🌤 Weather at Joemma Beach State Park by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38–64 °F | 51–76 °F | 40–70 °F | 36–48 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Tacoma Narrows Airport, 11 mi away, elevation 292 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
Joemma Beach State Park is a public state park in Washington near Longbranch in Pierce County. It has 3,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on Case Inlet in South Puget Sound, with 19 primitive campsites and a dock.
Quick Facts
| State | Washington |
| Nearest City | Longbranch |
| County | Pierce |
| Park Size | 122 acres |
| Accessibility |
|
Location & Getting There
Joemma Beach State Park is located near Longbranch, Washington. The park’s coordinates are 47.2244, -122.8089.
Things to Do
Joemma Beach is 122 acres of second-growth forest on the Key Peninsula with the thing that matters: 3,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on Case Inlet, South Puget Sound. The waterfront works hard — a 500-foot floating dock (mid-April through mid-October, with about 30 feet of moorage left at low tide), a boat launch, moorage buoys, a marked crabbing area and a canoe access point. Fishing, crabbing and shellfish gathering are the draws; you’ll need a Washington shellfish license for the latter, and the state’s own advice is to check the Department of Health shellfish safety map on the day you dig. Seals, deer, fox and raccoons round out the wildlife list.
It is a small park, and quiet is the point. There’s a reservable roofed picnic shelter, first-come tables with standing grills, vault toilets and drinking water; the trails are short forest walks rather than destinations. For bigger beaches and longer trails on the same peninsula, Penrose Point and Kopachuck are the neighbors.
Best Time to Visit
The reservable campsites open May 15 and close October 1 — the same window as the dock, which comes out of the water in mid-October. Summer is crab-and-kayak season; the shoulder weeks in May and September give you the shoreline nearly alone. The park itself stays open year-round, 8 a.m. to dusk, and winter day trips for a low-tide walk on the beach are entirely reasonable on the peninsula’s mild coast.
Visitor Tips
A Discover Pass is required — $10 per day or $45 per year. Camping here is primitive on purpose: 19 sites at a flat $12 a night year-round (no hookups, no showers), reservable in season; two hiker/biker sites and two Cascadia Marine Trail sites for paddlers stay first come, first served. Moorage runs $23 per night on a buoy or $1 per vessel foot at the dock, and launching costs $7 — as of September 2026. Dogs are welcome on leash; horses are not.
From Tacoma, take Highway 16 to the Purdy exit, then Highway 302, which becomes the Key Peninsula Highway — about 15 miles — before turning onto Whiteman Road for 4 miles and Bay Road for one more. The name is a contraction: Joe and Emma Smith leased this land and moved here in 1919, farming and renting cottages and publishing the “Joemma Bulletin,” a catalog magazine that reached 4,000 readers in the 1920s before the Depression sent them back to Seattle. The site became the Robert F. Kennedy Recreation Site in 1969 and took back its old name as a state park in 1995.
Fees, seasons and facility details verified against parks.wa.gov on September 2, 2026. Fees change — confirm before you travel.
Wildlife & Nature
Joemma Beach State Park — 122 acres on the Key Peninsula in southern Puget Sound — offers 3,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on Case Inlet with a public dock, boat launch, and 19 campsites. The park’s beach reveals excellent tide pooling at low tide — shore crabs, sea anemones, and clams populate the rocky intertidal zone. Bald eagles nest in the old-growth Douglas fir above the beach. Harbor seals fish offshore. The park’s name comes from Joe and Emma Smith, who homesteaded the property. The protected waters of Case Inlet are popular for kayaking.
Nearby Attractions
Penrose Point State Park — 5 miles north — offers additional waterfront camping. Cutts Island Marine State Park — 3 miles east by boat — offers primitive island camping. Key Center — 5 miles north — has the Key Peninsula Community Center. Tacoma — 30 miles north — provides full services.
Explore More Washington State Parks
Joemma Beach State Park is one of many outstanding state parks in Washington. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in Washington guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.
Make it a road trip: Pair a visit with McMicken Island Marine State Park (a short drive away) or Penrose Point State Park (a short drive away).
🐾 Dogs & Pets at Joemma Beach State Park
- Pets allowed? statewide rule
- Pets are allowed in most Washington state parks but must be under physical control on a leash at all times.
- Leash rule statewide rule
- 8 ft maximum leash required; pets must be under physical control
- Beaches & swim areas statewide rule
- Pets are not permitted on designated swim beaches
- Cabins & lodging statewide rule
- Pets are not allowed inside vacation houses but are permitted in designated pet-friendly cabins and yurts (e.g. Grayland Beach, Seaquest, Ike Kinswa — Cape Disappointment does NOT allow pets in its yurts), typically up to two pets, with a pet fee
- Pet fees statewide rule
- No day-use pet fee; $15 per night pet fee in pet-friendly cabins/yurts
- Statewide exceptions statewide rule
- Director-designated off-leash areas are exempt from the leash rule and are conspicuously posted
Are dogs allowed at Joemma Beach State Park?
Pets are allowed in most Washington state parks but must be under physical control on a leash at all times. Individual parks can post stricter rules — check signage on arrival.
Rules verified July 2026 via parks.wa.gov. More: Washington state parks guide · Dog rules in all 50 states compared
Park Location
Plan your gear for Joemma Beach State Park
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
