Fort Flagler Bears Winter Colors With Grace

Despite trees crashing next to their basecamp, the team heads out to explore the historic batteries of Fort Flagler.

Steve Weileman

Historic Fort Flagler

It’s been a while since we visited our historic Fort Flagler State Park. Ironically, the reason is due to the very thing that makes this park one of our favorites; all the activities it has to offer which in turn makes it a very popular destination. With Covid-19 and the surge of new campers heading to the outdoors along with Washington States online reservation system, there just wasn’t a spot to be had over the summer and fall.

With cold temperatures and soggy skies that problem has alleviated but seems not by much. Still, I can’t complain. Hopefully, this increase in campers translates into more people invested in protecting the outdoors. I’d love to see a turn around the dismal track record we’ve experienced in the last four years under the outgoing administration and their seemingly single-minded focus on rolling back hard-fought protections.

Fort Flager is one of three forts that were planned and build to create a ‘triangle of fire’ which protected the entrance to Admiralty Inlet. For years they had been in the planning stage but it wasn’t until the sinking of the USS Maine in February of 1898 that building started in earnest. The other two forts are Fort Worden and Fort Casey but it was Fort Flagler that was completed and activated first.

Activated on July 27th, 1899 the fort boasted state-of-the-art armament with 6-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch ‘disappearing guns’; so-called because they disappeared behind the walls of their emplacements during reloading which protect both guns and crew. They became obsolete with the arrival of air warfare and long-range naval guns. An interesting note is that some of the larger guns were shipped to the European front during WW1.

The fort continued to be staffed and transitioned to a new role of training grounds. During the Korean War amphibian tactics were taught and practiced on the shorelines of the fort. On June 30th, 1957 the fort was deactivated and 4 years later Washington State started acquiring the fort for use as a state park.

The fort really has quite a bit to offer; historic buildings and a museum, miles of shoreline and trails to hike, as well as a boat launch. In the summer, it’s always busy but we’ve found until recently that the shoulder-seasons are a great time to visit and beat the crowds.

coaast looking for adventurous volunteers

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in event of success.

So I'm borrowing that from Shackelton with a bit of tongue in cheek, but the COASST program is looking for Bird Survey volunteers for Washington's wild outer beaches. It's rugged, it can be tough and it can be uncomfortable. But it's always rewarding and stunningly beautiful.

If you feel you have what it takes sign up for a webinar and training here.

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Essex Explorers @xexplore ·

5h 1368258894867427333

A short time-lapse of the clouds scuttling across our bay. #pnwwonderland

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Essex Explorers @xexplore ·

23h 1367981844826894344

Our basecamp on the shores of South Bay for the weekend. Looking across the bay at Westport. If only the weather will cooperate a bit. 🙂

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Essex Explorers @xexplore ·

5 Mar 1367956878114889733

A quick clip of Tower Rock in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Took a bit of a hike through the snow to get to this vantage point. #towerrock #giffordpinchotnationalforest #pnwwonderland