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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Boating is a great activity to enjoy the many lakes, rivers, and coastal waters in our beautiful State! Motorized boats, sailboats, and personal water crafts (PWC’s) are just some of the vessels used in our State. Boating offers recreators the opportunity to fish or swim from beyond the shore!
First Day of the New Year Paddle from Ike Kinswa State Park. A 3-mile roundtrip leisure paddle on Lake Mayfield up and down the Tilton River channel starting at the park's day use swim beach. Complimentary kayaks/paddles and PFD’s available thanks to the Boating Program.
OLYMPIA – April 26, 2023 – Sun Lakes – Dry Falls State Park has long been known as a geological icon and must-see destination for Washingtonians. Now, its significant legacy is being recognized on an international scale.
Bridgeport State Park is a 622-acre camping park with 7,500 feet of freshwater shoreline on Rufus Woods Lake. Tucked away behind Chief Joseph Dam in Bridgeport, this gem of a park is a picnic lover's dream with 18 acres of lawn and abundant shade admidst a desert terrain.
Guided by Park staff and volunteers from the Friends of Mt. Spokane, participants will snowshoe past the Bald Knob Picnic Shelter to the historic Vista House located at 5,833 feet – the highest point of Mt. Spokane. If weather permits, participants will have views of the Cabinet Mountains in Montana, Selkirk Crest in North Idaho, and nearby lakes.
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.
The Spokane River flows west from its source at Coeur d’Alene Lake through the Spokane Valley. After it tumbles over its namesake waterfalls in its namesake city, it bends to the northwest and meanders through a spectacular canyon described by some as the “Grand Park of the Spokane.”
Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park lies at the farthest uplake point accessible by road on Lake Chelan, just about midway from its toe in the sun-kissed rain shadow of central Washington to its head among the ramparts of the North Cascades.
Millersylvania State Park offers fun for everyone. Spend a summer day splashing in Deep Lake. Gather with friends in an historic kitchen shelter. Plan a romantic overnight in a luxury "glamping" site, or visit with friends and neighbors in a tent or RV campsite. Take a quiet walk through wetlands and old-growth forest.
By Ken and Ranga Chikonzo
Greetings from Ubuntu Nerudo, a joyful state of mind that some of you will experience during our African Heritage Celebration at Lake Sammamish next month!
Unless you are of Southern African descent, you may not have heard the words Ubuntu or Nerudo before.
Come join park staff for a birding experience in the wetland ecosystem of Silver Lake. This hike can take up to 1.5 hours for the full experience. For folks wanting a longer hike afterwards we encourage you to check out nearby Seaquest State Park, with over 5 miles of forested trails.
Seaquest State Park hugs the shore of Silver Lake in the foothills of Mount St. Helens, famous for its major eruption on May 18, 1980. A major attraction at the park is the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, where the story of the mountain’s volcanic history is interpreted with exhibits, ranger programs and audio-visual media.
You will stay on dry land and learn about paddle boards and kayaks. Our wonderful concessionaires will do a "how to" overview. A great introduction for beginners.
A rock with a face like Abe Lincoln's overlooks this friendly popular state park above the Rocky Reach Dam. Folded into the rich, mauve hills along the Columbia River, Lincoln Rock State Park is a classic, with a community atmosphere, shaded campsites, cabins and a boat launch with mooring docks on Lake Entiat.
Participants will walk south along the Columbia Plateau Trail to the railroad underpass at Minnie Creek, about ¾ mile, guided by Parks staff and volunteers. Along the way, participants will have beautiful views of Fish Lake. Snacks will be provided at the trailhead. Please register through Eventbrite under the event name “First Day Hike- Columbia Plateau Trail,” Discover Pass is not required on January 1st.
Locals and visitors alike love Western Washington for its rivers, forests, lakes and… rain. OK, most people don't love the rain. But, with a hearty spirit, the right gear and a little prep work, the state's famous precipitation doesn't have to ruin your camping vacation.
By Holly Sproul (Parks Forms Manager & Web Specialist) & Nephew Evan (Age 9)
After soaking up the sun at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, we ventured to the westside of the mountains to cool off at Fort Worden Historical State Park in Port Townsend.
OLYMPIA – Nov. 9, 2021 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular in-person commission meeting Thursday, Nov. 18, in Vancouver.
Commission action items include authorizing the transfer of the Lake Newport property in Pend Oreille County for local park purposes and authorizing the sale of the Auburn State Park Property in King County.
Join the Interpretive Specialist, Meredith Peterson, and other park staff for a walk out to Cranberry Lake to get out and get moving on the first day of the year. This gentle trail leads you through the forest to a marsh ecosystem, where there is an active beaver lodge and signs of their activity along the way. Enjoy hot drinks and snacks at the drop off shelter before the hike begins.
We can’t take you to Southeast Asia, but we’re excited to help three Asian-American communities share their cultural traditions at Lake Sammamish and Saltwater state parks in the next few weeks! The United Communities of Laos, Cambodian, and Iu Mien Cultural Festivals, co-hosted by our Folk & Traditional Arts Program, return this July - August!
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.
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:
Lincoln Rock State Park is a popular recreation area with access to Lake Entiat, the reservoir created by Rocky Reach Dam.
Indigenous Lands
The park lies within the traditional territories of Sahaptian and Interior Salish Indigenous people whose present-day descendants include members of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. For thousands of years this area has provided habitat for a diverse community of life that forms the basis of their cultures.
In my junior year at University of Washington, I learned about park aide positions available at Lake Sylvia State Park, just two miles from downtown "Monte," a park where I had spent sooo many hours swimming and playing as a kid - and way too many hours working on my tan as a teenager. I applied and worked there two summers - 1986 and 1987. Almost 40 years later I still think of that job as one of my all-time favorites!