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.
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The 3,876-acre, 130-mile Columbia Plateau State Park Trail is one of the state's hidden riches; explorers who find it are rewarded with big eastern Washington skies, rolling landscapes and unforgettable journeys.
Did you or your love pop the question recently? Congratulations! Let the planning fun begin.
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.
This social camping park pulses with life in the summer. Generations of families return to the blue lake every year; they even try to book the same campsite they've used since the 1960s and '70s. But, while they'll jockey online for their favorite spot, veteran Chelan-goers happily share this gem with first-timers, and many lifelong friendships begin there.
Enjoy a 2-hour guided snowshoe hike.
Turn everyday trash into art! The possibilities are endless.
Skagit Island Marine State Park is a delightfully pristine small island located in Skagit County near Deception Pass.
Rock From Spreading Tectonic Plates
The bedrock that makes up Skagit Island is part of a larger assemblage of rocks that outcrop on nearby islands and collectively make up an ophiolite sequence, a distinctive formation of rocks formed where the sea floor has spread apart at a tectonic plate boundary.
Stuart Island Marine State Park is a favorite boating destination with an interesting convergence of personal histories.
Sediments and Folds
The rocks that make up Stuart Island are made of siltstone and sandstone that formed from sediments deposited by river deltas and massive underwater landslides on the sea floor about 75 million years ago, at a location hundreds of miles south of today’s Stuart Island. Geologists call this formation the Nanaimo Group.
Clark Island Marine State Park preserves an entire long, narrow island along the northern edge of the San Juan Archipelago.
A Rocky Island
The San Juan Islands are distinct from most of Puget Sound in that they feature shorelines with exposures of hard bedrock, rather than the bluffs of clay, sand and gravel left by Ice Age glaciers that are predominant on most of Washington’s Salish Sea, the state’s inland saltwater passages.
Step into U.S. military history at Fort Flagler Historical State Park on the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. Tour and explore a significant coastal defense fort established more than a century ago to guard the entrance to Puget Sound.
Join City of Issaquah Urban Forest Supervisor and Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park board member Dan Hintz to learn about the native species used in restoration efforts at Lake Sammamish State Park.
Willie Keil’s Grave is located in a small, private cemetery just off State Highway 6, about 5 miles east of Raymond. Stop at the State Parks highway pullout to view the gravesite, pay your respects, and read about the so-called "Pickled Pioneer."
Named for Captain John Meares’ first thwarted voyage to find the Columbia, Cape Disappointment is steeped in Northwest history.
The northwestern-most San Juan Island is sure to inspire with beautiful sunsets that glow orange and clear waters. Come prepared to stay overnight at the primitive campground or sleep on your boat. Once you arrive at this water-access-only gem, you won't want to leave.
OLYMPIA – Following a public process, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission voted on Thursday to keep the cabins at Cama Beach Historical State Park permanently closed where they currently sit.
Restored bridge closes major gap in 285-mile Palouse to Cascades Trail
OLYMPIA – April 4, 2022 – Washington State Parks invites the public to join community leaders, trail enthusiasts, public lands agencies and elected officials for the grand opening of the refurbished Beverly Bridge.
A hidden gem only reached by watercraft, Hope Island Marine State Park is a special place to those who live in the area. Visitors may explore the trails, catch a glimpse of seals in the water, watch eagles soar in the sky or have a picnic under historic fruit trees.
Several parks will host events during national Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend.
A dizzying mile-long switchback trail takes you up 848-foot Beacon Rock, but that’s not the only way to a tip-top experience. Rock climbing and hiking to waterfalls are the rage at this park, where there are plenty of vantage points for eagle-eye views. Cyclists and horseback riders also will find trails to the vistas from Hamilton Mountain saddle, and boaters can delight in the majesty of Beacon Rock from the Columbia River.
Blind Island Marine State Park is a favorite campsite for kayakers located in the heart of the San Juan Archipelago a short distance offshore from Shaw Island.
A Rocky Island
The San Juan Islands are distinct from most of Puget Sound in that they feature shorelines with exposures of hard bedrock, rather than the bluffs of clay, sand and gravel left by Ice Age glaciers that are predominant on most of Washington’s Salish Sea, the state’s inland saltwater passages.
Posey Island Marine State Park is a small island featuring a popular campsite for kayakers that is easily accessible from the northwestern part of San Juan Island.
A Rocky Island
The San Juan Islands are distinct from most of Puget Sound in that they feature shorelines with exposures of hard bedrock, rather than the bluffs of clay, sand and gravel left by Ice Age glaciers that are predominant on most of Washington’s Salish Sea, the state’s inland saltwater passages.
Turn Island Marine State Park preserves an entire island that lies just offshore from a point on the eastern side of San Juan Island.
A Rocky Island
The San Juan Islands are distinct from most of Puget Sound in that they feature shorelines with exposures of hard bedrock, rather than the bluffs of clay, sand and gravel left by Ice Age glaciers that are predominant on most of Washington’s Salish Sea, the state’s inland saltwater passages.
Join Park staff at the secluded Griffiths-Priday State Park in Copalis Beach and walk through the coastal forest of shore pine and Sitka spruce along Connor Creek eventually winding down the bluff onto the ocean beach.
OLYMPIA – Dec. 13, 2021 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a special commission meeting on Tues., Dec. 14. The purpose of this special meeting is for the Commission to establish the qualifications for the initial screening of applicants for the State Parks director position and to delegate authority or take other actions in the discretion of the Commission for the director recruitment and hiring process.
Accessible only by boat. Blind island provides few amenities but offers tranquil water views and a feeling of escape. During the high season, it's a popular stop for kayak groups. In the off-season, enjoy quiet contemplation among the apple trees planted on the island by visitors long ago.