse open seasonally, park store, kite flying on parade ground, birding, wildlife viewing
- beachcombing, saltwater fishing, diving, watercraft launch
- Discover Pass required, $10 daily or, for a very reasonable $30, purchase an annual pass
- camping and roofed accommodations, hookups, reservable online or by calling 888-CAMPOUT
- park brochure
- park map
Land Acknowledgment
Fort Casey Historical State Park occupies the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Suquamish and Stillaguamish peoples, who have lived and travelled here since time immemorial.
Love each of your park stories!
Thank you, Edie!