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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Significant septic and infrastructure failures led to the closure of the cabins and other buildings in the beach area of park in February 2024. Following a public process, the Commission voted in October 2024 to keep the cabins permanently closed where they currently sit.
The Center for Wooden Boats, restrooms in the lower area, the store and park office are also closed.
Day use in the area remains open but restrooms are only available in other parts of the park.
Doug’s Beach State Park is a legendary launch site for enjoying wind sports on the swells of the Columbia River reservoirs, situated in a place with spectacular scenery and a long cultural history.
Beach with a view
Scenic Beach State Park is rooted in the era of automobile tourist camps that sprung up around Washington’s inland waterways in the 1920s as car ownership became widespread. Its location on the eastern shore of Hood Canal, with views across the water to the soaring peaks of the Olympic Mountains is highlighted in the spring and early summer with blooming native rhododendrons.
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.
Join us and our partners at Washington CoastSavers to help clean up our beautiful Washington beaches on July 5.
Wild Resolutions First Day Hike
Join us for a First Day Hike at Fort Worden! This program invites participants to start the new year with a refreshing outdoor experience. Meet staff and volunteers at the USO parking lot for park maps, SWAG, and free hot chocolate provided by Fort Worden Hospitality!
Attendees will then embark on a self-guided exploration of scenic trails and historical structures, surrounded by stunning views of the coastline and lush landscapes. Whether you're an experienced hiker or a beginner, this hike is designed to promote wellness and connections to our park's natural and historical resources. Don't miss this opportunity to set positive intentions for the year ahead while enjoying camaraderie with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. Bring water, wear comfortable footwear, and prepare for a memorable start to the year!
Join us for a First Day Hike at Fort Worden! This program invites participants to start the new year with a refreshing outdoor experience. Meet staff and volunteers at the USO parking lot for park maps, SWAG, and free hot chocolate provided by Fort Worden Hospitality!
Attendees will then embark on a self-guided exploration of scenic trails and historical structures, surrounded by stunning views of the coastline and lush landscapes. Whether you're an experienced hiker or a beginner, this hike is designed to promote wellness and connections to our park's natural and historical resources. Don't miss this opportunity to set positive intentions for the year ahead while enjoying camaraderie with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. Bring water, wear comfortable footwear, and prepare for a memorable start to the year!
A short drive from Bremerton, Scenic Beach State Park is the quintessential out-in-the-country neighborhood park. Its beaches and shaded picnic areas are a mecca for locals, while the park is also a popular wedding site and camping park for out-of-towners.
…a seacoast fortification may be said to have most efficiently performed the function for which it was intended, if it is never called into action at all.
-Eben Eveleth Winslow, US Army Corps of Engineers
Joemma Beach State Park provides access to the shores of southern Puget Sound. The sinuous saltwater passageways of the South Sound, including Case Inlet in front of the park, were molded and scoured by glacial meltwaters at the close of the Pleistocene ice age.
The Emel House is a vintage 1911 home set in a beautiful garden with an expansive lawn, charming gazebo and spectacular view of Hood Canal.
Lake Sammamish State Park is getting a much-needed renovation at Sunset Beach. This heavily used day-use area will have improved ADA access trails, an upgraded event space, new picnic shelters, and small covered shelters near the playground for caregivers to observe the play area.
Pacific Beach State Park has a long history as a place for travelers to rest as they journey along Washington’s Pacific Ocean coastline.
Indigenous Lands
The park lies within the traditional territories of Coast Salish Indigenous people whose present-day descendants include members of the Quinault Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
Ethnographers reported that the mouth of Joe Creek in today’s Pacific Beach State Park served as a “rest stop” for Indigenous people traveling along the coast between trading centers.
Ring in the holidays at the Admiralty Head Lighthouse for our annual Light Up Your Holiday event. Enjoy kid's activities and get your picture with Santa.
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.
Come explore the history of Bottle Beach with Ranger Lisa. In the early 1900s the land was a boom town. The factors that made the town go bust are exactly what make it an important stop over for migrating shorebirds. Learn about the interconnectivity of nature and human history as you ring in the New Year.
Bottle Beach State Park’s sweeping shoreline provides a window into one of the most important shorebird feeding area on the Pacific Coast. Grays Harbor attracts more than a million birds each spring and up to 20 percent of these migrating birds use the area just off Bottle Beach, peaking in late April and early May. Shorebirds are attracted to this spot because the mudflats just offshore host abundant shrimp-like Corophium amphipods for them to eat. The rich supply of amphipods, up to 55,000 per square meter, is unique along the Pacific Coast.
OLYMPIA — Significant septic failures led to the closure of the cabins and other buildings in the beach area of Cama Beach State Park in February 2024.
Join Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum for Family Field Day! Explore Birch Bay State Park's intertidal zone with Beach Naturalists.
This entire gorge is famous for its wind and water sports, and Doug's Beach is a coveted spot. The winds can be fierce, whipping the river into a white-capped frenzy. Kite boarding and windsurfing success at this site comes with bragging rights and respect; it is rated as expert and is only recommended for those who are properly trained, skilled and equipped.
If you enjoy Washington beaches, then you know how important it is to protect them. Protecting our beaches is a shore way of keeping them safe, clean and fun. There are several ways you can do your part and keep our parks a beautiful place.
The West Beach parking lot at Deception Pass State Park experienced significant damage following heavy winter storms in January. The lot pavement was damaged in several areas and littered with large debris. The parking lot is located near a shoreline, which is a sensitive ecosystem.
Clayton Beach access trail closes Nov. 1 until late spring of 2023
OLYMPIA – Oct. 27, 2022 – Larrabee State Park is getting an exciting renovation this winter that will significantly improve safety and access to Clayton Beach.
State Parks is building a new bridge over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad track, which, supported by a new trail reconfiguration, will provide safe passage between this popular beach and the Lost Lake parking lot.
OLYMPIA – Lake Wenatchee State Park has acquired a new Fixed Frame Beach Wheelchair that allows visitors with mobility needs to access the park’s sandy lakeshore. The chair’s large, wide wheels make it more stable and maneuverable in soft, shifting sand and uneven terrain.
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.
OLYMPIA — As of Feb. 26, 2024, the cabins and restrooms in the lower area at Cama Beach State Park will be closed until further notice. Day use in that area will remain open but restrooms will only be available in other parts of the park.