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Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Agency overview
Formed	1913; 112 years ago (1913)
Headquarters	1111 Israel Road S.W., Olympia, Washington
Annual budget	$148.6 million (2011–13 biennium)
Website	www.parks.wa.gov

The U.S. state of Washington has over 140 state parks that are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. These include 19 marine parks and 11 Historical Parks. The park system was established in 1913 by the creation of the Washington State Board of Park Commissioners. The first two parks were formed from donated land in 1915, and by 1929 the state had seven parks. In 1947 the State Parks Committee was renamed to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and given authority to oversee the state park system. By 1960 the number of state parks had increased to 130.

In 2003, the Washington State Legislature introduced a $5-a-day parking fee, meant to fund park-related construction projects; more than a quarter of the fees collected went into the fee-collection system itself. Park use decreased more than 15% under the fees. The fee was rescinded in early 2006, returning the state park system to its status of the only system in the West without day-use fees. In 2011 the legislature enacted a $10 day-use permit and a $30 annual pass, called the Discover Pass, for vehicles to enter state parks, lands owned or managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and designated lands of the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Funds generated from the sale of the Discover Pass are deposited into the Recreation Access Pass Account. The new fees did not raise as much money as was hoped, though another effort to encourage donation when renewing certain state licenses (including driver's licenses) was more successful than officials expected.

Map

Current state parks

Name	Image	County	Size		Details
			acres	ha
Alta Lake		Okanogan	181	73	Camping at the north end of 2-mile-long (3.2 km) Alta Lake
Anderson Lake		Jefferson	476	193	Trails, non-motorized boating, and lake fishing on Quimper Peninsula
Battle Ground Lake		Clark	280	110	Fishing, swimming, camping, and trails in and around an ancient volcano crater
Bay View		Skagit	25	10	Camping, swimming, and boating on Padilla Bay
Beacon Rock		Skamania	5,100	2,100	Volcanic monolith and forested uplands on the Columbia River
Belfair		Mason	65	26	Tidal flats, wetlands, and beaches on Hood Canal
Birch Bay		Whatcom	194	79	Camping, shellfish harvesting on Birch Bay
Blake Island		Kitsap	475	192	Island park in Puget Sound; home of Tillicum Village
Blind Island		San Juan	3	1.2	Part of the Cascadia Marine Trail
Bogachiel		Clallam	123	50	Camping on the Bogachiel River
Bottle Beach		Grays Harbor	75	30	Tidal flats on the southern shore of Grays Harbor
Bridgeport		Okanogan	748	303	Camping, boating on Rufus Woods Lake
Bridle Trails		King	482	195	Suburban equestrian park with 28 miles (45 km) of trails
Brooks Memorial		Klickitat	700	280	Trails and camping in the southern Cascade Mountains
Camano Island		Island	134	54	Camping and water activities on Puget Sound
Cape Disappointment		Pacific	1,882	762	Formerly called Fort Canby: World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers; camping and water activities near the southern tip of Long Beach Peninsula
Centennial Trail		Spokane	525	212	37-mile (60 km) paved trail following the Spokane River from Nine Mile Falls to the Idaho border
Clark Island		San Juan	55	22	Marine camping on the Strait of Georgia in the San Juan Islands
Columbia Hills		Klickitat	3,338	1,351	Formed from the merger of Horsethief Lake and Dalles Mountain Ranch state parks with hiking trails and Columbia River water activities
Columbia Plateau Trail		Adams	3,880	1,570	130-mile (210 km) abandoned railroad right-of-way running between Cheney and Pasco
Conconully		Okanogan	81	33	Camping and water activities on Conconully Reservoir
Crawford		Pend Oreille	49	20	Seasonal tours of the limestone formations in Gardner Cave
Curlew Lake		Ferry	123	50	Camping and water activities on Curlew Lake
Cutts Island		Pierce	2	0.81	Island park in Carr Inlet at the southern end of Puget Sound
Daroga		Douglas	90	36	Camping and water activities on the Columbia River
Dash Point		King	398	161	Camping, trails, and water activities on Puget Sound
Deception Pass		Island	4,134	1,673	Camping, water activities, and old-growth forest at the northern end of Whidbey Island
Doe Island		San Juan	7	2.8	Island park southeast of Orcas Island
Dosewallips		Jefferson	425	172	Camping and water activities on Hood Canal
Doug's Beach		Klickitat	400	160	Windsurfing in the Columbia Gorge
Fort Columbia		Pacific	593	240	Early 20th-century coastal artillery and historic wood-frame fort buildings
Fort Ebey		Island	645	261	Camping, paragliding, and trails on the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Eagle Island State Park		Pierce	10	4.0	Island park in southern Puget Sound
Federation Forest		King	619	251	Hiking amid old-growth Douglas firs on the White River
Fields Spring		Asotin	792	321	Trails in the Blue Mountains region
Flaming Geyser		King	480	190	Flaming methane geysers (seeps); rafting on the Green River
Forks of the Sky		King	1,300	530
Ginkgo Petrified Forest		Kittitas	7,470	3,020	A petrified forest with more than 50 species of wood; camping and water activities on the Columbia River's Wanapum Reservoir
Grayland Beach		Pacific	412	167	Saltwater beach activities on the Pacific Ocean
Griffiths-Priday		Grays Harbor	364	147	Saltwater beach activities on the Pacific Ocean
Harstine Island		Mason	471	191	Beach access
Hope Island (Mason County)		Mason	106	43	Old-growth forest, salt marsh, beach on Puget Sound
Hope Island (Skagit County)		Skagit	200	81	Island camping on Skagit Bay
Ike Kinswa		Lewis	454	184	Water activities on Lake Mayfield
Illahee		Kitsap	75	30	Saltwater beach activities on Puget Sound
Iron Horse		Kittitas, King	1,612	652	Rail trail over Snoqualmie Pass
James Island		San Juan	117	47	Island camping in the San Juan Islands
Jarrell Cove		Mason	43	17	Saltwater activities on south Puget Sound
Joemma Beach		Pierce	122	49	Saltwater activities on south Puget Sound
Jones Island		San Juan	190	77	Island camping in the San Juan Islands
Joseph Whidbey		Island	112	45	Saltwater beach activities on the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Kanaskat-Palmer		King	320	130	Whitewater rafting in the Green River Gorge
Kinney Point		Jefferson	76	31	Saltwater beach activities on south Puget Sound
Kitsap Memorial		Kitsap	58	23	Saltwater beach activities on south Hood Canal
Kopachuck		Pierce	109	44	Saltwater beach activities on south Puget Sound
Lake Chelan		Chelan	127	51	Camping, water activities on Lake Chelan
Lake Easton		Kittitas	516	209	Camping, water activities on Lake Easton
Lake Isabella		Mason	188	76
Lake Sammamish		King	512	207
Lake Sylvia		Grays Harbor	252	102
Lake Wenatchee		Chelan	489	198
Larrabee		Whatcom	2,683	1,086
Leadbetter Point		Pacific	1,698	687
Lewis and Clark		Lewis	621	251
Lewis and Clark Trail		Columbia	37	15
Lime Kiln Point		San Juan	36	15	A facility for orca whale research
Lincoln Rock		Douglas	80	32
Lyons Ferry		Franklin	1,000	400	Returned to Washington State Parks operation in 2015
Loomis Lake		Pacific	385	156
Manchester		Kitsap	111	45
Maryhill		Klickitat	99	40
Matia Island		San Juan	145	59
McMicken Island		Mason	11.5	4.7
Millersylvania		Thurston	842	341
Moran		San Juan	5,000	2,000
Mount Pilchuck		Snohomish	1,893	766
Mount Spokane		Spokane	13,919	5,633
Mystery Bay		Jefferson	10	4.0
Nolte		King	117	47
Obstruction Pass		San Juan	76	31
Ocean City		Grays Harbor	170	69
Olallie		King	2,338	946
Packwood State Park (Skate Creek Nature Park)		Lewis	175	71	Part of a land swap in the 1990s, the parcel has remained undeveloped. Attempts have been made to transfer the land to the county.
Pacific Beach		Grays Harbor	10	4.0
Pacific Pines		Pacific	10	4.0
Palouse Falls		Franklin, Whitman	105	42
Paradise Point		Clark	88	36
Patos Island		San Juan	207	84
Pearrygin Lake		Okanogan	696	282
Penrose Point		Pierce	152	62
Peshastin Pinnacles		Chelan	34	14
Pleasant Harbor		Jefferson	425	172
Posey Island		San Juan	1	0.40
Potholes		Grant	640	260
Potlatch		Mason	125	51
Rainbow Falls		Lewis	139	56
Rasar		Skagit	169	68
Reed Island		Clark	510	210
Riverside		Spokane	10,885	4,405
Rockport		Skagit	670	270
Saddlebag Island		San Juan	24	9.7
Saint Edward		King	316	128
Saltwater		King	87.4	35.4
Scenic Beach		Kitsap	88	36
Schafer		Mason	119	48
Seaquest		Cowlitz	475	192
Sequim Bay		Clallam	92	37
Shine Tidelands		Jefferson	13	5.3
Skagit Island		Skagit	24	9.7
Skull Island		San Juan	3.2	1.3
South Whidbey		Island	347	140
Spencer Spit		San Juan	138	56
Spring Creek Hatchery		Skamania	9.6	3.9
Squak Mountain		King	1,545	625
Squilchuck		Chelan	228	92
Steamboat Rock		Grant	3,522	1,425
Stretch Point		Mason	8	3.2
Stuart Island		San Juan	85	34
Sucia Island		San Juan	814	329
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls		Grant	4,027	1,630
Tilton River State Park		Lewis	110	45	The land was donated by a retired logger in the 1990s. The parcel has remained undeveloped as the state found the park inconsistent with the overall plans within the parks system. The grounds are open only for hiking and day use activities.
Tolmie		Thurston	105	42
Triton Cove		Jefferson	29	12
Turn Island		San Juan	35	14	Part of San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Twanoh		Mason	182	74
Twenty-Five Mile Creek		Chelan	235	95
Twin Harbors		Grays Harbor	172	70
Wallace Falls		Snohomish	4,735	1,916
Wenatchee Confluence		Chelan	197	80
Westhaven		Grays Harbor	79	32
Westport Light		Grays	212	86
Willapa Hills		Lewis County and Pacific County	757	306	Park consists of a 56-mile (90 km) rail trail that is partially paved with stretches of compact gravel
Yakima Sportsman		Yakima	247	100

Historical and heritage site state parks

Name	Image	County	Size		Notes
			acres	ha
Cama Beach Historical State Park		Island	433	175	Preserved 1930s seaside tourist camp
Fort Casey Historical State Park		Island	467	189	World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers
Fort Flagler Historical State Park		Jefferson	784	317	World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers at the mouth of Puget Sound
Fort Simcoe Historical State Park		Yakima	200	81	1850s-era military installation on the Yakama Indian Reservation with army and Native American interpretive displays
Fort Townsend Historical State Park		Jefferson	367	149	Boating, camping, and trails at the northeastern extreme of the Olympic Peninsula
Fort Worden Historical State Park		Jefferson	434	176	Camping, water activities, and the Coast Artillery Museum
Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site		Klickitat	5	2.0	An astronomical observatory
Jackson House State Park Heritage Site		Lewis County	1.4	0.57	Restored 1850 cabin and homestead site of early Euro-American settlers John R. and Matilda Jackson
Matilda N. Jackson State Park Heritage Site		Lewis	5	2.0	Heritage site of early pioneer homesteader; picnic amenities and small loop trail
Olmstead Place Historical State Park		Kittitas	217	88
Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site		Franklin, Whitman	105	42
Peace Arch Historical State Park		Whatcom	20	8.1	A peace memorial on the United States-Canada border
Sacajawea Historical State Park		Franklin	284	115
Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site		Whitman	4	1.6
Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site		Whitman	150	61
Willie Keil's Grave State Park Heritage Site		Pacific County	0.34	0.14	Site is accessible to users of the Willapa Hills Trail

Former state parks

Name	County	Area		Image	Remarks
		acres	ha
Central Ferry Park	Whitman	185	75		Administered by USACE; formerly Central Ferry State Park (?–2002)
Chief Timothy Park	Asotin	198	80		Administered by USACE; formerly Chief Timothy State Park (?–2002)
Crow Butte Park	Benton	275	111		Administered by Port of Benton; formerly Crow Butte State Park (?–2002)
Damon Point	Grays Harbor	61	25		Administered by Washington Recreation and Conservation Office
Fay Bainbridge Park	Kitsap	17	6.9		Administered by Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District
Fort Okanogan	Okanogan	45	18		Administered by Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Fort Ward Park	Kitsap	137	55		Administered by Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District
Griffin Bay	San Juan	15	6.1
Hanging Gardens	King	434	176		Now Hanging Gardens Site within the Green River Gorge Conservation Area
Mukilteo Lighthouse Park	Snohomish	12	4.9		Formerly Mukilteo State Park, deeded to City of Mukilteo in 2004
Osoyoos Lake	Okanogan	47	19		Now Osoyoos Lake Veteran's Memorial Park, operated by city of Oroville
Upright Channel	San Juan	20	8.1
Wenberg County Park	Snohomish	46	19		Formerly Wenberg State Park; transferred to Snohomish County in 2009
West Hylebos Wetlands Park	King	120	49
Westhaven	Grays Harbor	79	32		Subsumed into the expanded Westport Light State Park in 2016.

See also

• List of national parks of the United States
• List of marine protected areas of Washington

References

1. ^ "Commission and agency information". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
2. "Washington State Parks History". Retrieved September 5, 2020.
3. Judd, Ron (March 30, 2006). "Parks are fee-free again, as they should be". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
4. Ammons, David (March 21, 2006). "$5 fee at parks is gone". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
5. Wong, Queenie (April 21, 2011). "Bill for parks fee goes to Gregoire". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
6. "SB 5622 - 2011-12". Washington State Legislature. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
7. "Comprehensive List of State Park Names by Region". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
8. ^ The Chronicle editorial staff (April 14, 2006). "Maintaining parks already developed should have priority". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
9. Rosane, Eric (January 26, 2022). "Deal Would Transfer 180 Acres of State Park Land to Lewis County". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
10. Mittge, Brian (April 12, 2006). "Tale of two parks". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A11. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
11. "Central Ferry Park". USACE. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
12. "Chief Timothy Park". USACE. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
13. "Crow Butte Park". Port of Benton. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
14. "Westport Light State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
15. "Second Washington State Parks public meeting scheduled for Aug. 31 in Westport". The Daily World. Aberdeen, Wash. August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2018.

External links

• Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
• Washington State Parks Foundation

v t e Protected areas of Washington
Federal	National Parks Mount Rainier North Cascades Olympic National Monuments Hanford Reach (USFWS) Mount St. Helens Volcanic (USFS) San Juan Islands (BLM) National Historical Parks and Sites Fort Vancouver NHS Klondike Gold Rush NHP Lewis and Clark NHP Manhattan Project NHP Nez Perce NHP San Juan Island NHP Whitman Mission NHS National Historical Reserves Ebey's Landing National Trails Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Northwest Trail NPS National Recreation Areas Lake Chelan Lake Roosevelt Ross Lake National Wildlife Refuges Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Columbia Conboy Lake Copalis Dungeness Flattery Rocks Franz Lake Grays Harbor Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer Little Pend Oreille McNary Pierce Protection Island Quillayute Needles Ridgefield Saddle Mountain San Juan Islands Steigerwald Lake Toppenish Turnbull Umatilla Willapa National Forests Colville Gifford Pinchot Idaho Panhandle Kaniksu Mount Baker–Snoqualmie Okanogan–Wenatchee Olympic Umatilla Wenatchee USFS National Recreation Areas Mount Baker National Wilderness Alpine Lakes Boulder River The Brothers Buckhorn Clearwater Colonel Bob Daniel J. Evans Glacier Peak Glacier View Goat Rocks Henry M. Jackson Indian Heaven Juniper Dunes Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Ridge Mount Adams Mount Baker Mount Rainier Mount Skokomish Noisy-Diobsud Norse Peak Pasayten Salmo-Priest San Juan Stephen Mather Tatoosh Trapper Creek Washington Islands Wenaha–Tucannon Wild Sky William O. Douglas Wonder Mountain National Marine Sanctuary and National Estuarine Research Reserve Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve National Wild and Scenic Rivers Illabot Klickitat Pratt Skagit Snoqualmie White Salmon
State	State Parks Alta Lake Anderson Lake Battle Ground Lake Bay View Beacon Rock Belfair Birch Bay Blake Island Blind Island Bogachiel Bottle Beach Bridgeport Bridle Trails Brooks Memorial Cama Beach Camano Island Camp Wooten Retreat Center Cape Disappointment Clark Island Columbia Hills Columbia Plateau Trail Conconully Crawford Curlew Lake Cutts Island Daroga Dash Point Deception Pass Doe Island Dosewallips Doug's Beach Eagle Island Federation Forest Fields Spring Flaming Geyser Forks of the Sky Fort Casey Fort Columbia Fort Ebey Fort Flagler Fort Simcoe Fort Townsend Fort Worden Ginkgo Petrified Forest Goldendale Observatory Grayland Beach Griffiths-Priday Harstine Island Hope Island (Mason County) Hope Island (Skagit County) Ike Kinswa Illahee Iron Horse Jackson House James Island Jarrell Cove Joemma Beach Jones Island Joseph Whidbey Kanaskat-Palmer Kinney Point Kitsap Memorial Klickitat Trail Kopachuck Lake Chelan Lake Easton Lake Lenore Caves Lake Sammamish Lake Sylvia Lake Wenatchee Larrabee Leadbetter Point Lewis and Clark Lewis and Clark Trail Lime Kiln Point Lincoln Rock Lyons Ferry Manchester Maryhill Matia Island Matilda Jackson McMicken Island Millersylvania Moran Mount Pilchuck Mount Spokane Mystery Bay Nolte Obstruction Pass Ocean City Olallie Olmstead Place Pacific Beach Pacific Pines Palouse Falls Palouse to Cascades Paradise Point Patos Island Peace Arch Pearrygin Lake Penrose Point Peshastin Pinnacles Pleasant Harbor Posey Island Potholes Potlatch Rainbow Falls Rasar Reed Island Riverside Rockport Sacajawea Saddlebag Island Saint Edward Saltwater Scenic Beach Schafer Seaquest Sequim Bay Shine Tidelands Skagit Island South Whidbey Spencer Spit Spokane River Centennial Trail Spring Creek Hatchery Squak Mountain Squilchuck Steamboat Rock Steptoe Battlefield Steptoe Butte Stretch Point Stuart Island Sucia Island Sun Lakes-Dry Falls Tolmie Triton Cove Turn Island Twanoh Twenty-Five Mile Creek Twin Harbors Wallace Falls Wanapum Recreational Area Wenatchee Confluence Westport Light Willapa Hills Trail Willie Keil's Grave Yakima Sportsman State Forests Ahtanum Capitol Elbe Hills Green Mountain Loomis Loup Loup Tahuya Teanaway Tiger Mountain Yacolt Burn Natural Area Preserves Admiralty Inlet Badger Gulch Bald Hill Barker Mountain Bone River Camas Meadows Carlisle Bog Castle Rock Charley Creek Chehalis River Surge Plain Chopaka Mountain Clearwater Bogs Cleveland Shrub Steppe Columbia Falls Columbia Hills Crowberry Bog Cypress Highlands Dabob Bay Dailey Prairie Davis Canyon Entiat Slopes Goose Island Gunpowder Island Hamma Hamma Balds Ink Blot Kahlotus Ridgetop Kennedy Creek Kings Lake Bog Kitsap Forest Lacamas Prairie Little Pend Oreille River Marcellus Shrub Steppe Methow Rapids Mima Mounds Monte Cristo Niawiakum River North Bay Oak Patch Olivine Bridge Pinecroft Point Doughty Riverside Breaks Rocky Prairie Sand Island Schumacher Creek Selah Cliffs Skagit Bald Eagle Skookum Inlet Snoqualmie Bog Spring Creek Canyon Trombetta Canyon Trout Lake The Two-Steppe Upper Dry Gulch Washougal Oaks Whitcomb Flats Willapa Divide Natural Resources Conservation Areas Ashford Cattle Point Clearwater Corridor Cypress Island Devils Lake Dishman Hills Elk River Ellsworth Creek Granite Lakes Hat Island Hendrickson Canyon Klickitat Canyon Lake Louise Loomis Lummi Island Merrill Lake Middle Fork Snoqualmie Morning Star Mount Si Naselle Highlands Queets River Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area Shipwreck Point Skamokawa Creek South Nemah South Nolan Stavis Stevenson Ridge Table Mountain Tahoma Forest Teal Slough Washougal Oaks West Tiger Mountain White Salmon Oak Woodard Bay Aquatic Reserves Cherry Point Cypress Island Fidalgo Bay Maury Island Nisqually Reach Protection Island Smith and Minor Islands
Other	Former state parks Damon Point Fay Bainbridge Fort Okanogan Fort Ward Park Griffin Bay Mukilteo Lighthouse Park Osoyoos Lake Veteran's Memorial Park Skull Island Upright Channel Wenberg Westhaven Marine protected areas Blanchard Forest Cascadia Marine Trail The Enchantments Goose Island Les Hilde Trail & Trailheads Little Pend Oreille Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Mount Adams Recreation Area Sehome Hill Arboretum Walker Valley ORV Riding Area Withrow Moraine Yellow Island
Category Seattle Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Commons

• State parks of Washington (state)
• Lists of state parks of the United States
• Washington (state) geography-related lists