On such a beautiful day as this, I felt inspired to go to the beach and throw the stick for my choclate retriever, Bella. I had my 8 month old daughter on my back, and Scarlett and I weaved through the weepy cedars and tall pines down the winding trail to the beach. The trail was still a little muddy. None of the bathrooms were open yet. I did not see any campers. Spring is late this year and we don't even have rhodedendron blooms yet! There were about 5 cars in the parking lot, and I encountered a group of young adults at the beach who were playing volleyball and frisbee and drinking cold beverages in the sun on the rocky beach. There are also sandy spots, teeming with sand dollars every year. Another dog, safely on his leash, stood by and took it all in. I let Bella off her leash to swim in the water. She was in paradise. The sun was shining down on the beach. I waded in my Chacos into the frigid water. The sharp cold was a nice contrast to the sudden heat. The water was clear, the tide was in, and there were not many barnacles to report. The water was glass and it would have been a perfect day for engaging in watersports such as wakeboarding, waterskiing and tubing. I spotted a few boats anchored in at Deadman's (Cutts) Island, plus a few fishermen. Overall it was pretty quiet. My own voice echoed into the abyss of water. The Olympic Mountains shone in the background. Lovely western exposure. In my 25 years of living in Gig Harbor, I am rarely met with many people at kopachuck state park. It is a hidden gem. I look forward to escaping from the business of life in a natural environment. I recommend Kopachuck state park as a destination to visit. It is a good 10-15 minutes from town, in a suburban neighborhood. The beach presents many opportunities for beach combing, picnicing, barbequeing and camping. There are also many other things to do nearby. From a night camping here, head to Penrose Point state park or even into the Olympic National Forest. Outdoor recreational activities abound in the south puget sound region.

For more information on Kopachuck state park, visit these links:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPJ8Hrtp0NE

http://areas.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaid=WASPKOPA