PORT TOWNSEND – Anderson Lake State Park will close from Aug. 3 until early winter for major renovations to its entrance, parking area and trail.
This construction project will:
pave the park entrance, road and parking lot, including equestrian loading area
add a bike path to the entrance road
replace the wooden outhouse with CTX vault toilets
rebuild .6 mile of park trail with a mix of paving and boardwalks over wetland
During construction, trail junctures that connect a network of community trails and the long-distance Olympic Discovery Trail will be blocked at the park boundary.…
qatáy/PORT TOWNSEND — July 22, 2026 — In an annual celebration and gathering of inter-Tribal nations, the traditional lands of the S'Klallam/Klallam, known as qatáy, on the present-day beaches of Fort Worden Historical State Park, will welcome traditional canoe families on July 25.
The three federally recognized S’Klallam/Klallam Tribes of ʔéʔɬx̣ʷaÊ” (Lower Elwha), stÉ™tÃɬəm (Jamestown) and nÉ™xÊ·qÌ•Ãyt (Port Gamble) will host the canoe families. The stopover is an opportunity for the canoe pullers to rest and gather in potlatch after miles on the sea. As many as 20 canoes with canoe families and…
BLAINE — The Nooksack Indian Tribe will welcome canoe families to their traditional lands on the present–day beaches of Birch Bay State Park on July 22.
Birch Bay is a stopover where families will rest before continuing the Canoe Journey 2026 Paddle to Medicine Creek Nisqually Potlatch, which is hosted by the Nisqually Indian Tribe. The final landing is on July 31 in Olympia.
Several canoes will arrive at the beach and ask the host Tribe permission to come ashore. Canoe landings will occur throughout the day on the beach at Birch Bay by…
LACEY – Paddle Safe Week, supported by the Washington State Parks Recreational Boating Safety Program, is a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddlesports. It will be observed this year from July 22-28. The campaign recognizes that paddlesports, while a fun and enjoyable pastime, are not without risks.
Washington’s diverse waterways require different skills, preparation and safety equipment. During Paddle Safe Week, take a moment to review safety tips and encourage others in your community to do the same!
The single, most important…
MOSES LAKE — Though the Dry Falls Visitor Center remains closed for renovations this summer, the annual Ice Age Floods Fest will take place on Saturday, July 25 at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park.
Floods Fest will be held in the main amphitheater at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday.
The event, a yearly favorite among park visitors, National Ice Age Flood Geologic Trail followers, amateur and professional geologists and natural history buffs, will include a…
OLYMPIA – Washington State Parks will begin mooring buoy repair work in North and South Puget Sound beginning July 16, on the Kitsap Peninsula starting Aug. 10 and in North Puget Sound starting in mid-September this year.
The work is part of a long-term project to replace mooring buoy anchors with heftier, more stable anchors and chains. Replacement work is scheduled Monday through Friday and is subject to weather delays. To protect habitat for juvenile fish, permits require that work begin on or after July 16.
Mooring buoy repair schedule
North and South Puget Sound – July 20 through Aug…
CHELAN — Campers planning their 2027 getaways to Beebe Bridge State Park will need to book their stays – and set their alarms – a little earlier this year. As part of the ongoing management transition to Washington State Parks, the reservation process for the 2027 season will change to fit with State Parks’ rolling nine-month advance window.
To ensure local and regional campers don’t miss their opportunity to reserve camping nights for popular dates — especially holiday weekends — State Parks encourages visitors to familiarize themselves with its reservation system before the first…
LACEY — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular commission meeting on July 9 at its headquarters in Lacey.
This is a hybrid meeting, and the public is welcome to attend in-person or online.
Agenda items include:
A requested easement from the City of Spokane on the Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail
Requested approval of the Mount Spokane State Park Master Plan
Evaluation of grant projects proposed in the State Parks category of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program…
OLYMPIA – Recreational boaters in Washington waters will have an easier time disposing of vessel sewage thanks to over $500,000 in new federal pass-through grants for recreational boat pumpout projects.
Awarded by the Washington State Parks Clean Vessel Act Grant Program (CVA), the grants focus on constructing or maintaining sewage disposal systems for recreational vessels and supporting outreach programs that inform boaters about the location of these facilities.
Projects funded in the 2026 grant competition include:
San Juan Islands – $262,…
UNION – Twanoh State Park’s day-use area will close for several weeks this summer for a shoreline and creek restoration project that will enhance salmon habitat.
The partial closure will begin July 5 and the area is expected to reopen in late August. Camping will remain open all summer. During construction, sites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. When the restoration work is complete, sites will become reservable again.
Salmon habitat enhancement
The Twanoh restoration project will enhance salmon habitat by improving several key areas within the park. Work must be…
Wildfire season is here. Approximately 85 percent of WA's wildfires are caused by people. Do your part to protect your parks. Before visiting, check park alerts and burn restrictions before lighting any fires.