| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1913; 112 years ago (1913) |
| Headquarters | 1111 Israel Road S.W., Olympia, Washington[1] |
| Annual budget | $148.6 million (2011–13biennium)[1] |
| Website | www |
TheU.S. state ofWashington has over 140state parks that are managed by theWashington State Parks and Recreation Commission. These include 19marine parks and 11 Historical Parks.The park system was established in 1913 by the creation of the Washington State Board of Park Commissioners.[2] 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, theWashington 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.[3] 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 The fee was rescinded in early 2006, returning the state park system to its status of the only system in the West withoutday-use fees.[4] In 2011 the legislature enacted a $10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 theWashington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and designated lands of theWashington Department of Natural Resources.[5][6] A day use pass known as the Check Out Washington pass is also available for check out from participatinglibraries.[7] 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 (includingdriver's licenses) was more successful than officials expected.
| Name | Image | County | Size[8] | 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 onQuimper 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 onPadilla Bay | |
| Beacon Rock | Skamania | 5,100 | 2,100 | Volcanic monolith and forested uplands on theColumbia River | |
| Belfair | Mason | 65 | 26 | Tidal flats, wetlands, and beaches onHood Canal | |
| Birch Bay | Whatcom | 194 | 79 | Camping, shellfish harvesting onBirch Bay | |
| Bogachiel | Clallam | 123 | 50 | Camping on theBogachiel River | |
| Bottle Beach | Grays Harbor | 75 | 30 | Tidal flats on the southern shore ofGrays Harbor | |
| Bridgeport | Okanogan | 748 | 303 | Camping, boating onRufus Woods Lake | |
| Bridle Trails | King | 482 | 195 | Suburbanequestrian park with 28 miles (45 km) of trails | |
| Brooks Memorial | Klickitat | 700 | 280 | Trails and camping in the southernCascade Mountains | |
| Camano Island | Island | 134 | 54 | Camping and water activities onPuget 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 ofLong Beach Peninsula | |
| Centennial Trail | Spokane | 525 | 212 | 37-mile (60 km) paved trail following theSpokane River fromNine Mile Falls to theIdaho border | |
| Columbia Hills | Klickitat | 3,338 | 1,351 | Formed from the merger of Horsethief Lake and Dalles Mountain Ranch state parks with hiking trails andColumbia River water activities | |
| Columbia Plateau Trail | Adams | 3,880 | 1,570 | 130-mile (210 km) abandoned railroad right-of-way running betweenCheney andPasco | |
| Conconully | Okanogan | 81 | 33 | Camping and water activities onConconully Reservoir | |
| Crawford | Pend Oreille | 49 | 20 | Seasonal tours of thelimestone formations in Gardner Cave | |
| Curlew Lake | Ferry | 123 | 50 | Camping and water activities onCurlew Lake | |
| Daroga | Douglas | 90 | 36 | Camping and water activities on theColumbia River | |
| Dash Point | King | 398 | 161 | Camping, trails, and water activities onPuget Sound | |
| Deception Pass | Island | 4,134 | 1,673 | Camping, water activities, and old-growth forest at the northern end ofWhidbey Island | |
| Dosewallips | Jefferson | 425 | 172 | Camping and water activities onHood Canal | |
| Doug's Beach | Klickitat | 400 | 160 | Windsurfing in theColumbia 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 theStrait of Juan de Fuca | |
| Federation Forest | King | 619 | 251 | Hiking amidold-growthDouglas firs on theWhite River | |
| Fields Spring | Asotin | 792 | 321 | Trails in theBlue Mountains region | |
| Flaming Geyser | King | 480 | 190 | Flaming methane geysers (seeps); rafting on theGreen 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 theColumbia River's Wanapum Reservoir | |
| Grayland Beach | Pacific | 412 | 167 | Saltwater beach activities on thePacific Ocean | |
| Griffiths-Priday | Grays Harbor | 364 | 147 | Saltwater beach activities on thePacific Ocean | |
| Harstine Island | Mason | 471 | 191 | Beach access | |
| Ike Kinswa | Lewis | 454 | 184 | Water activities onLake Mayfield | |
| Illahee | Kitsap | 75 | 30 | Saltwater beach activities onPuget Sound | |
| Iron Horse | Kittitas, King | 1,612 | 652 | Rail trail overSnoqualmie Pass | |
| Jarrell Cove | Mason | 43 | 17 | Saltwater activities on southPuget Sound | |
| Joemma Beach | Pierce | 122 | 49 | Saltwater activities on southPuget Sound | |
| Joseph Whidbey | Island | 112 | 45 | Saltwater beach activities on theStrait 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 southPuget Sound | |
| Kitsap Memorial | Kitsap | 58 | 23 | Saltwater beach activities on southHood Canal | |
| Kopachuck | Pierce | 109 | 44 | Saltwater beach activities on southPuget Sound | |
| Lake Chelan | Chelan | 127 | 51 | Camping, water activities onLake Chelan | |
| Lake Easton | Kittitas | 516 | 209 | Camping, water activities onLake 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 fororca whale research | |
| Lincoln Rock | Douglas | 80 | 32 | ||
| Lyons Ferry | Franklin | 1,000 | 400 | Returned toWashington State Parks operation in 2015 | |
| Loomis Lake | Pacific | 385 | 156 | ||
| Manchester | Kitsap | 111 | 45 | ||
| Maryhill | Klickitat | 99 | 40 | ||
| 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.[9][10] | |
| Pacific Beach | Grays Harbor | 10 | 4.0 | ||
| Pacific Pines | Pacific | 10 | 4.0 | ||
| Palouse Falls | Franklin,Whitman | 105 | 42 | ||
| Paradise Point | Clark | 88 | 36 | ||
| Pearrygin Lake | Okanogan | 696 | 282 | ||
| Penrose Point | Pierce | 152 | 62 | ||
| Peshastin Pinnacles | Chelan | 34 | 14 | ||
| Pleasant Harbor | Jefferson | 425 | 172 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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.[9][11] | |
| Tolmie | Thurston | 105 | 42 | ||
| Triton Cove | Jefferson | 29 | 12 | ||
| 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 andPacific 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 | ||
| Name | County | Area | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acres | ha | ||||
| Central Ferry Park | Whitman | 185 | 75 | Administered byUSACE;[12] formerly Central Ferry State Park (?–2002) | |
| Chief Timothy Park | Asotin | 198 | 80 | Administered byUSACE;[13] formerly Chief Timothy State Park (?–2002) | |
| Crow Butte Park | Benton | 275 | 111 | Administered byPort of Benton;[14] formerly Crow Butte State Park (?–2002) | |
| Damon Point | Grays Harbor | 61 | 25 | Administered byWashington 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 byConfederated 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 theGreen River Gorge Conservation Area | |
| Mukilteo Lighthouse Park | Snohomish | 12 | 4.9 | Formerly Mukilteo State Park, deeded to City ofMukilteo in 2004 | |
| Osoyoos Lake | Okanogan | 47 | 19 | Now Osoyoos Lake Veteran's Memorial Park, operated by city ofOroville | |
| 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 expandedWestport Light State Park in 2016.[15][16] | |