| Anderson Lake State Park covers 410 acres with over 8,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on Anderson Lake. A boat launch is provided, but only electric motors are allowed on the lake. The lake is only open to the public seasonally. Park highlights are fishing for rainbow trout and a 4.4 mile hiking trail that circles the lake. Other amenities include one picnic site, vault toilets and a parking area. Recreation activities in the park include power boating, trout fishing, hiking and picnicking. It is generally a marine climate, mild and temperate, with the Pacific Ocean moderating temperatures throughout the year. Winters are cool with moderate rainfall and little snow within the coastal areas, while summers are warm and relatively dry. Port Townsend and the northern part of the county sit in the "rainshadow" of the Olympic Mountains and, thus, average only 16 inches of rain per year. Prior to becoming a state park, Anderson Lake was owned by William F. Anderson, who used the land around it to graze his cattle. Curiously, the lake was not named for him or anyone in his family. William Anderson purchased the property in 1947 from Amanda Anderson, who, though not a relative, shared his last name. Anderson Lake was named for one of her ancestors. |
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