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The park has 46 standard campsites, 30 partial-hookup sites, two restrooms and six showers. Maximum site length is 50 feet (limited availability). The campground is divided into three areas.
Sites 1-9 (view sites) provide the best opportunity to view Padilla Bay and are also utility sites. Site length is approximately 50 feet and all sites are back-ins. Tents are not permitted in these sites.
Sites 10-30 (hookup sites) face a 1.5-acre grassy section, which provides space for kids to play safely and for parents to keep an eye on them. Site length varies, with 40 feet the maximum length. All sites are back-ins.
Sites 31-76 (standard campsites) provide a parking place, stove, picnic table and space to pitch a tent. Tent size and vehicle parking lengths vary from 25 to 40 feet. Only a few of the sites can accommodate a large tent. All sites are back-ins.
GROUP ACCOMMODATIONS
The park provides one group camp for tents only. The camp accommodates 20 to 24 people. There is no space for RVs. Showers and restrooms are nearby. Fees vary with size of the group.
CABINS
The six cabins at Bay View are nestled among Douglas-fir trees with views of Padilla Bay and the San Juan Islands. Bay View cabins are within walking distance to the park’s beach area and Padilla Bay. Each cabin is furnished with one double bed (sleeps two) and two single bunks (each sleeps two) as well as microwaves and small refrigerators with freezers. Outside is a fire ring and an upright pedestal grill. Two cabins have bathrooms.
Beautiful park, easy access. Clean beach, picnic benches close to beach...fantastic views!!!
Kitesurfing at Bay View State Park
I spent some time at Bay View State Park, it is a popular spot for kitesurfing, offering consistent winds and protected waters. The park is on Padilla Bay, which is a large estuary protected from the open ocean. This makes for calm and predictable conditions, ideal for kitesurfing of all levels. The best time to kitesurf at Bay View State Park is during the winter months, when the winds are strongest and most consistent.
The launch and landing area at Bay View State Park is on a sandy beach, which is easy to access and navigate. The water depth is shallow, which makes it a good spot for beginners.
Great place to bring lunch and spend the day watching the Kitesurfers or beach walking.
Bay View State Park
Bay View, WA
9.30.2023
This is a pretty little Park. They have a nice Beach area to watch the sunset. If you go later in the day they may have some campsite cancellations. That's what we did. We pulled our 30 ft motorhome in there and they had a list of available campsites. We put our money in an envelope and spent the night and watched the sunset on the Puget Sound. It was a very nice night.
This was a fun State Park to explore and watch all the seagulls fly away with crabs. I stole one from a seagull after it landed. The crab caught a clam, and then the seagull caught the crab, and then I chased away the seagull and got the crab haha. I tried to save the crab and put him back in the water but the poor thing wasn't moving too well so I thought it was suffering and gave it back to the seagull to finish him off.
The lookout tower was a fun addition, and since the weather was overcast, I had it all to myself.
Great campground. We stayed here for three nights. The sites were big and had really nice new picnic tables. The washrooms were clean and they had hot water for showers at no extra cost. There is a little store attached to the check-in where you can get ice and firewood. I would say I was a little surprised that they were allowing fires given the state we are in and we didn't have one. The campground was very busy so there were a couple of nights where people were a little louder than we would have liked but overall everyone seemed friendly and having fun. There are a ton of plug-in sites though we weren't able to get one for our stay.
The beach is really amazing though and the water is definitely warm enough for swimming. I would have hoped that it was a little bit of a shorter walk but overall not too bad. You do have to be conscious of your timing for going down of the tides, especially if you want to swim as the tide goes out really far and it is a mud flat so you can't walk out on it. Catch it when the tide is on the way in and you will definitely enjoy it. Great for flying kites too!
