WDFW Beach Season Information
Clam, mussel, and oyster seasons OPEN for harvest August 1 through September 30, 2024 only.
Harvesters are cautioned not to park on the shoulder and to be extremely careful when walking along the shoulder of SR 104 between access points. Vehicles are traveling at highway speed along this narrow, two lane highway. Use of the shoulder for access or parking is discouraged.
WDFW shellfish seasons indicate the specific times of year when harvesting is permitted. Before heading to the beach, please also check the Department of Health (DOH) information below which is related to health of the shellfish and may be updated daily. To harvest on this beach, it must be both during the WDFW approved season and approved by the DOH.
Portions of this beach support good numbers of clams for digging. Clam beds are patchily distributed but are often higher on the beach than expected. Manila clams, native littleneck clams, butter clams, horse clams and eastern softshell clams can be found across this site. Harvesters are warned to be extremely cautious of broken glass while digging on this beach, particularly on the northern end. Gloves are recommended. The amount of historical glass on the north end of the beach may be of interest to beach combers.
There are good numbers of oysters on this beach, usually appearing in patches, and more concentrated on the south end of the site.
Port Gamble Heritage Park Beach is located south of Port Gamble and parallels Highway 104. There are three parking/access areas on the east side of SR 104. The northerly access is near the northern end of the beach close to milepost 18. Access from this point is from a trail down and across the face of a bluff above the beach. The middle access point is just south of the north access. This access provides a trail lower to beach level that is slightly easier to use. The south access is across SR104 from the parking/access area for the Kitsap Heritage Park's forest trail. There is a short trail to the beach from the southern access.
The parking at the northern access is limited to two or three cars. There is very little parking room at the middle access just to the south of the northern access and this access may be blocked off. The southern access is the preferred access point. It has been developed to make room for about 12 cars, and it provides a gently sloping trail to the beach. And informational kiosk is located at the southern access. The northern and southern access areas are well marked with county park signs. Harvesters are cautioned not to park on the shoulder and to be extremely careful when walking along the shoulder of SR 104 between access points. Vehicles are traveling at highway speed along this narrow, two lane highway. Use of the shoulder for access or parking is discouraged.
This park has been open for recreational shellfish harvest since 2016. The north end was formally used as a dump for the historical village of Port Gamble and this end of the beach is a treasure trove of historical glass shards and ceramic pottery remnants. Unlike beach glass that is tumbled by wave action, the calm waters of Port Gamble Bay mean much of the glass remains sharp. Use caution when digging in the northern section of this beach.