Diane and I have driven past Deception Pass State Park many times to visit my dad in Anacortes since we moved to Washington State in 2017. And every time we went over the Deception Pass bridge, we said to each other someday we are going to camp here. And finally, that day has arrived. Sadly, part of the park is closed due to significant storm damage in January 2024. But most of the park including the trails, campsites and beach remain open to the public. One road to a parking lot at the beach remains closed due to the piles of driftwood and washed-out stairways and asphalt. And if peace and quite is the top priority for your camping trip, just know that the silence is often broken during the day by the sounds of Navy aircraft taking off and landing at the nearby Oak Harbor Naval Air Station, and sometimes flying in formation right over your head. Locals call this “the sound of freedom.”