The Parks headquarters Information Center is moving from its current location in Tumwater to the Department of Ecology building at 300 Desmond Drive SE in Lacey. Our customer service team is located at the front desk, just inside the main entrance.
Search results
1188 results found
OLYMPIA – June 22, 2023 – 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.
Break out the boat, paddleboard or kayak — Blake Island offers classic island recreation while still being close to Seattle.
Set in the hills above the Columbia River, Goldendale Observatory State Park houses one of the nation’s largest public telescopes. The newly-renovated facility is known for informative science programs and vivid starry skies.
Are you the type to start a road trip at 4 a.m., crossing fingers for a fabulous sunrise? Time your departure for an early stop at Triton Cove State Park on your drive up or down Hood Canal.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular hybrid commission meeting on Thurs., July 13, 2023, at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. The public is welcome to attend in-person or online.
Agenda items include:
Picture a green fairy forest of moss-covered rocks and cedar trees.
Matia island archipelago for its old-growth trees, rainforest vibe and dramatic cove with fantasy forest canopy and swirling sandstone formations. Picturing a green fairy forest covered with moss and cedar trees.
Located in the San Juan Islands, Matia Island Marine State Park is a secluded little island accessible only by boat.
Matia island archipelago for its old-growth trees, rainforest vibe and dramatic cove with fantasy forest canopy and swirling sandstone formations. Picturing a green fairy forest covered with moss and cedar trees.
Located in the San Juan Islands, Matia Island Marine State Park is a secluded little island accessible only by boat.
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission welcomes Lourdes E. Alvarado-Ramos (Alfie), its newest member, to the Commission.
The Commission is made up of seven citizen members appointed by the governor. Commissioners are responsible for guiding the policies that steer the agency. Other duties include approving the agency’s strategic plan, setting Parks budget priorities and approving changes to Parks-related Washington Administrative Code.
An Underground Wonderland
Crawford State Park Heritage Site preserves Gardner Cave, one of the largest limestone caverns in Washington. The cave is adorned with fantastic and delicate natural decorations that have formed over thousands of years.
A Walk by the Water
Park Lake Trail
Join us for some fun and time outdoors on National Take a Walk in the Park Day!
Park Lake Trail
Join us for some fun and time outdoors on National Take a Walk in the Park Day!
OLYMPIA – Sept. 13, 2022 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular hybrid commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Gladish Community Center in Pullman.
Commission action items include approval of the submittal of the 2023 supplemental operating and capital budget requests to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and approval of the 2023 regular commission meeting schedule.
In addition, the commission will hear updates and reports from agency staff.
OLYMPIA – Nov. 30, 2021 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a planning meeting in-person on Tuesday, Dec. 7 and Wednesday, Dec. 8 in Kalama.
Agenda items include year-end review, division highlights and 2022 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 commission will not make any decisions at the planning meeting.
WHAT
Commission planning meeting
Curlew Lake State Park is perched in a high valley in northeastern Washington that owes its landform features to Ice Age glaciers. The lake, six miles long, half a mile wide, and reaching a depth of 130 feet, is centered in the valley of Curlew Creek. The creek drains to the Kettle River, which wanders back and forth across the US/Canada border to its confluence with the Columbia River near Kettle Falls.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission work session virtually on Aug. 23.
Annual polar plunge on New Years Day
The rain (and snow) might be coming, but we've got your picnic plans covered (literally). Check out our staff picks for the nine best WA State Parks shelters for your winter cookout.
At Parks, we work hard to protect and preserve the millions of years of cultural, geological and biological history tied to the lands we steward. We know it might be tempting to take things you find while exploring a park. But did you know you might be accidentally removing or destroying something that represents a significant part of our state history? These items may be artifacts or natural history specimens, and it is important to know what to do when you find one.
SPOKANE – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) invites the public to provide feedback and participate in conversations about a potential expansion of Riverside State Park to incorporate a property, newly acquired by Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, and known as “Glen Tana.”
Located between Seattle and Ellensburg off I-90, Lake Easton is a magnet for urbanites who have limited time for escapes. The park is also far enough east to (sometimes) see sun when Seattle is shrouded in gray.
On the surface, Fort Townsend is a classic state park on a Puget Sound beach. But a closer look reveals a hidden history.
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission work session virtually on Aug. 21.
Commission work session items include a report about an opportunity for the agency to lease Beebe Bridge Park from the Chelan County Public Utility District, a revenue update covering the 2023-25 biennium, and an update from Parks Director Diana Dupuis about the agency’s progress on the Commission’s 2024 priorities.
Eagle Island is a great place to moor or anchor your boat. Gaze at the splendor of Mount Rainier, relax on the beach and watch harbor seals close to the shore.
Olmstead Place demonstrates homesteader family life, farming history and equipment. Walk the grounds or book a tour to experience life in the late-19th century.
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.
Airplane pilots and boaters compare Puget Sound to a maze. Land fingers, islands and waterways comprise the stunning topography, and South Sound inlets dead-end at mudflats and beaches. Amidst all this intrigue, Joemma Beach State Park is remarkably accessible.