Kopachuck State Park will close for major construction

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 improved upper parking lot, better connectivity between the upper and lower sections of the park, new roads and underground power and water lines.  

For everyone’s safety, Parks is asking visitors and neighbors to respect the closure. It will not be safe for people to recreate in any part of the park during the construction, including the trails on the side of the road. 

Background 

Kopachuck, located just south of Gig Harbor, was a camping park until laminated root rot was discovered in many of its trees 2011. For the safety of the public, Parks closed the campground and converted the park into day-use only. 

In 2014, Parks began reimagining Kopachuck as a well-rounded day-use space with a community meeting hall, park office/welcome center, improved parking lots and restrooms, increased ADA accessibility and a new playground. Parks worked with the community to gather ideas and input. Several options were considered before the current concept was chosen. 

The project became a reality in the current biennium after funding and permitting were secured. Parks is working with Mountain Construction of Tacoma to complete the park improvements.