Rosario Beach

If you could take just one photo: Rosario Beach

Sneak a peek into nature’s treasure box as you peer into the rock pools the tide left behind in Washington’s Rosario Beach. Laden with small fish, crustaceans, anemones, kelp, mollusks, and myriad aquatic creatures, the pools are as educational as they are mystifying. Place your finger in a slightly swaying colorful anemone and watch as it quickly closes its body around you. Be gentle, though, and remember that the wonders to be found are living things and are meant to stay in their home.

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It may be the hardest camping reservation to get in western Washington, but Deception Pass State Park also has much to offer daytrippers from Seattle. Just venture north across that photographic icon, the Deception Pass Bridge, and swing a hard left at the "Bowman Bay/Rosario Beach" sign. A peaceful, little-known park outpost awaits, perfect for a picnic or scenic photo shoot. The half-moon sweep of beach is edged with rocks that reveal a tide pool wonderland twice a day. Presiding over the scene is the Maiden of Deception Pass, a wooden totem that tells the history of the Samish Indian Nation. Follow the narrow trail to the top of the bluff for gorgeous views north to the San Juan Islands, south to the rest of the park (where everyone else is) and straight down to a kelp garden swirling in the sea.

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