Wildfire season is here and impacting several parks, so make sure you’re in the know before you go. Before you head to a park, please check its page or head to our alerts page for closures, alerts and other important information to make sure you have a fun, safe and informed trip.
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Cold weather scuba diving is popular in the Northwest, and our western Washington waters are among the premier places to dive in the country, says Mike Racine, a western Washington diving enthusiast. Undersea life in our region is vibrant and beautiful — a rarely seen scape of infinite wonder and mystery.
BLAINE – The Nooksack Indian Tribe will welcome canoe families today at Birch Bay State Park. The landing is a stopover on the Power Paddle to Puyallup Youth Canoe Journey.
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) has begun using a new electronic bidding system for public works projects.
The launch of the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) Bonfire system marks the first phase in the agency’s larger plan to modernize and streamline procurement across all competitive applications.
The Boring Volcanic Field
Battle Ground Lake is a part of a geologic formation called the Boring Volcanic Field (named for the town of Boring, OR), but the stories revealed in its bedrock are actually quite interesting!
In the Pacific Northwest, the slow-moving subduction of the oceanic crust of the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate underneath North American continent produces molten magma that rises toward the surface. Sometimes, the magma reaches the surface and produces a volcanic explosion (like the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980).
Step through the kitchen door of the Rothschild House and step back to the 1800’s. Located at the corner of Jefferson and Taylor Streets in uptown Port Townsend, the Rothschild House is virtually unchanged from a hundred years ago.
Washington State Parks is conducting a public planning process to update the long-term boundary for Riverside State Park to include the property known as Glen Tana. This project adds over 1,000 acres just outside Spokane, expanding recreation opportunities and environmental protections in a high-demand, urban setting.
OLYMPIA – Celebrate the new year with Washington State Parks during our annual First Day Hikes events on Jan. 1, 2025.
More than 30 state parks will host staff-led and self-guided hikes, snowshoe excursions, trail rides, polar plunges, scavenger hunts and more on New Year’s Day.
State Parks is in the process of developing a statewide Scenic Bikeways program. Our management of the program includes overseeing the route nomination and implementation process. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is the decision-making group with authority to designate a proposed route as a Scenic Bikeway.
This program involves participation from the public who have the opportunity to nominate routes they think should become Scenic Bikeways.
This program involves participation from the public who have the opportunity to nominate routes they think should become Scenic Bikeways.
BLAINE – The Nooksack Indian Tribe will welcome canoe families on July 23 at Birch Bay State Park for a stopover as they continue their 2025 canoe journey.
Several canoes will arrive at the beach and ask the host Tribe permission to come ashore. Canoe landings will occur throughout the day on the beach at Birch Bay by the Heron Center log building.
SPOKANE — The community is invited to attend an open house to learn more about an upcoming forest thinning project in the 7-Mile area of Riverside State Park.
Embarking on a recreational journey for the first time can be exhilarating and scary. Whether you are joining the land of outdoor lovers to start a new hobby or improve your mental or physical health – the exploration process can be a bit challenging if you don’t know where to start. That is where Washington State Parks comes in!
Join us Thursday, July 3rd, from 9AM-12PM to work on prepping picnic tables for installation. We will sand down the boards using circular and belt sanders, followed by cleaning and staining the boards. There are also a few orchard trees in the area that we can work on pruning as well.
You'll need a Discover Pass or other State parks pass to visit Washington State parks.
"Its grim black walls of basalt frown across a broken chain of linear lakes, some of them as wide as the coulee floor ….. potholes a hundred feet deep in rock, dry cataracts one hundred to four hundred feet high, and river bars one hundred to two hundred feet thick … under the present semiarid climate it lies naked of forest mantle, every detail of its form clearly displayed." -J Harlen Bretz, Geologist
State Parks Clean Vessel Act Grant Program funds $700,000 in new pumpout and floating restroom projects
Recreational boat pumpout facilities expand across the state
OLYMPIA – April 5, 2022 – Recreational boaters in Washington waters will have an easier time disposing of vessel sewage, thanks to more than $700,000 in new federal pass-through grants for recreational boat pumpout and floating restroom projects.
The Winter Recreation Program at Washington State Parks maintains Sno-parks across the state. Find one using the search below!
OLYMPIA — The traditional lands of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, on the present-day beaches of Saltwater State Park, will welcome traditional canoe families on July 26.
Learn more about the ongoing project of sharing the Washington state parks histories.
Washington State Parks is proud to be expanding its in-park services to include limited, free, high-speed wireless internet access at some state parks. Available at specific locations only.
DES MOINES – The traditional lands of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe on the present-day beaches of Saltwater State Park will welcome traditional canoe families on July 29.
Learn about contracting opportunities and instructions for bidders.
OLYMPIA – With daytime low tides returning and spring right around the corner, many of Washington’s clam and oyster beaches are now open or will soon reopen for recreational shellfish gathering.
State clam, mussel, and oyster harvesting seasons vary by beach. Regulations and season dates as well as shellfishing tips are available on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website.
Hosting is one of the most popular volunteer opportunities at Washington State Parks. Park hosts help State Parks achieve our mission to connect all Washingtonians to their diverse natural and cultural heritage and provide memorable recreational and educational experiences.
Read about the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and learn more about their public meetings and work sessions.
