Anyone interested in visiting one of Washington’s public beaches now has a new online recreational planning tool, thanks to the Department of Ecology (Ecology).

A new Public Beach Access feature on Ecology’s Coastal Atlas website (www.ecy.wa.gov/coastalatlas) provides detailed information on where to legally access the state’s public beaches — including those owned by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Department of Natural Resources, counties and cities, or another agency.

The website includes interactive maps and photos of trailheads, viewpoints and signs. This is especially helpful for access points that aren’t well marked or are located some distance from the beach.

Users can enter a beach name or a general location, or hover a computer mouse over a map and click to zoom in. The site includes information on: Whether beaches are closed to swimming, with links to advisories and monitoring reports; public boat launches, docks, piers and marinas; campsite availability, accessibility, hours of operations, fees; amenities such as bathrooms, drinking water, picnic tables, barbecue pits and whether pets are allowed; hiking trails; and links to weather and tide information.

“Especially with the high price of gas, no one wants to spend a day driving only to find a beach is closed for swimming or there is no legal access close by,” said Dr. Kathy Taylor, Ecology’s Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program. “Now, you check that before you leave, make sure the campsite you picked has the features you want, and even view photos of the beach and trail heads.”

“Anyone contemplating a trip to one of Washington’s beautiful public beaches will find this site helpful,” said director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Don Hoch. “It’s fast, it’s fun, and it tells you just about everything a person would need to know to plan a great day at the beach.”

The Public Beach Access program is part of Ecology’s Coastal Atlas, a powerful interactive map and searchable database that allows users to navigate and zoom detailed maps of Washington state and then select and layer different types of information.