| Penrose Point State Park is a 152-acre marine and camping park on the shores of Puget Sound. The park has over two miles of saltwater frontage on Mayo Cove and Carr Inlet. Wildlife, birds and forested terrain make this a beautiful park. The park has two picnic shelters without electricity and 60 unsheltered picnic tables. All are first-come, first-served. A spacious day-use area at the beach features a large lawn, picnic tables, braziers, a small picnic shelter and a restroom. The park has no lifeguard and no designated swim area. Volleyball can be played on the lawn in the day-use area, but visitors must bring their own free-standing volleyball sets. Bikes are allowed on all trails except the interpretive trail. Bay Lake, a popular trout fishing lake, is located a mile from the park. A boat launch is available there, but parking requires a Department of Fish and Wildlife sticker. The park provides 158 feet of dock. A picnic area with tables, braziers and a fire ring with benches are located near the dock. A short trail leads uphill to a small picnic shelter, a visitor parking lot, the campground and public restrooms. The nearest public boat launch is located in the town of Home, three miles from the park. The park also provides 270 feet of moorage. Boats can be moored overnight at the moorage pier, which has a pump-out facility, or at one of the park's eight buoys. Large stumps with springboard notches can be seen in the park, evidence of early logging activity. The community played an important role in the development of Penrose Point. The park was initially created out of a swamp (now the day-use area). The name honors Dr. Stephen Penrose, a Pennsylvania native who served as president of Whitman College in Walla Walla from 1884 to 1934. For more than many years, Dr. Penrose and his family spent their summers vacationing on what is now park property. A prominent church and educational leader in the Northwest, Dr. Penrose was a firm believer in outdoor recreation for children |
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