We spent a whole season workamping for a very unique destination: Dash Point State Park, nestled in downtown Federal Way, Washington. This park is one side day-use and, across the street, a campground. It has beach access, forested trails, and is minutes from amenities. Today we’ll be covering just the day-use side.
The day-use side of Dash Point State Park is located north of SW Dash Point Road/State Route 509. It can be subdivided into 3 subsections due to its size: Picnic Point, the beach, and the group camp.
Picnic Point
The smallest of the three sections, Picnic Point, is an intermittently shaded picnic area overlooking Puget Sound. The area has a vault toilet, potable water spigot, several picnic tables, public grills, and a reservable picnic shelter. It has quick trail access to the group camp, as well as a short but STEEP trail directly down to the beach. The Picnic Point trail drops (or rises) about 200 feet of elevation over its roughly 700-foot length.
Several groups throughout the season will use Picnic Point as a gathering spot before going on trail walks, or even for meditations and back-to-nature retreats.
The Beach
The beach is the largest of the day-use areas by far. It’s the main draw of both sides of Dash Point State Park. This area can also be split into 3 rough areas. The outer picnic area, the west beach picnic area, and the east beach. The beach sections are separated by the outlet of Thames Creek, while the outer picnic area is directly adjacent to the parking lot.
The Outer Picnic Area
The outer picnic area consists of the parking lot and a small section of grass along the access road. This is the home of the second of the two reservable picnic shelters, as well as a few scattered picnic tables and public grills. The area isn’t very secluded, but it still gets reserved fairly often for birthdays and the odd wedding reception. At the south end of the parking lot is the Thames Creek Trail, which connects the beach to the camping area and the network of trails.
The West Beach and Picnic Area
The west beach is the smallest section of beach, but the best picnic area in the whole park. Crossing a small footbridge immediately to your left is a large grassy field with several picnic tables as well as some in-ground fire pits. This is, in our opinion, the best place to host a birthday party as it has some privacy, but still has tables. To the right are some more picnic tables and the beach. The state park property only goes about 150 yards until you get to private property.
The East Beach and Picnic Area
The east beach is the largest section of the beach. Coming from the parking lot, you immediately see the bathrooms and several picnic tables. The beach then goes off to the east for about a half mile. It’s not always accessible due to the cliff sides crumbling and tree litter blocking the path at high tide. However, there are several nooks and hollows that can offer a nice private beach picnic experience. The east beach is also where the trail from Picnic Point lets out.
The Group Camp
The group camp is the only camping option on the day-use side. It consists of a vault toilet and about a dozen fire pits in a rough cul-de-sac. There is no electricity, but there is one potable water spigot. The area is big enough for several RV’s, but it’s heavily treed, so solar won’t be a reliable charging option.
The group camp is connected to Picnic Point and the beach by a couple of short trails. The “direct” trail to the beach, named “Heartbreak Hill,” lets hikers out on the access road. There isn’t much shoulder, so the best way to get from the group camp to the beach is through Picnic Point.
Whether you’re looking for a relaxing hike, a family picnic, or even planning an intimate wedding, Dash Point State Park’s day-use amenities may be just what you need!