The park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s.
An artificial underwater reef was installed offshore in the 1960s to encourage marine habitat growth.
McSorley Creek serves as a salmon-bearing stream that runs through the length of the park.
The park is situated on a steep hillside, creating significant elevation changes between the parking areas and the beach.
It is one of the few state parks in Washington that offers both forest hiking and saltwater beach access in a single location.
Saltwater State Park is a 137-acre marine camping park located on the shores of Puget Sound between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma. The park features 1,445 feet of saltwater shoreline, offering direct beach access for swimming and beachcombing. It contains an underwater artificial reef popular with scuba divers for observing marine life. Visitors can utilize 47 standard campsites and a large kitchen shelter available for group gatherings. Trails wind through a steep, forested ravine that leads down to the beach area. The park provides two miles of hiking trails that traverse the forest canopy. It is situated within the McSorley Creek watershed, which flows through the park into the sound. The facility offers picnic tables and fire pits distributed throughout the day-use areas.
The pedestrian bridge crossing over McSorley Creek as it nears the beach.
Arrive early on summer weekends as the parking lot frequently reaches capacity and may temporarily close.
Bring water shoes if you plan to walk along the shoreline, as the beach is rocky rather than sandy.
Check the tide charts before visiting, as low tide reveals a significantly larger area for exploring tide pools.
Attempting to drive down to the beach area, as vehicle access is restricted to the upper parking lots.
Leash your dogs at all times and pack out all trash to protect the marine ecosystem.
