Skip to main content

Recent weather events have impacted or closed several parks, Sno-Parks and trails. Please "know before you go!" Check park alerts, road conditions and weather reports before visiting. 

  • Reservations
  • Discover Pass
  • About Us
Home
  • Find Parks
  • Find Sno-Parks
  • Find Activities
  • Get Involved
  • Passes & Permits
Menu
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors 101

Outdoors 101

Tutorials and how-tos about recreating safely and responsibly, trying new activities, learning lingo, etc.

A crumpled door of an old Weyerhauser work truck that was mangled in the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Be a park S.T.E.W.A.R.D.
An algae bloom in a bay with trees in the foreground.
Blue-green gross-out: What is toxic algae, why it blooms and what we can do about it
Emerald ash borer on a leaf.
Burn it where you buy it: Stop the spread of invasive pests
Four young boys on their bikes
Campground bike safety for kids
A double rainbow over a lake with cloudy skies
Don't let the rain dampen your tent-camping spirit
Volunteers using reusable bags for beach cleanup
Everything is beachy keen when we keep our beaches clean
Taylor swift solo hiking cropped
File name: Solo Hiking, a message from the desk of Taylor Swift
Firefighter wtaches fire from a prescribed burn on a beach dune.
How prescribed burning helps improve habitat conditions
person boiling water for coffee on a single burner camp stove
How to camp with fire restrictions
Wet dog wears leash on park bench
How to have a great state park visit with dogs
person trying to set up tent at a campsite
How to plan for a last-minute camping trip
Boy sitting in a campchair with a girl behind him holding a roasting stick with a tent in the background
How to snag a campsite in the off-season
A fallen tree onto a kitchen shelter.
How to stay safe when a tree falls in the forest
Pink and orange reflection of sunrise on a snowy mountain slope
Ready for winter? Here are a few tips to keep it merry and bright
Two women snowshoe at sunrise below a snowy mountain.
Sno-Park permits explained
A lake and mountains with rock in foreground at sunrise.
State park shelters prolong the picnic season

Pagination

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Next page
Subscribe to Outdoors 101

Connect with us

  • Contact Us
  • Customer Feedback Form
  • News & Announcements
  • Subscribe to Our Email List
  • Apply for a Job
  • Website Accessibility
  • Public Records Requests

    •  

Ready to get outside?

  • Make a Reservation
  • Buy a Discover Pass
  • Get a Permit
  • See All Alerts and Notifications
  • Map and Recreation Guide (PDF)

Follow us on social media

  • Facebook    
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Privacy Policy

© 2006-2024 Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, WA and its representatives. All rights reserved.

  • Find Parks
  • Find Sno-Parks
  • Find Activities
  • Get Involved
  • Passes & Permits