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Airplane pilots and boaters compare Puget Sound to a maze. Land fingers, islands and waterways comprise the stunning topography, and South Sound inlets dead-end at mudflats and beaches. Amidst all this intrigue, Joemma Beach State Park is remarkably accessible.

All but hidden on the west side of Marrowstone Island, Mystery Bay State Park offers a great escape for visitors arriving by land or by water. Boaters can dock or lay anchor and stroll along the grassy and gravelly shoreline or enjoy the inlet's pristine waters.
Step back in time at Fort Casey Historical State Park. Ignite your curiosity in the historic military batteries and 1903 lighthouse, with its own interpretive center and gift shop. Soak in the stunning views, fly a kite, fish or explore the beach at this central west side Whidbey Island gem.

Deception Pass Park Foundation and Washington State Parks offer fun activities to ring in the new year

OLYMPIA – Dec. 1, 2021 – The Deception Pass Park Foundation and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invite the public to ring in the new year with an extra special New Year's weekend experience at Deception Pass State Park.


Construction will impact boat launch use during 2023 halibut, lingcod fishing season

OLYMPIA – March 16, 2023 – Construction is underway for the new Keystone Boat Launch on Whidbey Island. Located near the Keystone Ferry Terminal, the popular launch is part of Fort Casey Historical State Park.

Set on the seaward side of Chuckanut Mountain near Bellingham, Larrabee State Park is known for its postcard views of Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands. Come enjoy this 2,748-acre camping park and explore 8,100 feet of saltwater shoreline. It's no wonder that this iconic outdoor locale was established as Washington's first state park.

We pick up the story of Bessie Virginia Charawell-Jarboe-Koudal after World War I. The couple had left Fort Worden, but were stationed for some time on an island near Deception Pass. Follow her extraordinary life in Part II of this adventure-packed blog.

The first Washington state iNaturalist verified observation of the species, Hylaeus basalis, (Cinquefoil Masked Bee), was photographed on Marrowstone Island in Jefferson County on May 8, 2024.  This small, nearly all black bee was observed in coastal strand habitat inside Fort Flagler State Park.

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a virtual work session on March 19. 

Commission meeting agenda items include an update on the agency’s Climate and Sustainability Program activities, an update on State-Tribal Recreation Impacts Initiative and efforts to adopt a charter for the initiative in June 2025, a legislative update, a financial update and general updates from State Parks staff.

Fort Worden Historical State Park preserves an example of a US Army defense project from the beginning of the 20th century. Its strategic location on a high bluff at the entrance to Puget Sound also features sweeping vistas of the islands, waterways and mountain ranges that have attracted people here for millennia.

Fort Casey Historical State Park preserves an example of a US Army defense project from the beginning of the 20th century. Its strategic location on a high bluff at the entrance to Puget Sound also features an historic lighthouse and sweeping vistas of the islands, waterways and mountain ranges that have attracted people here for millennia.

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.

Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, and parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, and parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.
Family in Nature is a fun and highly interactive, nature-based program designed for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and focuses on various aspects of nature found in the park. The programs include story time, creative play, parent-led activities and crafts. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space where you and your little ones can enjoy the wonders of Deception Pass together.

Ocean City State Park has been an oceanfront destination for generations. The park faces the Pacific Ocean at North America’s “active margin,” where the ocean-floor Juan de Fuca tectonic plate slowly sinks beneath the continent, sliding at a rate of about 13 feet per century in the plate’s subduction zone. Sudden movements of the Juan de Fuca Plate can cause earthquakes that may modify the land surface and generate tsunamis.

When we picture an active military fort, we think of soldiers running drills, gun batteries firing, inspections and loading mines into the river. All of those were normal, everyday aspects of life at a Columbia River fort. However, that only tells one side of the story of life at these forts. The other side of the story looks past wartime and focuses on peacetime, when families of soldiers stationed at the fort could come live alongside them.

CAMANO ISLAND — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is excited to support the Cama Beach Quilters in hosting their 15th annual quilt show. 

This year, the quilt show is moving from Cama Beach Historical State Park to the Camano Commons Marketplace at Terry’s Corner to accommodate more people with improved parking and space for vendors. The new location is also much flatter and more navigable for eventgoers with limited mobility.