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.
Recreational Boating Safety Program announces focus on life jacket wear while paddling
OLYMPIA – Paddlesports like kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, are among the most popular recreational activities in Washington State. In a recent study from the Recreation and Conservation Office, 52% of survey respondents participated in paddlesports. The study also noted a 28% increase in paddlesports participation from a previous study conducted in 2017.
Rising safety incidents show the importance of education on safety. Paddlesports accounted for 61% of reportable boating fatalities from 2023-2024, and 18 out of the 22 paddlesport fatalities occurred when the individual…
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09/12/2024
OLYMPIA – The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center in Castle Rock, a gateway for exploring and learning about the Mount St. Helens area, will close Sept. 30 for a complete update to its exhibits. The visitor center is anticipated to reopen in May of 2025.
Seaquest State Park will also close from Sept. 15 through mid-October to complete road maintenance work, including road grading and surfacing. After this work is complete, the park will remain open through the winter for camping and day use.
Though the interpretive center itself will be closed, its parking lot, plaza, bathrooms and… Read more
09/11/2024
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.
In partnership with Washington CoastSavers, Parks puts on three beach cleanup events a year. So far, 145,719 pounds of marine and firework debris have been cleaned off our beaches in 2024. That’s over 12,000… Read more
09/11/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Latino Leadership Network (LLN) and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invite the public to attend the third-annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Millersylvania State Park south of Olympia.
The community event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The day’s programming features musical performances by Correo Aereo, Mariachi Ayutla and La Nueva Novedad.
Keynote speakers include Seattle tech and thought leader Ana Maria S.V. Pinto da Silva and State Representative Bill Ramos.
Attendees will enjoy a lunch of… Read more
09/10/2024
OLYMPIA — Lake Sylvia State Park will reopen by the end of 2024, as Washington State Parks (Parks) completes an improvement project at the park’s entrance.
The project, which is replacing a culvert beneath the entrance road with a bridge and a new road, began in June. The new bridge will provide safer and more sustainable infrastructure to the park’s entrance, particularly in heavy rain events.
The park was originally set to reopen Sept. 30, but additional excavation was required to secure the bridge footings. Parks anticipates reopening Lake Sylvia by the end of 2024.
For the… Read more
08/21/2024
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.
The park also installed ADA-compliant beach access mats, which provide even more beach access and picnic opportunities on a stable surface.
The beach chair is free to use, though visitors are asked to reserve the chair in advance by calling the park office at 509-763-3101. Visitors can reserve the chair for a full… Read more
08/14/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, in partnership with Outdoors for All Foundation, is excited to launch a pilot program that offers an Action Trackchair for visitor use at Lake Sammamish State Park.
The Action Trackchair has a track similar to the back of a snowmobile. That means it can move over uneven terrain, allowing people who have mobility needs to access the hiking trails, picnic areas and ballfields at Lake Sammamish. The chair’s battery will run for around two hours and will signal when it’s low.
The chair will be housed in the Adaptive… Read more
08/14/2024
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.
This is an online meeting, and all Parks staff and commissioners will be attending virtually. However, the Commission will… Read more
08/13/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Folk and Traditional Arts Program (FTAP) and Kirkland-based non-profit Ubuntu Nerudo will partner to hold the second-annual Ubuntu Nerudo African Heritage Festival at Lake Sammamish State Park next month.
The festival aims to bring together people from the many African countries who call the Northwest home. The event runs from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1.
The festival is a day of music, food, fellowship and sharing. This year’s event showcases traditions from Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The festival includes two… Read more
08/08/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is updating its camping and moorage fees for 2025 to support its operations amid inflation impacts and rising costs.
The camping fee changes will take effect on May 15, 2025, and the moorage fee changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Because visitors can make reservations up to nine months in advance, on Aug. 15, 2024, campers will see the new fees reflected when they make reservations for May 15, 2025, and beyond.
Under the new fee rates, standard campsite costs will increase between $3 to $5, partial… Read more
08/06/2024
OLYMPIA – The boat launch at Triton Cove State Park on Hood Canal will be temporarily closed from the afternoon of Aug. 14 to Aug. 22 for maintenance.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will replace two pilings under the dock that were at the end of their usable life. This project will extend the life of the dock and make it safer for visitors to use. During construction, the launch area will be inaccessible from the top of the hill, and paddlers will not be able to put in at the site. Restrooms in the upper part of the park will remain open.
Boaters are encouraged to… Read more