Illahee State Park, Marine park in Kitsap County, United States.
Illahee State Park is a marine and forest park on the shore of Port Orchard Bay in Kitsap County, Washington state. The grounds combine a stretch of saltwater shoreline with a dense canopy of evergreen trees that run down to the water's edge.
The park was created in the 1930s, when Washington state began setting aside coastal land for public use. It stands as one of the older state parks in the Puget Sound region, opening at a time when outdoor recreation was actively promoted during the Depression era.
The name "Illahee" comes from the Chinook Jargon word for "earth" or "land," a language once used widely for trade across the Pacific Northwest. Visitors walking along the shore can still experience the feel of a coastal edge that has changed little over generations.
A Washington State Discover Pass is required for parking, so it is worth getting one before arriving. The park has a dock, restrooms, showers, and covered picnic areas, which makes it practical for a full day outdoors.
The park contains one of the largest Pacific yew trees in the United States, a species that is easy to walk past without noticing. Pacific yew wood was historically prized for making bows, and the tree later became important to cancer research when a compound in its bark was found to have medicinal properties.
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