Bay View Campground on Padilla Bay, Washington
LOCATION
Skagit County, Washington, about 20 minutes northwest of Mount Vernon
ABOUT THE SITES
- 76 total sites
- About half the sites are open year-round, while the full campground is open mid-April through October.
- Site cost ranges from $20 to $32 per night for standard sites, depending on the season. Sites with electric and water hookups range from $30 to $42.
- Sites vary in size, so check the description if you are reserving in advance. Most standard sites are in a wooded area, and in some places blackberry vines around the perimeter make an effective privacy barrier between neighboring sites.
- Our site, #61, was large and sheltered. It also provided quick access to the restrooms via a small trail through the brush. The only downside was it didn’t have any trees from which we could hang our hammock.
- Many of the hookup sites border a large grassy playfield.
- Cabins are also available for rent. These cute little cabins are situated on a bluff above the main campground, overlooking the beach.
FUN STUFF
- You can easily walk (or drive as needed) to the nearby beach, which is also a day use area available to the public even if you aren’t camping. The pebbly beach is a great place to play, or just gaze across the Salish Sea (marred only by the Anacortes refinery, but fortunately it’s far enough away that it doesn’t detract too much). The north end of the beach is the most beautiful section. Bring rubber boots, as the tideflats here are pretty mucky when the tide is out.
- Above the beach, a large, flat grassy area offers space to play and fly kites. Vault toilets are available (bring hand sanitizer in case they are out), as are picnic tables, and a partially enclosed picnic shelter.
- The expansive playfield near the hookup sites in the campground is perfect for lawn games, catch, Frisbee, or just a place to run in the grass. Kids can ride their bikes around the loop, but watch out for the occasional vehicle driving through. Additional parking and picnic tables are also available.
CURRENT INFO & RESERVATIONS
- Find more info online on the Washington State Parks website.
- For reservations, you can also go directly to the Washington State Parks reservations site.
Reserving in advance is recommended, especially if you’re hoping for a particular site. Fortunately, it’s not uncommon to find some sites available at the last minute, especially outside of summer weekends.
WE STAYED HERE
June 2020, 2 nights
AMENITIES
- Flush toilets
- Drinkable water, with spigots placed regularly throughout the campground
- Hot showers (coin operated)
- Firewood and ice available for purchase at the welcome station
- Electrical and water hookups available
- Cabins available for rent
NEARBY & NOTABLE
- The Breazeale Interpretive Center, a marine educational center open to the public as part of the Padilla Bay Reserve, is only a few miles north of Bay View. When we were there, it was closed due to Covid, and that continues to be the case at the time this information was posted. Hopefully it will reopen in the future when the time is right.
- The north trailhead for the Padilla Bay Shore trail is only one mile to the south of Bay View.
- Deception Pass State Park is about a half hour drive from Bay View. As Washington’s most popular state park, it’s not uncommon for Deception Pass’s campgrounds to fill up well in advance. Staying at Bay View is a good alternative that still gives you easy access to these beautiful trails and viewpoints.
- Whistle Lake, about 30 minutes away on Fidalgo Island, is another great place to hike. In summer, it’s also the perfect spot for a swim.
- The tiny towns of Bow and Edison, can be found about ten miles up the road from Bay View. These neighboring towns are locally famous for an unusually high number of good quality cafes, bakeries, and other eateries. We’ve been to Tweets Cafe a few times (you can see some of their yummy food below), but look forward to exploring more places soon (Mariposa Taqueria is next on my list). Tweets was a great option during the pandemic; a take-out window is open for orders, and widely spaced outdoor seating on the lawn is available.
THE VERDICT
Bay View is a great family-friendly campground. You’ll see a wide range of camping styles, from basic tents to massive RVs. And kids – lots and lots of kids! It’s a quick trip up I5 from Seattle, and the easy access to the beach makes it an ideal weekend getaway.
The campground is well cared for, and its proximity to Anacortes and Mount Vernon means you can easily get other supplies if you forgot anything, or maybe buy some local Dungeness Crab for dinner. Restroom facilities were cleaned frequently, although they can understandably get a little gritty in between cleanings with so many people using them. Even though Bayview Edison Road cuts through the park between the campground and the beach, it’s far enough off the main highway that traffic isn’t heavy. A pedestrian path passes under the road to provide safe access between the campground and the beach.
We camped here immediately after staying five nights at Moran State Park on Orcas Island. My kids were a little unsure of what to expect after getting to play in the wooded ravine behind our campsite on Orcas. Could Bay View really measure up? After biking around the campground and enjoying time on the playfield, not to mention hours spent at the beach, that fear was easily put to rest. I wouldn’t choose to camp here for five nights, but two or three? Definitely!
Our Experience
We ended up at Bay View Campground almost on accident. We had already booked five nights of camping at Moran State Park on Orcas Island, but since our time there ended on a Friday, why not camp another night or two before returning home? And why not some place not far from Mount Vernon, where Michael’s brother’s family lives? We could take it easy, with no hikes or big activities planned, and spend some time with family, a first since the coronavirus pandemic began several months earlier.
We pulled into our campsite at Bay View on a Friday afternoon and started to set up camp. None to soon, either, as minutes after the canopy was up, it began to rain. But the rain was short lived, and soon my older son, J, was back at work hacking blackberry vines with a hatchet to clear a better path from our site to the restrooms. Since blackberries are an invasive species here in Washington, I figured this was a reasonable way for him to hone his outdoor skills – while exercising due caution, of course.
Our kids soon discovered that the loop around the campground playfield was perfect for biking. By the time we settled in for dinner and a campfire, they were right at home.
The next day we spent the morning on the beach; T played in the sand, Michael read, and J and I tossed a Frisbee back and forth (quite terribly, I might add, but let’s blame it on the wind). For a late lunch, we enjoyed a picnic near the shore before heading out to visit with family.
It was time to head home the next day, but first, I couldn’t resist the chance to stop for brunch in Edison, only a ten minute drive up the road. Even here, the nature explorations continued, as the boys were fascinated to find a garter snake nestled next to a rock near our picnic table at Tweets Cafe. It just goes to show that even close to home, small adventures await us; all you need to do is look.
