| Twanoh State Park is a 182-acre marine, camping park with 3,167 feet of saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal. The name of the park derives from the Native American Twana tribes, better known as the Skokomish, who made their home in the area. The park is situated on one of the warmest saltwater beaches in the state. This is because Hood Canal is one of the warmest saltwater bodies in Puget Sound. The park offers two kitchen shelters with electricity, plus 125 unsheltered picnic tables. One kitchen shelter can accommodate up to 150 people. There is a winter smelt run along the park beaches. Oyster beds are seeded annually, providing for ample harvests. In late fall, the chum salmon run in the small creek, but the area is closed to fishing. The park provides one watercraft launch ramp and one hundred feet of dock. Besides the entertaining water sports, Twanoh State Park offers an incredible amount of opportunities to view the wildlife that inhabit the area. Most commonly spotted creatures include chipmunks, deer, elk, otters, raccoons, skunks, and squirrels. The park is also renowned for the diversity of birds it attracts. Thus making it a bird watchers paradise. Birds here include crows, ravens, ducks, eagles, gulls, hawks, herons, hummingbirds, jays, and woodpeckers. Finally, the oceanic wildlife provides a unique experience also. Harvest seasons vary but the wildlife includes clams, crabs, mussels, oysters, sea birds, seals, shellfish, shrimp, starfish, whales, bullhead, perch, salmon, and sharks. "Twanoh" is a Native American word for "gathering place." The Skokomish Indians, a Twana tribe, made their home along Hood Canal because of its abundant wildlife. Because of this abundance, the Twana were among the few hunting/gathering societies of the world that produced wealth beyond their needs. The basis of their economy was salmon.The park area was logged extensively during the 1890s. Scars still show in some cedar stumps from "spring boards," accessories to an early logging technique. |
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