Parks Commission approves stay limit changes

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Recreation Commission has approved changes to camping stay limits in state parks.  The update limits maximum stay lengths to no more than 10 nights in one park within a 30-day period. Total nights stayed cannot exceed 90 nights per calendar year in all state parks. Camping stay limits are outlined in Section 7 of WAC 352-32-030.  This update aims to make camping stay limits clear and consistent for visitors, better support stewardship of camping resources and improve equity of access to camping. The proposed changes were presented to the Commission…

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Parks Commission approves stay limit changes

07/25/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Recreation Commission has approved changes to camping stay limits in state parks.  The update limits maximum stay lengths to no more than 10 nights in one park within a 30-day period. Total nights stayed cannot exceed 90 nights per calendar year in all state parks. Camping stay limits are outlined in Section 7 of WAC 352-32-030.  This update aims to make camping stay limits clear and consistent for visitors, better support stewardship of camping resources and improve equity of access to camping. The proposed changes were presented to the Commission… Read more

Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey 2024 set to stopover in Saltwater State Park, how to show support

07/25/2024
Des Moines – The traditional lands of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe on the present-day beaches of Saltwater State Park will welcome traditional canoe families on July 29. The landing is a stopover on the Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey. The stopover will be hosted by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. As many as 60 canoes, each carrying up to 43 people, will ask the host Tribe permission to come ashore and share in ceremonial songs and dances. Day of the landing Canoe landings will occur throughout the day on Monday on the beach at Saltwater State Park by the concession building.… Read more

Winter Recreation Advisory Committee upcoming summer funding meetings

07/23/2024
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks Winter Recreation Program will hold its annual summer funding meetings for both the Snowmobile Advisory Committee (SMAC) and the Winter Recreation Advisory Committee (WRAC) in early August. Each meeting is open to the public and the community is invited to attend. SMAC assists and advises the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (State Parks) in the development of snowmobile facilities and programs. The SMAC summer budget meeting will take place Fri., Aug. 2 from 5:30-8 p.m. and Sat., Aug. 3 at 8 a.m. at the Wenatchee Convention Center. The… Read more

Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey 2024 stopover in Birch Bay State Park

07/22/2024
BLAINE – The Nooksack Indian Tribe will welcome canoe families today at Birch Bay State Park. The landing is a stopover on the Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey. As many as eight canoes, each carrying up to 30 people, will ask the host Tribe permission to come ashore. Canoe landings will occur throughout the day on the beach at Birch Bay by the Heron Center log building. Parking in front of the Heron Center will be reserved for Tribal Elders and visitors with a disability placard. The parking lot north of the Heron Center will be reserved for additional parking for Tribal… Read more

Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey 2024 set to stopover in Fort Worden, how to support

07/18/2024
qatáy/Port Townsend – The traditional lands of the S'Klallam, known as qatáy, on the present-day beaches of Fort Worden Historical State Park, will welcome traditional canoe families on Fri., July 26. The landing is a stopover on the Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey. The stopover will be hosted by the ʔéʔɬx̣ʷaʔ (Lower Elwha Klallam), stətíɬəm (Jamestown S'Klallam) and nəxʷq̕íyt (Port Gamble S'Klallam). As many as 25 canoes, each carrying up to 43 people, will ask the host Tribes permission to come ashore and share in ceremonial songs and dances. Day of the landing Canoe… Read more

Fourth-annual Gathering of the Eagles celebrates intergenerational cultural heritage of Coast Salish

07/17/2024
Lhaq'temish Land/Territory — In May, five canoes traveled ancestral highways through land and water in many of the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish People. Esqalph etse Kwelengsen, or “Gathering of the Eagles” in the Xwlemi dialect of the Lummi People, is an inter-tribal canoe journey hosted with the permission of Kwelengsen elders. The fourth-annual journey was a celebratory reflection on the “olden days” when canoes traveled these same waters for gatherings and celebrations. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is honored to lift the voices of the Indigenous… Read more

Parks to host open house, share Riverside State Park boundary expansion recommendations

07/11/2024
SPOKANE – After several months of conversation with the community, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission developed its preliminary land use plan for the potential boundary expansion of Riverside State Park.  The plan includes recommendations for the long-term boundary of Riverside State Park and future land use classifications for the proposed expansion to include a 1,000-acre parcel known as “Glen Tana." The recommended land use classifications within the long-term boundary expansion of the Glen Tana property include natural, heritage and resource recreation areas.  Natural… Read more

Parks Commission to meet in Stanwood, Bellingham

07/10/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a special commission meeting at the Stanwood High School Commons on July 15 and its regularly scheduled commission meeting at the Four Points by Sheraton in Bellingham on July 18.   The regular Commission meeting agenda items include requests for Commission approval of:  The dates and locations for the 2025 regular Commission meeting schedule  Revisions to Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 352-32-030 Camping stay limits and WAC 352-32-010 Definitions  The sale of excess timber resulting from forest health projects… Read more

State Recognizes Paddle Safe Week July 22-28

07/09/2024
OLYMPIA — Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a proclamation declaring the week of July 22-28 to be statewide Paddle Safe Week. Supported by the Washington State Parks Boating Program, Paddle Safe Week will lead a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddle sports. The campaign recognizes that Washington’s diverse waterways require different skills, preparation, and safety equipment. In the last five years, paddlers have come to represent 55 percent of statewide recreational boating fatalities. Data shows that low life jacket wear rates and a lack of safety… Read more

Discover summer fun at Fort Worden, Fort Flagler and Fort Townsend

06/28/2024
PORT TOWNSEND – Summer is packed with fun activities and programs for the whole family at Fort Worden, Fort Flagler and Fort Townsend this summer.  Join the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission for free interpretive walks, evening programs, pop-up exhibits and museum tours.  From grandparents to little ones, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the forts. Military history buffs have the opportunity to tour the batteries by flashlight, see old spotlights in action and explore the historic structures. Kids can also spend their summer learning outdoors with one of the forts’… Read more