Dash Point State Park is a 398-acre camping park with 3,301 feet of saltwater shoreline on Puget Sound. The beach provides unobstructed views of the Sound and excellent opportunities for sea-life study.
We recently starting going here in the summer and it is great fun. Lots of sandy beach to dig in and explore. You can see some pretty big boats/ships from the beach (kinda cool). I would bring an easy to carry cooler or a wagon if you are toting lots of stuff. The trek from the parking lot to the beach would be cumbersome if you are overloaded. And F.Y.I. the birds here are strong!!! Keep your food in zippered or hard-sided cooler. They will get into bags that are not sealed!!! Trust me, lost some crackers last time :)
Biggest bonus... FREE! :)
This park is definitely one of our favorites. It really closeby and it's beautiful.....My kids love to skim board here. It's water is shallow and is far out shallow. It's rarely crowded . There are lots of sand dollars and just a great beach all around.
Dash point is a great place to take your family. Take your beach / picnic supplies, get there early to stake out a picnic table unpack and relax. Living so close I have a date with my 2 year old son on Saturday mornings. We go early, me with my coffee, he with his juice and breakfast snack and have breakfast at the beach. We yell and listen to our echos in the tunnel from the parking lot to the beach, play in the ice cold stream, discover what seaweed is all about then run all over the beach. Soon skin boarding... like I did growing up.. Can't wait.
Not something to travel the country for, but if you are in the neighborhood and the kids enjoy beach-combing, its a nice option. There is also a pleasant campground and lots of mountain biking and hiking trails consisting of 1-3 mile loops that youngsters can do easily. My boys love tearing through the trails in any weather.
Great State Park on the west side of Federal Way. This state park features camping on the rd the other side of the water and day trips to the beach. I personally would go a little bit down the street to Dash Point Park near Salty's. It has a beach and playground!