Wildfire season is here and impacting several parks, so make sure you’re in the know before you go. Before you head to a park, please check its page or head to our alerts page for closures, alerts and other important information to make sure you have a fun, safe and informed trip.
State Parks Commission to meet virtually
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting virtually on Aug. 27
Commission meeting agenda items include an approval of the 2026 regular commission meeting schedule, approval of the Commission’s priorities for the 2025-27 biennium, approval of the agency’s request legislation for the 2026 Legislative Session, a presentation about the upcoming launch of the Scenic Bikeways Program and a financial update.
View the full agenda and presentation materials here.
This is an online meeting, and all…
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06/25/2024
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) asks everyone who is planning a Fourth of July celebration at a park or on the beach to be safe and protect their friends, neighbors, public lands and wildlife.
Parks sees a dramatic increase in visitation during Independence Day celebrations, particularly on its beaches. The increase in traffic also increases the amount of trash left behind. Last year, volunteers collected more than 111,000 pounds of garbage from ocean beaches during Parks’ annual July 5 beach cleanup. That’s equivalent to the combined weight of… Read more
06/20/2024
OLYMPIA — Significant septic failures led to the closure of the cabins and other buildings in the beach area of Cama Beach State Park in February 2024.
A comprehensive, multi-year planning process has since started to address the question of the future of the use of the park and cabins, and will include examination of State Parks recreation in this area.
As part of the broader planning process, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) will hold a special commission meeting on Mon., July 15, 2024, in Stanwood, Wash. Parks staff will present additional… Read more
06/13/2024
OLYMPIA — On July 1, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will transition to the statewide small works roster hosted by the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC).
State Parks will no longer use the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) Small Works Roster. Prime contractors who would like to continue receiving small works opportunities after June 30 must register after July 1. The MRSC registration is for prime contractors only at this time. Learn more and register here.
To facilitate this transition, State Parks will pause new small works opportunities… Read more
06/07/2024
SPOKANE — This week, the easternmost 14 miles of the Spokane River Centennial Trail reopened after the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission resurfaced it with a new layer of asphalt.
The project was completed weeks ahead of schedule.
The newly resurfaced area extends west from the Washington/Idaho border to the Donkey Islands Trailhead in Millwood. The new asphalt provides trail users with a smooth walking, running and riding surface for the next 25 years.
Parks appreciates its community members and visitors for their patience as the agency finished this… Read more
06/06/2024
Same-day reservations program expands across Washington
OLYMPIA – June 6, 2024 – Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) is excited to announce its same-day reservation pilot program has expanded to 26 parks across the state.
Additionally, Parks has implemented a new flexible dates feature in its reservations system. Rather than searching for exact dates, visitors can now choose the flexible booking dates option and see when different sites are available. This great new feature lets campers with flexibility find a site, especially during peak season… Read more
06/05/2024
SPOKANE — The community is invited to attend an open house to learn more about an upcoming forest thinning project in the 7-Mile area of Riverside State Park.
Between fall 2024 and spring 2025, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will complete a 300-acre forest health treatment in the area. There will be intermittent trail closures within the project area during this time.
Crews will focus on removing excess wildfire fuels and low vigor trees from the treatment area to help return it to a more natural state and promote its health and resiliency.… Read more
06/05/2024
OLYMPIA – Lake Sylvia State Park will close June 10 through Sept. 30 for an improvement project at the park’s entrance.
The $2.9 million Capital project will replace a culvert beneath the entrance road with a bridge and a new road. The new bridge will provide safer and more sustainable infrastructure to the park’s entrance, particularly in heavy rain events.
During the closure, park staff will also complete maintenance and improvements within the park, including pedestrian access to the park on the new bridge.
Due to weather and permitting constraints, the bulk of the construction must… Read more
05/30/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is asking campers to weigh in on proposed changes to its camping stay limits.
The proposed 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 days per calendar year in all state parks.
The proposed changes will be presented to the Commission during its regular meeting on July 18, 2024. If adopted, the new stay limits will go into effect Aug. 18, 2024. Camping stay limits are outlined in Section 7 of WAC 352-32-030.
The current WAC has… Read more
05/28/2024
Closure expected to last a full year
Olympia – Kopachuck State Park will close from June 3, 2024 until summer of 2025 for extensive construction and reimagining of the day-use park.
During the construction period, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will build an outdoor amphitheater, a new playground and a large, rentable facility in the upper day-use area. The goal of the project is to provide a park with better infrastructure, all while keeping its neighborhood park feel.
Additional construction will include a new park office near the entrance, an… Read more
05/22/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting virtually on May 29.
Commission meeting agenda items include a request to approve a land classification update at Bridle Trails State Park. The Commission will also host a work session where it will hear presentations on the agency’s budget planning and financial status, receiving an update on long-range planning at Fort Worden and discuss 2025 commission meeting schedules and logistics. View the full agenda and presentation materials here.
This is an online… Read more