Do you have outdoor places you enjoy but visit only occasionally? If so, don’t assume they haven’t changed since the last time you were there. That’s what happened to a small, almost secluded parking area at the entrance to NAD Marine Park in Bremerton. As the photo shows, vehicle access is now blocked by a yellow gate.
There were only about a half-dozen parking places, all in the deep shade of alders and big-leaf maples with a peekaboo view of Ostrich Bay. It was a quiet scenic place year around. While the parking lot wasn’t a secret, it was never full when I was there.
The parking lot was a favorite destination of mine for several reasons. You could park there and walk along the half-mile waterfront trail to NAD Jackson Park. Or you could park there to meditate or to have lunch in your car. I know, I have done all three.
I don’t know why the gate was added. Perhaps the Bremerton Parks & Recreation Department was trying to prevent illegal activities like drinking or drug use. Or perhaps people were parking there overnight or there was a safety issue. Whatever the case, if the new gate doesn’t send a clear message, there’s also a large red Closed sign attached to a tree next to the parking area.
To be clear, it’s the parking lot that’s closed not NAD Marine Park itself. You can still walk or bike in to access the waterfront trail or to use the green picnic table that’s visible in the photo just past the older yellow bollards. The problem is that there is no extra space to park on Shorewood Drive, the narrow residential street that ends at the park entrance. While the decision makers at Bremerton Parks probably think what they did was necessary, I would guess that park use has dropped off since the gate was added.
I don’t know when the new gate was installed as I had not visited the park for a couple of years before yesterday. With nothing to eat at home, I ordered a burger and fries at Burger King and stopped at the park on my way out of Bremerton. Blocked by the new gate, I parked on the Shorewood Drive side in a shady area. Lunch was OK as no one bothered me while I was there despite the No Parking sign. But it wasn’t the same or as pleasant as parking in the now former parking area.
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