12 Washington Waterfront Boardwalks, Piers, And Coastal Walks Worth Experiencing This Year
My friends always laugh when they check the weather app on my phone because half of my saved locations are just random coastal towns in Washington.
I can’t help it, I’m a total sucker for dramatic cliffs, creaky wooden piers, and the kind of windblown hair that only a proper seaside boardwalk can deliver. There is a wild, untamed beauty hiding along these shores that completely resets my brain every single time I visit.
Last month, I spent an entire afternoon just watching the tide roll in under a historic pier, dodging rogue splashes and eating way too many french fries. It was perfection. If you’re yearning for a mini-escape that combines fresh ocean breezes with unbeatable scenery, you’re in the right place.
I’ve put together a lineup of my absolute favorite waterfront walks, and you’re going to want to pack your bags immediately after reading this.
1. Long Beach Boardwalk, Long Beach
Few wooden boardwalks in the Pacific Northwest offer this kind of drama right from the first step.
The Long Beach Boardwalk sits on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington, and it crosses directly over the dunes to give you unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean stretching out to the horizon.
The boards creak pleasantly underfoot, and the salty breeze hits you almost immediately after leaving the parking area near downtown Long Beach.
This walk is short enough for kids and relaxed enough for anyone who just wants to breathe some ocean air. The surrounding dunes are protected, so the landscape feels raw and natural rather than overdeveloped.
Early mornings are especially peaceful here, with shorebirds working the wet sand below.
Late summer and fall bring kite festivals to this stretch of coast, turning the sky above the boardwalk into a colorful show worth planning around.
2. Westport Light State Park Boardwalk, Westport
Standing at the edge of Grays Harbor, Westport has a working-fishing-town personality that makes its waterfront feel genuinely lived-in.
The Westport Light State Park Boardwalk runs along the oceanfront and is made of concrete rather than wood, which makes it a practical choice for anyone who finds deep sand difficult to navigate.
The path stays level and smooth, with the Pacific stretching out on one side and coastal vegetation on the other.
The nearby Westport Light, one of the tallest lighthouses in Washington, adds a strong visual anchor to the walk and is worth a closer look if you have extra time. Gray whales migrate past this coastline in spring, and the boardwalk gives you a solid elevated vantage point for scanning the water.
Bring a jacket no matter the season, because the wind here plays by its own rules and rarely takes a day off.
3. Ozette Triangle Loop, Olympic National Park
The Ozette Triangle Loop is one of those trails that rewards commitment. The full 9.2-mile route in Olympic National Park, on the northwestern tip of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, combines lengthy forest boardwalks with a raw, driftwood-strewn beach walk between Cape Alava and Sand Point.
The wooden planks through the forest keep your feet out of the mud while passing through some seriously ancient-feeling coastal rainforest.
Cape Alava holds the distinction of being the westernmost point in the contiguous United States, which gives the hike a satisfying geographic bragging right. Tidepools along the beach section are filled with sea stars, anemones, and urchins, especially at low tide.
The park requires a permit for overnight camping along this stretch. Day hikers should start early, bring waterproof boots, and check tide tables before heading out, because the beach sections can become impassable during high water.
4. Percival Landing Boardwalk, Olympia
Right in the heart of downtown Olympia, the Percival Landing Boardwalk traces a 0.9-mile path along the eastern edge of West Bay. It is one of those urban waterfront walks that manages to feel genuinely relaxing despite being surrounded by a state capital city.
Sailboats and fishing vessels fill the marina slips, and public art installations appear at regular intervals along the route, giving the walk a cultural dimension that goes beyond just the scenery.
The boardwalk connects to landscaped park spaces and observation towers, and on clear days the Olympic Mountains rise impressively across the water to the west. Local food trucks and cafes nearby make it easy to turn this into a leisurely afternoon outing.
The boardwalk hosts outdoor events and farmers markets during summer months, so visiting on a weekend morning can add a lively community feel to an already enjoyable waterside stroll.
5. Boulevard Park And Taylor Dock, Bellingham
This doc is the kind of structure that makes you feel like you are walking on water. This overwater boardwalk extends out across Bellingham Bay from Boulevard Park in Bellingham, a vibrant city in northwestern Washington near the Canadian border.
The dock and connected boardwalk carry walkers directly above the tidal waters, with open views across the bay toward the San Juan Islands and the snow-capped peaks of the North Cascades rising behind them.
Boulevard Park itself is a popular local gathering spot with grassy areas, benches, and a small beach below the boardwalk. The combination of mountain scenery, island views, and salt water makes this one of the most photogenic waterfront walks in the entire state.
Sunset visits here are particularly rewarding, when the light turns the water gold and the mountains shift into deep purple silhouettes along the eastern horizon.
6. Ruston Way Waterfront Walk, Tacoma
Tacoma does not always get the credit it deserves as a waterfront city, but Ruston Way makes a strong case. This paved shoreline route runs along Commencement Bay on Tacoma’s north side, connecting several waterfront parks over a mostly flat, easy course.
The path is popular with joggers, cyclists, and families pushing strollers, and the wide paved surface keeps things comfortable even when foot traffic is heavy.
On clear days, Mount Rainier dominates the skyline to the southeast, creating a backdrop that feels almost too dramatic to be real. Several waterfront restaurants and picnic areas sit directly along the route, making it easy to stop and watch the boat traffic on the bay.
The walk passes a public fishing pier and several small beach access points, so there are plenty of reasons to slow down and linger rather than rushing straight from one end to the other.
7. Louis Mentor Boardwalk, Bremerton
There is something uniquely satisfying about a waterfront walk with built-in transportation drama, and the Louis Mentor Boardwalk in Bremerton delivers exactly that.
Sitting beside the city’s marina and Washington State Ferries terminal on the Kitsap Peninsula, this downtown boardwalk puts you right next to the action of ferry boats loading and departing across Puget Sound toward Seattle. The walk is short and accessible, making it ideal for a quick stretch before or after a ferry crossing.
Bremerton has been quietly improving its downtown waterfront for years, and the boardwalk area now connects to a naval museum, public art, and a growing collection of local eateries. Views across the Sound toward Seattle’s skyline appear on clear days.
If you time your visit to coincide with a ferry departure, watching one of those massive green-and-white boats pull away from the dock is genuinely worth standing still for a few minutes.
8. Edmonds Portwalk And Fishing Pier, Edmonds
Edmonds has quietly become one of the most pleasant waterfront towns in the greater Seattle area, and the Portwalk is a big reason why.
This pedestrian path connects the public fishing pier with the marina, a waterfront plaza, and Marina Beach Park to the south, creating a linked waterfront experience that covers more ground than it first appears.
The fishing pier extends directly over Puget Sound and is open to the public year-round at no cost.
Underwater, the area beneath the pier is actually a designated marine preserve, and scuba divers frequently drop in here to explore the sea life below. Across the water, the Olympic Mountains frame the horizon in a way that makes even a short lunchtime walk feel rewarding.
The nearby ferry terminal adds a pleasant sense of movement to the area, with boats crossing regularly to Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula throughout the day.
9. Seattle Waterfront Park And Pier 62, Seattle
Seattle’s downtown waterfront has been through a massive transformation in recent years, and Pier 62 sits right at the center of the new vision. The rebuilt waterfront offers wide pedestrian space, public seating areas, and open views across Elliott Bay toward the Olympic Mountains.
Pier 62 itself is a reconstructed open-air pier that hosts events, outdoor movies, and public programming throughout the year, making it one of the most dynamic public spaces in the city.
The surrounding waterfront park connects to the Seattle Aquarium and the new Overlook Walk, which links the waterfront back up to Pike Place Market above. Walking this stretch gives you a clear sense of how much the city has invested in making its bayfront genuinely accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Morning visits before the crowds arrive offer the best experience, with calm water, mountain views, and the satisfying sound of ferry horns echoing across Elliott Bay.
10. Jack Block Park Shoreline Walk And Pier, Seattle
Most visitors to Seattle’s waterfront head downtown, which means Jack Block Park in West Seattle stays refreshingly uncrowded.
The park sits on the eastern shore of the Duwamish Head area and features a shoreline path, a small beach, and a walkable pier that puts you directly over the water of Elliott Bay.
The real highlight, though, is the observation tower at the end of the path, which offers a bird’s-eye view of one of the busiest working harbors on the West Coast.
Watching massive container ships navigate the harbor below while Seattle’s skyline fills the background is a genuinely striking experience. The park also provides clear views of the West Seattle Bridge and the industrial waterfront that keeps the city running.
It is the kind of place that reminds you how much goes on behind the scenes of a major port city, and the view from that tower never gets old.
11. Guemes Channel Trail, Anacortes
Anacortes is best known as the jumping-off point for Washington State Ferries heading to the San Juan Islands, but the town has its own waterfront worth exploring.
The Guemes Channel Trail follows the northern edge of Fidalgo Island, running along a quieter stretch of shoreline that most ferry passengers never bother to investigate.
The path gives walkers open views across Guemes Channel toward Guemes Island, with the water often dotted with kayakers and small fishing boats.
The trail has a relaxed, local feel that is a nice contrast to the busier ferry terminal area nearby. Bald eagles are frequently spotted perching in the trees along the route, and harbor seals occasionally surface in the channel below.
The trail connects to Cap Sante Park on the eastern end, where a short uphill detour leads to a viewpoint that takes in the entire surrounding island and waterway landscape in one sweeping look.
12. Larry Scott Memorial Trail, Port Townsend
Port Townsend is one of the best-preserved Victorian seaport towns in the United States, and the Larry Scott Memorial Trail gives you a ground-level introduction to its working waterfront.
The opening section of the trail follows a former railroad grade along the shoreline, starting near the Port Townsend Boat Haven marina and heading south before eventually turning inland.
The flat, paved surface makes this opening stretch accessible to walkers, cyclists, and anyone with a stroller or wheelchair.
The Boat Haven itself is a lively wooden boat hub, and watching skilled craftspeople work on traditional vessels near the trailhead adds a layer of living history to the outing. Admiralty Inlet stretches out to the west, with the Olympic Mountains providing a dramatic backdrop on clear days.
Port Townsend rewards slow travel, and this trail is a perfect starting point for a full day of exploring the town’s historic streets, galleries, and shoreline parks.