Fort Worden was built to fight an invasion that never came, and 36 of its 41 guns ended up in Europe instead
Fort Worden spent decades braced for a naval attack that never showed up. The Army built it in 1902 as the anchor point of three forts meant to trap any invading fleet before it reached Puget Sound — and by the end of World War I, most of its guns had shipped out to fight in France instead.
This is the fort that, along with Fort Casey on Whidbey Island and Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, formed what locals still call the Triangle of Fire. Forty-one heavy artillery pieces once lined the bluffs above Admiralty Inlet here, more than either of the other two forts carried. No enemy ship ever tested the plan, and 36 of those guns ended up dismantled and sent to European battlefields during WWI.
Stand on the bluff today and the concrete gun emplacements are still there, hollowed out and staring at the exact stretch of water they were built to defend. Grass grows over some of the roofs now, and you can walk straight through tunnels that once held live ammunition.
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A lighthouse you can see but can’t walk into
Point Wilson Lighthouse has marked the sharp turn into Admiralty Inlet since 1914, its beacon sitting 51 feet up — the tallest light on Puget Sound. It’s still an active Coast Guard station, so the tower stays off-limits, but you can walk right up to the beach below it and watch ships thread the same turn sailors have navigated since 1879.
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Where Richard Gere became An Officer and a Gentleman
Paramount shot most of 1982’s An Officer and a Gentleman right here in the summer of 1981, using the parade grounds, the beach, and the old gun batteries as backdrops. Louis Gossett Jr. won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the drill instructor, and the film’s theme song, “Up Where We Belong,” took home Best Original Song that same year.
What’s actually left to explore
Twelve miles of hiking trails and another 8.3 miles for biking wind through the old batteries on Artillery Hill. The Coast Artillery Museum and the Commanding Officer’s Quarters Museum both dig into what daily life looked like here, and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center runs a small aquarium right on the water.
Sleep in it, too. Eight of the original officers’ houses and a bachelor officers’ apartment building, built between 1904 and 1915, are now fully furnished vacation rentals booked through Washington State Parks. If you’d rather pitch a tent, the Beach Campground and Upper Forest Campground both take reservations through the 2026 season, which runs April 1 through October 31.
Port Townsend itself is worth building in an extra afternoon for, with a walkable historic downtown just a few minutes from the fort’s gates.
Before you go
A Discover Pass has been required for day-use parking here since March 2025 — $10 for the day or $45 for the year — though a camping reservation covers your parking automatically if you’re staying overnight. The park runs 6:30 a.m. to dusk in summer and 8 a.m. to dusk in winter.
Cougars turn up here occasionally, so keep dogs leashed and kids close on the forest trails.
Pair the visit with Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island to see the other corner of the Triangle of Fire, guns and all — and decide for yourself which fort earned the better view.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
