One of our favorite hiking spots is Fort Flagler State Park, one of the “Fighting Forts of Puget Sound” constructed in the late 1800’s. Three “forts” were built on Point Wilson (Fort Warden), Marestone Island (Fort Flagler), and Whidby Island (Fort Casey). Each fort sported large 12 inch cannons and mortars, manned by gunnery crews, and were situated and designed to be able to triangulate and destroy any enemy ship trying to sail into Puget Sound and cause mayhem and destruction. No such ships ever came and over the years each fort was decomissioned and are all now state parks. All have lovely trails, weaving through interesting battlements that are more than a century old. For more:
The inclement weather and wind event that we were worried about did happen. We were tied to our dock with doubled up docking lines. The pictures that follow are Fort Flagler after the winds:







As it is a state park, most of the trees that sprawled across the trails were dealt with quickly. Chain saws and machinery ruled the day. Maple trees have for the most part dropped their leaves. It is after all, late Autumn…
