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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State Parks schedules buoy repairs for San Juan Islands, Hood Canal parks

05/20/2024
Overnight mooring space may be limited during construction  OLYMPIA – May 20, 2024 – Washington State Parks is set to begin contracted mooring buoy repair work in several state parks. Work in the San Juan Islands begins June 10 and work on the eastern Olympic Peninsula and Hood Canal will start July 8.   Parks will also complete routine inspections and maintenance of 81 of its public mooring buoys. The maintenance project will service state-owned public mooring buoys to ensure they are in top condition for boaters this summer.  Anticipated repair schedule:   San… Read more

Water Safety Reminders as Boating Season Begins

05/15/2024
OLYMPIA – May 15, 2024 – Recreational boating is a popular pastime in Washington. In fact, nearly 225,000 vessels were registered in 2023. When you include Washington residents who own at least one canoe, kayak, rowboat or stand-up paddle board, boats and boaters are everywhere! During the month of May, those who participate in boating activities (and those who don’t!) are encouraged to keep safety in mind. Recreation is not without risk. The chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest can be unforgiving, and safety must be on the minds of everyone who plays in and around Washington’s waterways… Read more

State Parks announces Folk and Traditional Arts concerts, festivals for summer and fall

05/14/2024
Olympia – May 14, 2024 – The Washington State Parks (Parks) Folk and Traditional Arts Program (FTAP) has announced their summer lineup of concerts and festivals, including a new concert series in Central Washington and a new cultural festival at Lake Sammamish. In addition to the three popular outdoor summer concert series, at Deception Pass, Cape Disappointment and Lake Wenatchee state parks, the program will launch a four-concert series at Lincoln Rock State Park in July. The concerts feature local artists performing a wide variety of music, including Bluegrass, folk, Americana, Klezmer,… Read more

Schafer State Park adds campground, facilities

05/01/2024
OLYMPIA – May 1, 2024 – Schafer State Park is ready to welcome visitors to its expanded campground, just in time for its centennial anniversary as a state park. Washington State Parks (Parks) is wrapping up a two-year renovation of the historic park on the Satsop River near Elma. Schafer’s new campground has 30 sites that add to its 38 existing sites and campground. Construction improvements also include a new restroom building, welcome center, reservoir for the park’s potable water system, landscaping, entry road and roads through the campgrounds. Parks is appreciative of the Friends… Read more

State Parks co-hosts Washington Coast Cleanup on April 20 

04/10/2024
OLYMPIA – As a proud member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will co-host the annual Washington Coast Cleanup on Saturday, April 20. This year’s event will take place at ten state parks: Cape Disappointment, Fort Flagler, Fort Townsend, Fort Worden, Grayland Beach, Mystery Bay, Ocean City, Pacific Beach, Shine Tidelands and Twin Harbors.  In partnership with Washington CoastSavers, Parks puts on three beach cleanup volunteer events a year – and there is always more work to be done. In 2023, 1,923 volunteers picked up 133,249… Read more

Asphalt repair project set to begin on Spokane River Centennial Trail

04/09/2024
SPOKANE — Beginning on April 15, the easternmost 14 miles of the Spokane River Centennial Trail will temporarily close while the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission resurfaces the trail with a new layer of asphalt. The project is anticipated for completion in early September. The project area extends west from the Washington/Idaho border to the Donkey Islands Trailhead in Millwood. The new asphalt will provide trail users with a new, smooth surface to walk, run, bike and ride. Much of the Centennial Trail’s surface is the original 1989-1994 asphalt from the trail’s… Read more

Public invited to weigh in on expansion opportunities at Riverside State Park

04/04/2024
SPOKANE – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) invites the public to provide feedback and participate in conversations about a potential expansion of Riverside State Park to incorporate a property, newly acquired by Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, and known as “Glen Tana.”    The agency is now entering the second stage of its planning effort, which includes evaluation of a set of alternatives developed from the feedback it received during public meetings in the fall of 2023.  During this stage, the Parks planning team will suggest approaches to… Read more

Parks Commission to meet in Yakima

04/03/2024
Meeting update: The public will not be able to attend the April 11 Commission meeting virtually due to a technical emergency at TVW. Though the meeting will not be livestreamed, a recording of the meeting will be posted on this webpage approximately one week after the meeting. The public is still invited to attend in person. By having an in-person option, this meeting meets the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act. OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting at the Yakima Valley Museum in Yakima on… Read more

Visiting Deception Pass? Plan ahead and prepare for limited parking

03/28/2024
OLYMPIA — Your visit to Deception Pass State Park will look a little bit different this year as park staff steward its recovery from winter storms. In January 2024, the West Beach parking lot was damaged in several areas and littered with large debris. Ahead of the park's busiest seasons, park staff is planning to create limited day-use parking availability in an undamaged area of the lot. This work will tentatively be completed in early May, permit timelines allowing. The reduced lot will have a small drop-off area. RVs, trucks with trailers and boats will not be able to enter the reduced… Read more

WDFW joint release: Shellfish gathering at Kopachuck State Park closed for planned construction

03/19/2024
OLYMPIA – With daytime low tides returning and spring right around the corner, many of Washington’s clam and oyster beaches are now open or will soon reopen for recreational shellfish gathering. State clam, mussel, and oyster harvesting seasons vary by beach. Regulations and season dates as well as shellfishing tips are available on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website. The two-page 2024 Puget Sound clam, mussel, and oyster season guide is also now available online, as well as a bivalve shellfish identification chart. The 2024 tides chart … Read more