We're updating our camping and moorage fees to continue providing great experiences for visitors amid inflation and rising costs. You will see a rate increase for camping stays booked for May 15 and beyond. Moorage fees will increase Jan. 1. Learn more here.
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Formed by Glacial Meltwaters
Pearrygin Lake owes its existence to a quirk in the timing of melting glaciers. At the close of the Pleistocene ice age around 13,000 years ago, the huge Methow Valley glacier responsible for deepening the U-shaped Methow Valley persisted later than the tongues of ice that had flowed into the Chewack River Valley from a giant ice cap centered in today’s British Columbia.
Forest thinning project will reduce wildfire risk to Roslyn, Cle-Elum
OLYMPIA – May 12, 2022 – Washington State Parks will begin work to thin approximately 90 acres on the Bullfrog State Park Property near Cle Elum this month. The hired contractor will remove smaller, weaker and less fire tolerant trees to reduce fuel loads and promote fire tolerant species. The project will return the forest to historic site conditions and improve the health of remaining trees by reducing competition.
Ebey’s Landing State Park Heritage Site is situated at a point where tall bluffs of ice age glacial outwash that ring most of Whidbey Island gently lower to the sea, affording easy access from the saltwater beach to the open prairies of the island’s interior. People have lived here for more than 10,000 years. It is among the most culturally significant settings in the Pacific Northwest.
Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site preserves a significant site in the running battle that occurred on May 17, 1858, between allied Indigenous warriors under the leadership of Chief Kamiakin (Yakama/ Palús) and US Army soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edward J. Steptoe. The battle was a significant victory for the Indigenous warriors in their drive to protect their way of life against the incursion of American colonists into their homelands.
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking applications from winter sports enthusiasts for the agency’s snowmobile and non-motorized advisory committees. Five positions are available statewide to snowmobilers, and two are available statewide to individuals involved in non-motorized winter sports.
OLYMPIA – Feb. 22, 2022 – This month, Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Holly Williams of Vancouver as the newest member of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Enjoy this Ranger-led hike. Expect to see the park’s inner beauty and enjoy this healthy working forest. Bring in the new year, whether this is your first time or your annual trip.
Planners will discuss facility improvements at Blake Island Marine State Park
OLYMPIA – April 20, 2022 – Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to a hybrid in-person and virtual public meeting on Bainbridge Island to learn more about planned facility improvements at neighboring Blake Island Marine State Park.
In the evening by lamp-light, Willie was buried here November 26, 1855.
Willie Keil Grave State Park Heritage Site commemorates a tale that is legendary for its strangeness, its example of devotional love for a departed son, and for its story of a father’s promise kept.
Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site offers visitors an opportunity to peer through a telescope to glimpse other worlds far beyond planet Earth, thanks to the dedication of people who generously gave their time and skill to build a 24.5-inch telescope for the sole purpose of providing the public an extraordinary experience.
An Observatory for the Public
In 1960, four men in Vancouver, WA came together to pursue their dream of building a telescope.
OLYMPIA — Washington State Parks needs the help of its visitors to stop the spread of invasive pests that can cause significant damage to our forests.
State parks have a wide variety of natural native and planted non-native trees and forests, which puts them at risk for almost every worrisome invasive pest. Parks are of particular concern because they welcome visitors from all over the state and country who often bring their own camping supplies for their stay. This includes the main culprit for invasive pest transfer: firewood.
An angler casts her line into a glassy lake, and a sweater-clad camper sips a steaming mug of coffee. They gaze out, admiring the last tendrils of mist on the water as the rising sun plays on the amber hills above. Welcome to mornings at Pearrygin Lake.
Washington State Parks will lead the hike along with our Klickitat Trail Conservancy partners. 3 mile hike, 1.5 in and 1.5 back on crushed gravel trail that is moderately flat and less than 1 percent grade.
Steptoe Butte, or Eomoshtoss, rises high above the rolling hills of the Palouse country, an impressive landmark with many stories to tell.
OLYMPIA – Jan. 11, 2023 – This month, Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Ali Raad of Thurston County as the newest member of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
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.
Free performances celebrate diverse cultures
OLYMPIA – June 7, 2022 – The Washington State Parks' Folk and Traditional Arts Program will reprise two of its beloved concert series this summer at Deception Pass and Cape Disappointment state parks. The program also added a third series at Lake Wenatchee State Park, expanding free access to diverse musical traditions in Central Washington.
Performance schedules are as follows:
“…it still looks the same as it did when I came here to visit 70 years ago…” --Dorette Rothschild Lemon, 2010
Want to build a snowman? Hike? Go sledding? Choose your own winter wonderland adventure this Jan. 1 at Fields Spring State Park!
Calling all pups! Bring your people for a day of food, fun and walkies this New Year's Day at Sacajawea Historical State Park
Olympia – May 14, 2024 – The Washington State Parks (Parks) Folk and Traditional Arts Program (FTAP) has announced their summer lineup of concerts and festivals, including a new concert series in Central Washington and a new cultural festival at Lake Sammamish.
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Folk and Traditional Arts Program (FTAP) and Kirkland-based non-profit Ubuntu Nerudo will partner to hold the second-annual Ubuntu Nerudo African Heritage Festival at Lake Sammamish State Park next month.
Whenever we have a question about the non-human life in our parks, we ping our Natural Resources Manager, Dr. Andrea Thorpe. She recently sat down to answer questions about herself, her job and advice for women and girls seeking STEM careers.