Lake Sylvia Entrance Construction

Project summary

Lake Sylvia State Park will be closed June through Nov. 30, 2024 for a major construction project that will replace the culvert beneath the entrance road with a bridge and a new road. The culvert is failing, which puts the road at risk of collapsing, particularly during heavy rain events. 

  • Location: Lake Sylvia State Park
  • Estimated start date: June 10, 2024
  • Estimated end date: Nov. 30, 2024
  • Budget: $2.9 million

Impacts

Lake Sylvia State Park will close in its entirety this summer.

  • The closure is expected to last from June 10 through Nov. 30 but could be extended depending on weather and construction delays.
  • The Lake Sylvia campground will close from June 10 through Nov. 30. When the campground reopens, sites will be available on a first come, first served basis, which is standard for the shoulder season. The campground will begin taking reservations again next spring.

The community trails around the park can still be accessed through neighborhoods and a city forest by foot or by bike. The trails connected to the park are popular with local hikers, mountain bikers and sometimes equestrians.

We also encourage campers and day users to take this opportunity to check out neighboring Schafer State Park on the Satsop River.

Work to be completed

The failing culvert will be removed, and a bridge will be built over the stream. This project involves removing thousands of cubic feet of soil and taking out the road and culvert.

Parks will also be building a pedestrian walkway over the new bridge to the park.

Why now

Summer is often the best weather window for construction. There is also an in-water work window established by WDFW to protect fish present in the lake, during which Parks is permitted to do the construction.

The bridge will improve the connectivity of the stream that is currently constricted by the existing culvert and associated road fill.

Other notable work

During the closure window, the Friends of Lake Sylvia are finishing maintenance and improvement work.

The City of Montesano is working on a paving project on Sylvia Lake Road during this time. There will be no parking available on Sylvia Lake Road to walk into the park.

Reason for delayed reopening (updated Sept. 5, 2024)

Additional excavation was required to secure the bridge footings, which has delayed the original Sept. 30 reopening. The excavation and backfill has extended the work by at least 40 days, but given seasonal weather change, the project is expected to complete by the end of 2024. Updates will be provided if the park opens ahead of schedule.

Contact Us

Name Charles Stewart
Department Acting Area Manager
Phone 360-249-3621
Email charles.stewart@parks.wa.gov