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Learn about the marine life in Jarrell Cove State Park. All ages welcome!

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is developing a long-range plan for its property located on Miller Peninsula. This 2,800-acre undeveloped park is located in the north Olympic Peninsula, just east of Sequim and north of Highway 101 in Clallam County. The property includes a trail system for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians through a beautiful second-growth forest.

A rare cluster of old-growth trees creates an inspiring shadow to stand in. Rainbow Falls State Park, 16 miles west of Chehalis, is a walker’s paradise. Miles of loamy trails wind through the forest and along the river, to a small cascade that throws rainbows of spray at the sun.
Among the enchanting San Juan Islands, snag a cliffside campsite for breathtaking views, explore untamed beaches, and glimpse native residents such as deer and otter on Jones Island.
Located on the Yakama Indian Reservation, Fort Simcoe is one of the few remaining pre-Civil War forts in the west. Take a walk through the fort and enjoy the landscape.

Come on out and camp in Schafer's new campground, join the park's centennial commemoration event and do some fishing. 

This unassuming park has a welcoming campground in a thicket of trees, and its forested creek was recently restored for salmon health. Local elk herds roam through the area, and pileated woodpeckers are busy with their beaks, tapping out rhythms on the trees.

Battle Ground Lake State Park is a forested camping park in the Cascade Mountain foothills; its proximity to Vancouver and Portland and its cool green lake make it a great escape from the bustle of city and suburbs.
Join the fun and run at Steamboat Rock State Park this Jan. 1.
Get ready for a weekend full of kite-flying fun on June 21st and 22nd, 2025 at the Birch Bay Kids Kite Festival! Bring the whole family and enjoy a vibrant celebration featuring kites soaring over the bay, crafts and a variety of family-friendly entertainment. The event is free to attend, though a Discover Pass is required for parking within Birch Bay State Park.

Hidden gun emplacements, expansive parade lawns and restored Victorian-era Officers homes place history front and center at Fort Worden Historical State Park.
Give back to Beacon Rock State Park by volunteering for a fun and rewarding volunteer project including removing invasive species, light trail maintenance, brushing, pruning, and related restoration work.
On the waters of South Puget Sound, McMicken Island is surrounded by moorage buoys. This tiny island can only be accessed by boat, making it a unique getaway filled with natural splendor.

Blind Island Marine State Park is a favorite campsite for kayakers located in the heart of the San Juan Archipelago a short distance offshore from Shaw Island.

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.

Posey Island Marine State Park is a small island featuring a popular campsite for kayakers that is easily accessible from the northwestern part of San Juan Island.

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.

Turn Island Marine State Park preserves an entire island that lies just offshore from a point on the eastern side of San Juan Island.

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.

Saint Edward State Park hugs the shore of Lake Washington, the second largest natural lake in Washington, surpassed in area only by Lake Chelan. Tongues of the great Pleistocene glaciers that excavated the passageways of Puget Sound also dug the nearly 20 mile long basin of Lake Washington. For thousands of years, the lake received fresh water from the Sammamish River at its north end and drained through the Black River into Puget Sound at its south end.

The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail (also known as the "PTCT") gives hikers, cyclists and equestrians an unconventional way to explore a variety of environments, flora and wildlife while getting a taste of Washington’s scenic diversity. Explore the forested Cascade Mountains to the arid shrub-steppe of eastern Washington. Sitting on the historic Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad corridor, nicknamed the "Milwaukee Road," this 251-mile trail runs in sections from Cedar Falls near North Bend east to the Idaho border.

This day use park sits at the end of Ebey Road and is one of the trailheads for the popular Bluff Loop Trail. Featuring dramatic, sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, visitors can begin the 3.5 mile hike up to the top of the bluff and along the beach – one of the most popular hikes in the state.

OLYMPIA — Nisqually State Park will temporarily close beginning Jan. 27 for phased maintenance and construction work as park development continues. The park is expected to reopen to visitors in the fall. 

Lime Kiln Point State Park provides an opportunity for park visitors to view orca whales from shore in an area with connections to the cultural stories of the picturesque San Juan Islands.

Suspect Terranes

The bedrock landscape of the San Juan Islands is made of assemblages of rocks called terranes that have been thrust over one another like a stack of cards by tectonic forces.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) asks everyone who is planning a Fourth of July celebration at a park or on the beach to be safe and protect their friends, neighbors, public lands and wildlife.   

Celebrate the New Year hiking Wallace Falls State Park's Woody Trail.
Enjoy hikes, scavenger hunts and more this Jan. 1 at Obstruction Pass State Park
Join Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum for Family Field Day! Explore Birch Bay State Park's intertidal zone with Beach Naturalists.