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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South Whidbey State Park owes its preservation in no small part to a group of citizens who put their bodies on the line for its protection.
Cutts Island State Park is proof that good things come in small packages. Only reachable by boat, this intriguing little island offers the perfect day at the beach.
Set in one of the driest microclimates west of the Cascade Mountains, Miller Peninsula State Park dwells in the Olympic rain shadow, making it the perfect place for a day visit.
A National Natural Landmark, Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park offers hiking and interpretive activities. Camping and water access is down the road at Wanapum Recreation Area.
In the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Battle Ground Lake State Park offers hiking, biking and equestrian campsites. The spring-fed lake draws swimmers, paddlers and anglers.
Dash Point State Park provides access to the shores and undersea gardens of Puget Sound in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. The woodsy ravine behind the park’s beach can be explored on miles of trails, and visitors enjoy camp life just minutes from the homes of millions of people.
OLYMPIA – May 1, 2024 – Schafer State Park is ready to welcome visitors to its expanded campground, just in time for its centennial anniversary as a state park.
The 130-mile Columbia Plateau State Park Trail starts southwest of Spokane. Built on an abandoned railbed, the trail follows the Snake River south, ending near Pasco.
From park rangers to camp hosts, here’s who can help you enjoy your state park visit
Our in-park staff are excited to welcome you to Washington’s state parks. Whether you’re picnicking for the day, camping for a week or just passing through, there are staff available to help you.
Before you head out, here’s a little bit about the who’s who of staff in our parks.
Lake Wenatchee is a Northwest icon with a clear blue lake surrounded by mountains and open year-round.
Manchester State Park is located on the site of a military reservation established for the defense of Puget Sound in 1899. The solid bedrock exposed at Middle Point in the park is an unusual feature on the Puget Sound coastline, found only at Rich Passage and a few areas on the western shore of Hood Canal. In the rest of the region, most bedrock is buried under a blanket of glacial debris left behind by the glaciers of the last ice age.
Set on the shore of Rich Passage, Manchester State Park makes the perfect getaway for day-trippers or Puget Sound campers on a Kitsap Peninsula road trip.
Seaquest is a 475-acre, year-round camping park set among lush pines in the shadow of the storied Mount. St. Helen's volcano. Seaquest Park boasts forested campgrounds, great hiking trails and stunning mountain panoramas. Next door to the campground is Silver Lake. The park is connected to the popular Mount St. Helen's Interpretive Center, another worthwhile destination, and Silver Lake by a pedestrian tunnel which leads you to a boardwalk trail over the wetland where ducks and other wildlife thrive.
Crawford State Park is a 40-acre forested day use park home to Gardner Cave, one of Washington's longest limestone caves, offering access to an intriguing underground landscape. Reservations are required for tours. See information below.
Washington State Parks is currently working on the Classification and Management Planning (CAMP) process for Gingko Petrified Forest State Park. State Parks started the CAMP process in January 2019; however, planning was put on hold in June 2021 when it was determined that additional environmental analysis was necessary. In August 2023, State Parks secured funding to hire PBS Engineering and Environmental to perform an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Recreation Drive Trail, located in the northern portion of the park.
Among Lake Sylvia State Park’s peaceful trails and campsites are nearly hidden stories of ventures to wrest timber and hydroelectricity from the landscape.
Indigenous Lands
Lake Sylvia State Park lies within the traditional territories of Coast Salish Indigenous people whose present-day descendants include members of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
Westport Golf, Inc. has developed a proposal to construct, operate, and manage a Scottish links-style “artisanal” golf course and a 30- to 40-room inn at Westport Light State Park near Westport. Given the potential impacts of the proposed project, an extensive environmental review process is needed before the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will formally consider the proposal.
Kayakers, canoeists and paddlers will find salty bliss on the bobbing waters of Joemma Beach. A quick boat ride, or a beautiful drive will lead you to the accessible solitude this park offers.
Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site is a National Natural Landmark, with stark, dramatic panoramic views of the surrounding farmlands, mountains and states.
Bridgeport State Park provides recreational opportunities on the shore of the Columbia River reservoir created by the hydroelectric dam named for Nez Perce Chief Joseph. The park is located in a part of the Colville Indian Reservation (where Chief Joseph lived in exile after his defeat by the US Army in the 1877 Nez Perce War) that was removed from Indigenous trust ownership by a Presidential Proclamation and transferred to non-Indigenous homesteaders in the 1920s.
OLYMPIA – Jan 18, 2023 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular in-person commission meeting Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Lacey City Council Chambers.
Anderson Lake State Park offers a quiet place for fishing, walking or paddling in a landscape that has seen volcanoes, massive glaciers, and thousands of years of human connections.
Lake Chelan State Park lies by the shores of Washington’s deepest lake, an idyllic gateway to both the wilderness of the North Cascades and the arid agricultural landscape of central Washington.
Joseph Whidbey State Park preserves a slice of Whidbey Island shoreline and woods on lands that were declared surplus to the needs of the active US Navy base that it adjoins.
Step into Washington State History at Jackson House State Park Heritage Site. Relax and take in a picnic at this small day use park after viewing the yesteryear cabin home of a local pioneer.