Kitsap Memorial State Park Trail

Location: On Hood Canal, six miles north of Poulsbo, Kitsap County.

Length: Almost two miles.

Level of difficulty: Level to moderate dirt/gravel trails.

Setting: This 57-acre park with almost 1,800 feet of saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal offers stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. The park, originally purchased as a community recreation area in 1936, is a popular refuge for local residents. The park's rustic log hall and shelters were constructed during the Depression.

Trails pass through a fairly open, second-growth forest of largely deciduous trees along with western red cedar and Douglas fir. A wooden footbridge, on the left side of the road just past the group camp, leads to the paths. Soon after the bridge, the main path splits, with the left arm heading up the hillside to encircle the group camp; the other branch passes through a wetland area (the trail is often muddy). Birds living in the park include belted kingfishers, goldfinches, flickers, great blue herons, and bald eagles.

Highlights: A walk down a short staircase leads to the park's narrow cobble beach, where starfish, crabs, barnacles, chitons, limpets, oysters and clams can be seen, and where kayaks and canoes may be launched. An interpretive sign in the picnic area explains how the waters of Hood Canal are more sensitive to pollution than the rest of Puget Sound due to the slow circulation of its waters. For more park information, call 360-779-3205 or 800-233-0321; camping is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Facilities: Restrooms, water, phone, playground and campground.

Restrictions: Leash and scoop laws in effect for pets.

Directions: From Winslow on Bainbridge Island, take Highway 305 north to Highway 3, and head north. About six miles north of Poulsbo, watch for park signs, and turn left on Park Street into the park (the park is three miles south of the Hood Canal Bridge).

- Cathy McDonald Special to The Seattle Times Cathy McDonald is coauthor with Stephen Whitney of "Nature Walks In and Around Seattle," with photographs by James Hendrickson (The Mountaineers, second edition, 1997).