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Look at that face! Cinquefoil Masked Bee discoveries in state park

The first Washington state iNaturalist verified observation of the species, Hylaeus basalis, (Cinquefoil Masked Bee), was photographed on Marrowstone Island in Jefferson County on May 8, 2024.  This small, nearly all black bee was observed in coastal strand habitat inside Fort Flagler State Park.

How to have a great state park visit with dogs

It’s not a hike, campout or road trip unless your loyal pup comes with you. While embarking on a state park adventure is optional, bringing the whole family back healthy and whole is mandatory! So, we have for getting out and camping out with your canine BFF.

Stuart Island Marine State Park

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.

State Parks Commission to meet virtually for work session

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission work session virtually on Aug. 21. 

Commission work session items include a report about an opportunity for the agency to lease Beebe Bridge Park from the Chelan County Public Utility District, a revenue update covering the 2023-25 biennium, and an update from Parks Director Diana Dupuis about the agency’s progress on the Commission’s 2024 priorities.  

Burrows Island Marine State Park History

Burrows Island Marine State Park preserves the majority of a wild-wooded island just offshore of Anacortes. Its forested summit rises nearly 650 feet above the churning waters that surround the island. The bedrock that makes up Burrows 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.

Video tour: Lake Easton State Park

Located between Seattle and Ellensburg off I-90, Lake Easton is a magnet for urbanites who have limited time for escapes. The park is also far enough east to (sometimes) see sun when Seattle is shrouded in gray.

Girl Scouts Love State Parks activities set for Sept. 9-11

Several parks will host events during national Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend.

Video tour: Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail

The 40-mile, 526-acre Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail winds through eastern Washington from Nine Mile Recreation Area on Lake Spokane to the Idaho border.

Blind Island Marine State Park

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.

State Parks co-hosts International Coastal Cleanup on September 21

OLYMPIA — As a proud member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) will co-host the annual International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 21.    

This year’s event will take place at six state parks: Cape Disappointment, Fort Worden, Grayland Beach, Ocean City, Pacific Beach and Twin Harbors.  

State Parks Commission to meet virtually for work session

OLYMPIA – May 24, 2023 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission work session virtually on May 31.

Commission work session items include a financial update covering Parks' 2021-23 biennium operating and capital budget expenditures and Parks Renewal and Stewardship Account (PRSA) revenue; a presentation on potential changes to the Foster Family Program; and a discussion about potential dates and locations for 2024 Commission work session and regular meetings.

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park

A high desert adventure awaits you at this sprawling camping park located between Soap Lake and Coulee City. Experience a dramatic landscape of deep gorges and lakes where you can get out on the water, hike and play nine-hole or mini golf.

Lake Lenore Caves State Park Heritage Site History

Lake Lenore Caves State Park Heritage Site offers visitors a window into the formation of the Grand Coulee and the lives of people who may have spent time here thousands of years ago.

Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site

Goldendale Observatory, set in the hills above the Columbia River, houses one of the nation's largest public telescopes. Reservations are required to attend programs at this facility. See information below.

Hope Island (Mason) Marine State Park History

Hope Island Marine State Park is a delightful South Puget Sound island that owes its form and setting to the effects of Ice Age glacial processes. The island also holds the stories of some of its human residents, who found in it a place to retreat to a simpler life connected with nature, and make dreams come true.

Video tour: Jackson House State Park Heritage Site

Jackson House State Park Heritage Site is a 1.4-acre day-use park in Chehalis on the Jackson Highway. The park was the setting of a homestead cabin built in 1850 by John R. Jackson, one of the first Euro-Americans to settle north of the Columbia River and an important figure in early Washington territorial history.

Harstine Island State Park First Day Hike

Harstine Island State Park offers many beautiful sights with thick underbrush and a variety of different tree species. The planned hike will take you from the main parking lot (P-3) to the first parking turn out (P-1) with 2 scout trails back to P-3.

Gov. Inslee appoints new member to State Parks and Recreation Commission

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Scott Merriman of Thurston County as the newest member of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. 

Video tour: Helen McCabe Memorial State Park Property

An oasis that many locals have yet to discover, Helen McCabe is a small wayside park at the northern entrance to the Yakima Canyon Scenic Byway, near the intersection of Interstates 90 and 82 in central Washington State.

State Parks participates in Washington Coast Cleanup on April 23

OLYMPIA – April 5, 2022 – As a member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will participate in this year's Washington Coast Cleanup.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 23.

State Parks hosts in-person and virtual public meeting on Bainbridge Island

Planners will discuss facility improvements at Blake Island Marine State Park

OLYMPIA – April 20, 2022 – Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to a hybrid in-person and virtual public meeting on Bainbridge Island to learn more about planned facility improvements at neighboring Blake Island Marine State Park.

Major improvements planned for Lake Sammamish State Park’s Sunset Beach

OLYMPIA – March 7, 2023 – Lake Sammamish State Park is one of the most popular parks in the Seattle area for families and communities to come together and enjoy a dose of nature near the city. That's why, in just a few weeks, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission plans to begin work on several improvements and upgrades that will revitalize the Sunset Beach area.

State Parks hosts virtual public meeting about Kopachuck expansion

Park planners will discuss impacts of renovation, expansion on roads and traffic

OLYMPIA – Jan. 3, 2022 – Washington State Parks invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting to learn about plans for the expansion of Kopachuck State Park, including potential impacts on traffic and county roads.

WHEN:
6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 11

WHERE:
https://bit.ly/3yyIZ5T.

Jones Island Marine State Park History

“Islands are still the domain of the explorers, the adventurers, the discoverers.”  --Alexander L. Bond, conservation biologist

Jones Island Marine State Park, an entire island off the southwest corner of Orcas Island in the San Juan Archipelago, offers each visitor a chance to connect with their inner adventurer. Its hills rise nearly 200 feet above a low isthmus. Rock outcrops on its rugged shore reveal that the bedrock of the island was formed deep on the ocean floor and uplifted above the water’s surface by the forces of plate tectonics.

Video tour: McMicken Island Marine State Park

McMicken Island is so small, you could easily miss it. But boaters who love Puget Sound would not want to miss it. This small state park, in the fold of Harstine Island, is only reachable by boat. Low tide allows you to walk across a tombolo to and from Harstine Island for a few hours each day.