Bay View State Park is a 25-acre camping park located seven miles west of Burlington, Washington. The park has 1,285 feet of saltwater shoreline on Padilla Bay and offers views of the San Juan Islands fronting Padilla Bay, one of 15 existing national marine estuaries. On clear days, visitors can see the Olympic Mountains to the west and Mt. Rainier to the south. Over 11,000 acres of Padilla Bay are designated as National Estuarine Sanctuary. Breazeale Padilla Bay Interpretive Center is located a half mile north of the park.
Bay View State Park was the home of Pat-Teh-Us, a Noo-Wha-Ah Indian chief and signer of the Point Elliot Treaty. The town was named by William J. Mckenna, who plotted the original townsite in 1884.
The original portion of the park was donated to the state in 1925 by the Skagit County Agricultural Association with the understanding that it would become a state park. Additional parcels were acquired up until 1968. The park site, formerly a baseball field and racetrack, derives its name from the community of Bay View.
The beach area is good for swimming, but no lifeguards are on-site. On windy days, with appropriate tides, sailboarding is becoming more popular. Crabbing and clamming are best at other locations along Padilla Bay or Bellingham Bay.
The park has 46 tent spaces, 30 utility spaces, four cabins, one dump station, one restroom and two showers. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability). The campground is divided into three areas. Four cabins are reservable year round. Each (12 x 12) cabin sleeps four and is equipped with heat and lights, single bunk-beds, double bed, six-foot covered front porch, locking doors, picnic table, fire ring and pedestal grill. Restrooms and showers are nearby. The park is on Padilla Bay with a public watercraft launch three blocks from the park. Be advised Padilla Bay is heavily influenced by tidal action. The bay becomes a large mud flat during low tides. Skagit County Parks provides a boat launch eight miles west of the park, just off Hwy. 20 under the Swinomish Channel. The launch is useable under various tide conditions. The beach shelter capacity is 175 people. It provides a view of Padilla Bay, two large barbecues and ADA access, but no electricity. Rental fees vary depending on size of the group. To reserve, call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688. The park also provides six sheltered and 62 unsheltered picnic tables available first-come, first-served. No keg beer is permitted on the premises. Seasons/Operating Hours: The park is open year-round for camping and day use. Some campsites are closed in winter. Summer: 8 a.m. to dusk. Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk. Restrictions: This permit is required for use of watercraft launches and trailer dumps. Beginning April 1, 2006 it is no longer required for day vehicle parking. Camping: Check-in time, 2:30 p.m. Check-out time, 1 p.m. Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Smoking, cooking and pets are not allowed in cabins. Location: Located seven miles west of Burlington, Wash., and 14 miles east of Anacortes, Wash. From I-5 north or south: Take exit #230. Follow Hwy. 20 seven miles west to Bay View-Edison Rd. Signs will alert you to a right turn. Turn right onto Bay View-Edison Rd. Park is four miles north of Hwy. 20.
