Swimming & Water Activities

Parks offer a wide variety of beach and water-related activities for the whole family. Explore the tidepools at Deception Pass, discover the reefs at Saltwater and let the wind catch your sails at Columbia Hills.

Rules & safety

There's a few general tips to know when spending time on the beach or in the water.

Always wear a life jacket while out on the water.
Bring plenty of drinking water. It's easy to be surrounded by water but forget to hydrate.
Wear sunscreen and a hat.
Bring water shoes to protect your feet.
Remember that even when the weather is hot, the water can be cold. Even the strongest swimmers should protect themselves from cold water shock by wearing a life jacket.

Popular parks with Swimming & Water Activities

A metal ramp with green mildew leads to a floating dock with two large wooden supports and three wooden supports and an orange throw ring at the end of the dock. A small boat is tied to the left side. Large evergreen trees, a grassy area with a rocky beach and blue sky are seen in the background.

Pleasant Harbor State Park Property

A picnic table on grass sits in the foreground separated from the rocky beach by a line of tall grass and driftwood. In the upper left, an evergreen tree branch hangs into view. A short distance off shore, under the sun and blue sky with a cloudy horizon, sits a small treed island. Treed hillsides sit on the right and along the horizon in the background.

Turn Island Marine State Park

A T-shaped wooden dock sites in the water with boats tied to the end. In the background sits forested hills and a mountain poking out in the far back.

Mystery Bay State Park

blue green waters with boats moored in the distance under blue skies

Jarrell Cove State Park

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Getting started with Swimming & Water Activities

Swimming

Our parks have many places to swim and beat the summer heat. Remember: Much of our river and shore water can be very cold due to glacial runoff and colder ocean temperatures. Some fun places to swim include Lake Sammamish, Deception Pass, Millersylvania and Lake Easton.

Scuba diving

Good scuba diving can be found at more than 20 state parks, including boat-access-only Blake Island. There’s an artificial reef to explore at Saltwater, just minutes away from both Seattle and Tacoma. Divers especially like Potlatch for its accessible location and its easy diving descent.

Windsurfing

Some of the world’s best windsurfing is found in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, where more than a half-dozen state parks boast ideal sailboarding conditions. Doug’s Beach is rated for advanced windsurfers, but nearby Columbia Hills (with the same high winds but no barge traffic or swift river currents) is perfect for beginners. Other popular windsurfing parks include Maryhill, Lincoln Rock, and Lake Wenatchee. Saltwater sailboarders catch the wind at Dash Point near Tacoma and Shine Tidelands on Hood Canal.