July 20-25, 2025
Point Hudson … hmmm, where is that? Well, I’ll admit that I wouldn’t have known where it was, or that there was a campground there, except for my almost 30 years of boating experience on Puget Sound. Boating? At an RV campground? Well, that might seem odd, but there is a very nice little marina at Point Hudson for boats like the ones I owned. I’ve been there by boat, at that marina, a number of times, and I had noticed the campground up on land and thought, hmmm, maybe one of these days if I have an RV I’ll go camping there, hardly thinking I would. But now I went and I loved it.
In mid-July this year, I was at home and searching online when I found a camping spot cancellation at the Point Hudson marina/campground, and I was really looking forward to going camping there … at one of my old boating destinations. It turned out just super! I was very happy to be in that little campground right next to that little marina. And I had the nicest neighbors (photo below) who often sat on my picnic table and chatted with me. Hmm, or maybe it was THEIR picnic table and they allowed me to use it once in awhile.
“Ralph, is she out here again?”
“Yes she is, Clarice, but she seems like a nice human, and she did give us some fresh berries yesterday.”
“Well, that’s true, ok we’ll let her sit here again. She is quiet and we like that.”
For those of you in the Pacific NW of the USA or in the Pacific SW of Canada, here’s where I went. The marina and the campground are at the very northern end of the town of Port Townsend. The RED circle in the image below tells the tale. Whidbey Island is off to the east. There are two much smaller islands right next to each other (Marrowstone and Indian) that are south of me. And then there’s lots of boating and shipping traffic (leisure boating and commercial) that passes right by Point Hudson, going to and from the ocean, to and from Canada, to and from the San Juan Islands, and into Seattle and Tacoma and south Puget Sound. What a great vantage point this campground has.
The photo below shows where I was in that campground, and how close it is to the marina. The RED rectangle was my camping spot. There was nothing between me and the water of Puget Sound (to the left in the photo below) … I had a front row seat to watch the boats come and go in the marina and to watch all the activity out on Puget Sound.
And here is another view (below) from ground level. You’ll see the big white truck and Towhee the Trailer parked right next to each other. The marina is right behind the trailer (off to the right). Marrowstone and Indian islands are straight ahead in the middle of the photo, off in the distance, to the south of me. The skies are blue, the water perfectly calm. I have only one neighbor camper and he’s a comfortable distance away.
Then I walked past my trailer and out close to the beach, and took the photo below looking east towards Whidbey Island.
You can see there was nothing between my campsite and the beach, nothing to obstruct my view of Puget Sound, the islands, the gorgeous blue sky, the boats, the birds.
Then I took the video below. That’s a Washington State ferry heading off to the left. It had just loaded up with cars and trucks and a few folks who walked aboard at Port Townsend and was heading to Whidbey Island where it will off load those cars and trucks and people at the Keystone ferry landing near Fort Casey. Then it will load cars and trucks and walkers from Whidbey who are heading over to Port Townsend. It does this all day long, seven days a week, 365 days year, back and forth, back and forth.
I paused while taking the video below when my camera was pointed at the water right in front of me because I had been seeing Harbor Seals swimming out there, coming up for air, catching fish. But they wouldn’t surface for me while I had my camera pointed their way. Turn your sound up so you can listen to the seagulls’ calls. I love their sound.
The photo below shows about half of the marina … the left/east end of the marina … the entrance for boats coming in from Puget Sound is just out of the photo to the left.
And here below is the western half of the marina. That’s it. Small marina. Although the “slips” can hold boats up to 70 feet long, most boats in those larger/longer slips are 40-60 feet. And as you can see, there are LOTS of small boats too … day-sailers, small fishing boats, row boats.
I walked out onto one of the marina docks and turned around to take the photo below, looking back at Towhee the Trailer and a few other campers.
As you can see, this was a beautiful place … and I got the BEST campsite, simply because I happened to be checking online at home probably only a few hours after someone cancelled their reservation for this campsite.
The week here included a few lovely sunsets.
I could sit right outside my trailer door and watch the tide rise ….
And then six hours later, the tide had receded …. high tide, low tide, high tide, low tide … happens every day. The water comes in and goes out so slowly that you hardly notice it’s moving, but the difference in the end is dramatic.
Here below is another view of high tide. Notice the rocks on the left. Towhee the Trailer is right there, just off camera. Also notice that small sailboat with the dark blue hull … see how much water is around it?
Below … oops, six hours later … tide went out!
Now, don’t get the idea that I just sat and watched the tide rise and fall all week. 🙂 I explored many things and will show you the highlights. One of the things I loved was walking on the beach when the tide was out. The photo below is of the beach on the north side of the campground in the foreground. In the distance is the Point Wilson peninsula and lighthouse (at the end of the peninsula). There’s a campground over there too, but it doesn’t have campsites right on the water like this Point Hudson campground does. I hit the jackpot here.
Stay tuned for highlights from the week. Maybe I can get those Harbor Seals to show up and say a few words for the camera. 🙂
Lo9ks like a great view! I have reservations in May at Mammouth Cave National Park, with my sister, and in June I’m going to visit a friend in upstate New York and in July im going with my sister to South Dakota. Should be fun.
Oh gosh, great adventures! Post all about them, Dawn … https://dawnkinster.com/ … we’ll join you on the journeys.
I love your maps and descriptions of the country. Not been around Puget Sound much so I’m learnin lots! 🙂
I bet I could learn so much from you, Steve. And see so many wonderful places you’ve traveled in your backcountry travels hereabouts. Thank you for the nice comment. 🙂
Not exactly my idea of a perfect camping spot.
Oh yes, different folks like different camping spots that’s for sure. No problem with that. But I’ll tell you Fritzi, this so far was my FAVORITE campsite of anywhere I’ve been in the past nine years. It was secluded, it was private, only one other camper nearby and not that close at all, and the view couldn’t be beat.
Wow, the tides! I didn’t realize there was such a difference between high tide and low tide. You say the water moves slowly. Does it? Is there danger of waves from tide water coming in or going out?
Nope, no danger, Kinny. I bet you will already have read Rob Arnold’s comment below. He’s spot on about tides and such, and talks about them gently, just as the tide movement is gentle too. 🙂 Excellent questions from you! Thank you!
No danger Kinny, but a good question. I have relatives and friends from the midwest who, when they first visited me here when I lived right ON the shores of Puget Sound … they would not go down on the beach for fear that the tide would come in SWOOSH and carry them off to sea. As Ann says, the water rises and lowers SO SLOWLY that you don’t even notice it. Of course, if there’s wind, then waves sure do happen, but the tide rising and falling is of absolutely no concern. Except, of course if you have a boat tied to the dock and it might be left high and dry at low tide. But there are online and print tide tables that all boaters can use to figure that stuff out. It’s safe. Absolutely safe. Cool blog post Ann, thank you!! Super campsite!!!!
Couldn’t have said it better, Rob. I too had old family friends from North Dakota come visit and they did the same thing … they were terrified to be on the beach inside Puget Sound for fear the tide would come in and SWOOSH carry them off to sea (your words are perfect). 🙂 Nope, the tide moves so slowly! You hardly notice that it is rising or falling. And yes, the WIND, on the other hand can and does create waves … but not the motion of the tide. Thanks for everything Rob, nice comment, greatly appreciated. 🙂
An amazing world we live in! Thank you for sharing and teaching. I really liked the reflection of Towhee the Trailer in the water. Ok and the crows Ralph and Clarice. 🙂
Thanks Lori. I liked that reflection too … and I think Towhee the Trailer did too. 🙂
Holy christmas (soon coming), I wish we’d known then what we know now. Like you’ve said a number of times. I sure wish we could have taken our motorhome to Washington STATE and seen the things that you are seeing. Hubby and I both were raised in Minnesota and have gone camping there for decades and have seen gorgeous stuff, but we both sure wish we could have hitched up and headed west to Washington STATE. It’s so beautiful. Ah me my. Thank you for sharing your trips, we really love it. The crow chat was perfect … LOL!
Yes, Washington STATE … it’s so gorgeous here … both the eastern drier part of the state and the western wetter part of the state. On the other hand, I’d love to see Minnesota and talk with you folks (even if you’re south now) and listen to your tales of travels. If I ever to get back there, I’ll be in touch for your advice. 🙂
We’ve been to Port Townsend! On our 2017 trip to B.C. we did a loop from Abbotsford out to Victoria, across the ferry to Port Angeles, and then around to Port Townsend on our way to Whidbey Island and eventually the tulip fields of the Skagit Valley. I had to look things up on Google Maps to be sure of where you were camped relative to where we travelled, but that was it! Looking forward to the rest of your reports.
How cool! I love that you’ve been here FG. I’ve been around that same loop too, not with my camper but with the car I owned back then and staying in B&B’s on the way. Ahhh, the tulip fields, I haven’t been there in several years, must be time for me to head there again and share photos. But yes, stay tuned for more blog stuff from this trip to the Port Townsend area.
Say … the photo I shared on this blog post was of the ferry “Kennewick”. The other ferry that runs on that route is the “Salish” but it’s relatively new. Do you remember the name of the ferry you were on for that run from Port Townsend to Whidbey … maybe the “Kennewick”? Wouldn’t that be great if it was the same boat?
I’ve always stayed at the marina south of town, the huge one with all the shipyard businesses that maintain and repair boats of all sizes. I knew there was a marina north of town but I always figured it was private with no room for transient (traveling) boats. But that would be a perfect place to go with a boat since you’d be right next to town, easy walks to shops and dinner and stuff. Port Townsend is a really cool old historic town. Perfect campsite! Your photos are wonderful, sure takes me back to when I was on the water.
Mark, I’ve stayed at that larger marina south of town too and back then didn’t even know about the small marina at Hudson Point north of town. I really loved being in that larger marina because I loved being able to prowl around the old wood boats and the businesses and haulout facilities, etc. And yet, as you say, the Point Hudson Marina north of town is right next door, literally, to the downtown area of Port Townsend. Yep, takes me back too. 🙂
Almost forgot. I used to go up through the channel between Marrowstone and the peninsula in order to get to Port Townsend. It’s shorter than going around those two islands and there’s no huge commercial ships with their huge wakes to deal with. Have you done that?
Yes!! Been through there a number of times. When I look at it online, it looks wider online than how wide it felt when I went through there in my boat … always seemed so narrow back then. Great memories, eh? Maybe we were there at the same time. 🙂
Great crow talk. Great tide info and photos … really great tide photos! More please. 🙂
Oh those crows just chatted and chatted. 🙂 More photos and info coming. Thanks Bill.
Love the crows, that was fun. I know nothing about tides, happy to learn. I would LOVE to explore those tidelands/beaches. Excellent, the best campsite. Yes, more please. 🙂
Gosh, don’t we all learn from each other, we sure do, Judy. I have learned so much from you on this blog, so I’m happy to share/teach. 🙂 I wish I knew more about plants and small wildlife on the beaches and tidelands here … ok, more coming.
My pals and I knew nothing about Puget Sound. We were amazed. There is nothing similar to it here in England. What a brilliant waterway for boating, and camping. We laughed at the talking crows, very clever. Tides are much the same here to where you are. Lovely photos. How nice of you to share this. Thank you.
Oh Henry yes, Puget Sound is a spectacular waterway for boating and camping. It’s huge. And so protected from the ocean, even though it is saltwater. I’ve been to England and Scotland twice in my life and found lovely, wonderful waterways and beaches … but as you say, nothing quite like Puget Sound here in western Washington State (or the waterways up north of us that are in British Columbia, Canada). That doesn’t detract from the beauty of Britain’s waterways, not at all, maybe some day I’ll share photos here from when I was in England and Scotland, they are gorgeous. And yes, our tides are much the same to each others. They flow in; they flow out; and again. Thank you Henry. Thanks to your pals too. 🙂