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Washington Sno-Park permits are now on sale. The State Parks Winter Recreation Program manages over 130 recreation sites, or Sno-Parks, across the state for recreators to enjoy during the winter season. Parking at these sites requires special permits.

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular commission meeting on April 17 at Evergreen State College in Olympia. 

The public is welcome to attend in-person or online.  

Agenda items include: 

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.

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) is excited to expand its pilot program for same-day reservations at select parks.  

Come join us at the Trautman Conservation Area in Nine Mile Falls to continue thinning overcrowded Ponderosa Pine & Doug Fir Stands. Removing smaller trees will allow more space and nutrients for the mature trees to grow larger. We will be using handsaws and loppers, then dragging the trees to the trail to prepare for the woodchipper to come through later this Spring.

There are also some old barb wire fences on the property that should be removed with use of T-post pullers, and fencing pliers!

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting virtually on March 6. 

Earn your Junior Ranger badge at Lake Sammamish State Park.
Under the supervision of a Park Ranger, Park Aides perform a variety of tasks at a State Park, beach or historical area. A typical workday may include anything from registering campers and collecting camp fees, to cleaning facilities, mowing lawns or explaining park rules. The specific duties will have some variation by park location.

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Recreation Commission has approved changes to camping stay limits in state parks. 

The update limits maximum stay lengths to no more than 10 nights in one park within a 30-day period. Total nights stayed cannot exceed 90 nights per calendar year in all state parks. Camping stay limits are outlined in Section 7 of WAC 352-32-030. 



OLYMPIA – Oct. 11, 2022 – Washington State Parks will hold a public hearing to record testimony about the proposed land transfer of 2.9 acres of Sontag Park in Nine Mile Falls from State Parks to the Nine Mile Falls School District.

OLYMPIA The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular commission meeting on Jan. 30, 2025 at the Department of Ecology building in Olympia. 

OLYMPIA – October 13, 2022 – Washington Sno-Park permits will go on sale starting Nov. 1. The State Parks Winter Recreation Program manages over 120 recreation sites, or Sno-Parks, across the state for recreators to enjoy during the winter season. Parking at these sites requires special permits.

OLYMPIA — Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a proclamation declaring the week of July 22-28 to be statewide Paddle Safe Week. Supported by the Washington State Parks Boating Program, Paddle Safe Week will lead a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddle sports.

Lake Easton Sno-park is located in the Blewett/I90 region, at Lake Easton State Park. This Sno-park features a snowplay area, and both motorized snowmobiling trails and non-motorized trails for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and more.
Learn the minimum qualifications and disqualifiers for applying to be a Washington State Park Ranger.

OLYMPIA – May 11, 2022 – Recreational boating is a popular pastime in Washington. In fact, several hundred thousand Washington residents own at least one canoe, kayak, rowboat, personal watercraft, stand up paddleboard, drift boat, runabout, sailboat, motor yacht or other recreational vessel. Boats and boaters are everywhere!

Boating, however, is not without risk. The chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest can be unforgiving, and safety must be on the minds of everyone who plays in and around Washington waterways.

Mount Spokane is the only state park in Washington that offers downhill skiing and snowboarding at Mt Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, in addition to other non-motorized and motorized winter recreation opportunities. Mount Spokane State Park offers the full winter experience with 37 miles of Nordic trails for classic skiing, skate skiing and skijoring and 16 miles of groomed roads for snowmobiles and all types of non-motorized use.

Other designated trail systems in the park that aren’t groomed are also open to non-motorized use including snowshoeing, back-country skiing, snowboarding and fat-tire biking.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a proclamation declaring the week of July 21-27 to be statewide Paddle Safe Week. In partnership with the Washington State Parks Boating Program, Paddle Safe Week will lead a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddle sports. The campaign recognizes that Washington's diverse waterways require different skills, preparation, and safety equipment.

OLYMPIA – July 14, 2022 – Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a proclamation declaring the week of July 23-29 to be statewide Paddle Safe Week. In partnership with the Washington State Parks Boating Program, Paddle Safe Week will lead a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddle sports. The campaign recognizes that Washington's diverse waterways require different skills, preparation and safety equipment.

If you’re planning to get married at a state park, these questions will be a helpful guide as you start to plan your Big Day.

SPOKANE — Beginning next week, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will start work on a grant-funded project to build a new trailhead and expand parking access to the popular Knothead Loop Trail in Riverside State Park. Construction will tentatively be completed by July. 

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting at the Holiday Inn and Event Center on Oct. 10.  

The regular commission meeting agenda items include requests for commission approvals regarding: 

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is committed to telling the full story of events that are significant to each park. Despite limitations in the historical record, we have tried to represent the best information available to us. Our efforts to interpret the past are an ongoing process and as such, these stories will be updated over time. Our ongoing relationship-building and collaboration with Tribes and others will inform this work.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular hybrid commission meeting on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, at the Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop. 

The public is welcome to attend in-person or online.  

Agenda items include: 

The Winter Recreation Program at Washington State Parks will be temporarily closing 14 motorized Sno-parks for the 2024-2025 season.