Wildfire season is here and impacting several parks, so make sure you’re in the know before you go. Before you head to a park, please check its page or head to our alerts page for closures, alerts and other important information to make sure you have a fun, safe and informed trip.
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Brooks Memorial State Park is located in a Simcoe Mountain oasis of ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak forest beside the East Prong of the Little Klickitat River. The area has long been enjoyed as a rest stop for travelers going between the Columbia River Gorge and points in north central Washington.
A first-time visitor to Paradise Point State Park might wonder why a place so close to the roar of a busy interstate highway was chosen to be one of Washington’s “cherished places.” It is important to remember that this landscape has a story that runs much longer and deeper than the concrete ribbon of Interstate 5.
Washington state parks welcomes many types of volunteer groups. Volunteer groups consist of three or more persons that volunteer on either short or long-term projects. or events. Volunteer groups can consist of formal groups such as scouts, church groups Friends Groups and recreational organizations to local businesses that just want to come out and support their local park.
Jackson House State Park Heritage Site is a 1.4-acre day-use park at Jackson Prairie. The park is the setting of a homestead cabin built by John R. Jackson, one of the first Euro-Americans to settle north of the Columbia River and a significant figure in early Washington territorial history.
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.
Searching for valuable objects with a metal detector is a fun, easy outdoor activity. Metal detecting is permitted at more than 30 state parks throughout Washington.
Metal detecting areas vary in each park. Some parks allow detecting in developed public-use areas and unoccupied campsites, while other parks allow detecting in specific areas only.
Metal detecting areas vary in each park. Some parks allow detecting in developed public-use areas and unoccupied campsites, while other parks allow detecting in specific areas only.
Washington State Parks, in partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, will create improved in-stream habitat along the lower 6,000 feet of Issaquah Creek that flows through Lake Sammamish State Park. The result will be an environment that is more hospitable to Chinook and other salmon species, where they can migrate, spawn and survive.
Washington State Parks will participate in the annual Girl Scouts Love State Parks program on Sept. 12-14, 2025. Girl Scouts Love State Parks is a partnership between Girl Scouts USA and the National Association of State Parks Directors. State parks in all 50 states participate.
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.
Every October, many Washingtonians succumb to “larch madness.” The phenomenon drives them to hike and road-trip in north-central and northeastern Washington, where they search for, marvel at and photograph these strange conifers that change color and lose their “needles.” Learn more about these beloved trees in our latest Tree ID blog.
If you enjoy Washington beaches, then you know how important it is to protect them. Protecting our beaches is a shore way of keeping them safe, clean and fun. There are several ways you can do your part and keep our parks a beautiful place.
Washington water fans, look no further! Bust out your kayak, sand bucket, swimsuit or fishing rod, and head straight for Dash Point State Park! Hidden in plain sight between Seattle and Tacoma, this park offers miles of forested hiking and biking trails, but its main draw is the beach.
OLYMPIA – March 1, 2022 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will host their regularly scheduled work session virtually on March 8.
The public may listen to or watch the meeting through the resources listed below. This is a work session between staff and the Commission. The public is invited to attend, but no public comment will be taken. No decisions will be made by the Commission at the work session.
OLYMPIA – Jan. 18, 2022 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular in-person commission meeting Thursday, Jan. 27 in The Commons at Fort Worden Historical State Park.
Commission action items include approval of 2022 agency priorities and a decision regarding obligations of the Fort Worden Public Development Authority.
Locals and visitors alike love Western Washington for its rivers, forests, lakes and… rain. OK, most people don't love the rain. But, with a hearty spirit, the right gear and a little prep work, the state's famous precipitation doesn't have to ruin your camping vacation.
Penrose Point State Park preserves a landscape that was a beloved summer retreat for a family that played a prominent role in education and public service in Washington State.
The winding saltwater passageways of southern Puget Sound, including Carr Inlet surrounding Penrose Point, were molded and scoured by glacial meltwaters at the close of the Pleistocene ice age.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is moving its headquarters out of Tumwater to collocate with the Department of Ecology at its building in Lacey.
Customers who prefer to visit the agency’s Information Center in person can visit the new location — 300 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA, 98503 — beginning June 2.
Washington State Parks is now operating the upper campus of Fort Worden Historical State Park. In the coming months, we will begin a planning process to inform the long-term plan for the upper campus. The parks campgrounds are open and remain available for reservations.
State Parks will engage with the Tribes separately to get an understanding of how they want to participate in future planning.
Rainbow Falls State Park, a peaceful haven in an oasis of old-growth forest, was established early in the growth of the Washington State Park system. The park was envisioned to be one of the “natural beauty spots untouched by civilization and the greed of man” that Governor Roland H. Hartley and others believed would make an ideal state park.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
Commission meeting items include a camping inventory update from Parks Director Diana Dupuis that covers use and trends at existing camping areas. The Commission will also hear a financial update and discuss its December planning meeting.
OLYMPIA — The community is invited to attend an open house to learn more about an upcoming forest thinning project at Nisqually State Park.
Between fall 2024 and summer 2025, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will complete a 189-acre forest health treatment inside Nisqually State Park. There will be intermittent trail closures in the project area during this time.
Jackson House State Park Heritage Site is a 1.4-acre day-use park in Chehalis on the Jackson Highway. The park was the setting of a homestead cabin built in 1850 by John R. Jackson, one of the first Euro-Americans to settle north of the Columbia River and an important figure in early Washington territorial history.
We know campfires are a fundamental part of the camping experience for many people – providing warmth, light, a gathering place for stories and the distinctive aroma that many associate with the great outdoors. For us, the enjoyment of these outdoor spaces in Washington is made possible by the responsible individuals who adhere to annual burn bans when staying at our parks – so thank you!
Friends of the Columbia Gorge held neighboring property until Parks could buy the land
OLYMPIA – June 15, 2022 – Washington State Parks, with critical assistance from Friends of the Columbia Gorge, purchased a tract of land next to Beacon Rock State Park. That land will be used to create safe, accessible pedestrian crossings, a new entrance and egress and additional parking.
Park planners will discuss updated plans for new trail access, parking for Willapa Hills Trail
OLYMPIA – March 8, 2022 – Washington State Parks invites the public to a second open house in Pacific County to learn more about updated plans for the Willapa Hills Trail at Menlo.
WHEN:
6:30 - 8 p.m.
Thursday, March, 24