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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OLYMPIA – December 1, 2022 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a planning meeting in-person on Tuesday, Dec. 6 and Wednesday, Dec. 7 in Camano Island.
Agenda items include year-end review, division highlights and 2023 Commission priorities.
The public may attend the meeting, but no public comment will be taken. Attendance is limited to in-person only. No virtual access will be available.
The 130-mile Columbia Plateau State Park Trail weaves together a diverse parade of landscapes filled with stories of land and people along the route of the abandoned Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway. The trail stretches through a swath of today’s eastern Washington, from ponderosa pine forests near Spokane across the volcanic “scablands” and into the deep canyon of the Snake River.
James Island Marine State Park preserves an entire island on the western side of Rosario Strait. Its two forested hills rise more than 200 feet above a low isthmus. Rock outcrops on its rugged shore reveal that the bedrock of the island was formed deep on the ocean floor and uplifted above the water’s surface by the forces of plate tectonics.
Long-term contract with concessionaire Argosy Cruises comes to an end
OLYMPIA – Dec. 13, 2021 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announced that Tillicum Excursion at Blake Island Marine State Park will close. Argosy Cruises, the concessionaire that operated Tillicum Excursion (formerly known as Tillicum Village) made the difficult decision to opt out of their long-standing contract with Parks due to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Did you or your love pop the question recently? Congratulations! Let the planning fun begin.
Rising 800 feet and spanning 600 acres, Steamboat Rock will impress the most seasoned of travelers. Carved by Ice Age floods into a dramatic, lake-dotted canyon, Steamboat Rock State Park’s landscape dates back at least 13,000 years. Known as "scabland," the area appears barren, but it is teeming with shy (and not-so-shy) wildlife, spring flowers and sagebrush.
This social camping park pulses with life in the summer. Generations of families return to the blue lake every year; they even try to book the same campsite they've used since the 1960s and '70s. But, while they'll jockey online for their favorite spot, veteran Chelan-goers happily share this gem with first-timers, and many lifelong friendships begin there.
Roll out for a medium to advanced-level biking adventure Jan. 1 at Fort Ebey State Park.
Roll out for a medium to advanced-level biking adventure Jan. 1 at Fort Ebey State Park.
The 3,876-acre, 130-mile Columbia Plateau State Park Trail is one of the state's hidden riches; explorers who find it are rewarded with big eastern Washington skies, rolling landscapes and unforgettable journeys.
Same-day reservations program expands across Washington
OLYMPIA – June 6, 2024 – Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) is excited to announce its same-day reservation pilot program has expanded to 26 parks across the state.
In 2014, the Bridle Trails Park Foundation began conversations with Washington State Parks about funding the design and construction of an environmental education building in the park. 2022 brought the formal presentation of a dedicated indoor educational program space for members of the community to experience the park regardless of weather or physical abilities, as well as an indoor park office where the Park Ranger can connect with visitors.
Learn about snakes in Washington State Parks.
Skagit Island Marine State Park is a delightfully pristine small island located in Skagit County near Deception Pass.
Rock From Spreading Tectonic Plates
The bedrock that makes up Skagit Island is part of a larger assemblage of rocks that outcrop on nearby islands and collectively make up an ophiolite sequence, a distinctive formation of rocks formed where the sea floor has spread apart at a tectonic plate boundary.
Stuart Island Marine State Park is a favorite boating destination with an interesting convergence of personal histories.
Sediments and Folds
The rocks that make up Stuart Island are made of siltstone and sandstone that formed from sediments deposited by river deltas and massive underwater landslides on the sea floor about 75 million years ago, at a location hundreds of miles south of today’s Stuart Island. Geologists call this formation the Nanaimo Group.
Clark Island Marine State Park preserves an entire long, narrow island along the northern edge of the San Juan Archipelago.
A Rocky Island
The San Juan Islands are distinct from most of Puget Sound in that they feature shorelines with exposures of hard bedrock, rather than the bluffs of clay, sand and gravel left by Ice Age glaciers that are predominant on most of Washington’s Salish Sea, the state’s inland saltwater passages.
The northwestern-most San Juan Island is sure to inspire with beautiful sunsets that glow orange and clear waters. Come prepared to stay overnight at the primitive campground or sleep on your boat. Once you arrive at this water-access-only gem, you won't want to leave.
OLYMPIA – Nov. 23, 2022 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is set to begin construction on the Keystone Boat Launch at Fort Casey State Park.
Enjoy a 2-hour guided snowshoe hike.
Step into U.S. military history at Fort Flagler Historical State Park on the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. Tour and explore a significant coastal defense fort established more than a century ago to guard the entrance to Puget Sound.
The hike will be led by a park ranger and will follow Twanoh Creek before climbing up to a forested ridgetop. It then follows a service road along the ridge before descending back to end along the creek.
Named for Captain John Meares’ first thwarted voyage to find the Columbia, Cape Disappointment is steeped in Northwest history.
Willie Keil’s Grave is located in a small, private cemetery just off State Highway 6, about 5 miles east of Raymond. Stop at the State Parks highway pullout to view the gravesite, pay your respects, and read about the so-called "Pickled Pioneer."
Ring in the New year with a hike around Lincoln Rock State Park and the Rocky Reach Trail with park staff as we look for and discuss the wildlife of our park and area, followed up with a campfire, food, refreshments, and Junior Ranger activities for the kids.
Accessible only by boat. Blind island provides few amenities but offers tranquil water views and a feeling of escape. During the high season, it's a popular stop for kayak groups. In the off-season, enjoy quiet contemplation among the apple trees planted on the island by visitors long ago.