Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1913 |
Headquarters | 1111 Israel Road S.W., Olympia, Washington [1] |
Annual budget | $148.6 million (2011–13 biennium) [1] |
Website | www |
The Washington State Park System is a set of state parks owned by the state government of Washington, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. There are over 140 parks throughout the state, including 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. [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, 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. [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 The fee was rescinded in early 2006, returning the state park system to its status of the only system in the West without day-use fees.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 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and designated lands of the Washington Department of Natural Resources. [5] [6] 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.
Name | Image | County | Size [7] | 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 | |
Cama Beach | Island | 433 | 175 | Preserved 1930s seaside tourist camp | |
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 | |
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 | ||
Fort Casey | Island | 467 | 189 | World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers | |
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 | |
Fort Flagler | Jefferson | 784 | 317 | World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers at the mouth of Puget Sound | |
Fort Simcoe | Yakima | 200 | 81 | 1850s-era military installation on the Yakama Indian Reservation with army and Native American interpretive displays | |
Fort Townsend | Jefferson | 367 | 149 | Boating, camping, and trails at the northeastern extreme of the Olympic Peninsula | |
Fort Worden | Jefferson | 434 | 176 | Camping, water activities, and the Coast Artillery Museum | |
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 | |
Goldendale Observatory | Klickitat | 5 | 2.0 | An astronomical observatory | |
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 | |
Jackson House | Lewis County | 1.4 | 0.57 | Restored 1850 cabin and homestead site of early Euro-American settlers John R. and Matilda Jackson | |
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 | ||
Matilda N. Jackson | Lewis | 5 | 2.0 | Heritage site of early pioneer homesteader; picnic amenities and small loop trail | |
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 | ||
Olmstead Place | Kittitas | 217 | 88 | ||
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 | ||
Peace Arch | Whatcom | 20 | 8.1 | A peace memorial on the United States-Canada border | |
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 | ||
Sacajawea | Franklin | 284 | 115 | ||
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 | ||
Steptoe Battlefield | Whitman | 4 | 1.6 | ||
Steptoe Butte | Whitman | 150 | 61 | ||
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 | ||
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 | |
Willie Keil's Grave | Pacific County | 0.34 | 0.14 | Site is accessible to users of the Willapa Hills Trail | |
Yakima Sportsman | Yakima | 247 | 100 |
Name | County | Area | Image | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
acres | ha | ||||
Central Ferry Park | Whitman | 185 | 75 | Administered by USACE; [8] formerly Central Ferry State Park (?–2002) | |
Chief Timothy Park | Asotin | 198 | 80 | Administered by USACE; [9] formerly Chief Timothy State Park (?–2002) | |
Crow Butte Park | Benton | 275 | 111 | Administered by Port of Benton; [10] 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. [11] [12] | |
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is an engineer formation of the United States Army that has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil works. The day-to-day activities of the three mission areas are administered by a lieutenant general known as the commanding general/chief of engineers. The chief of engineers commands the Engineer Regiment, comprising combat engineer, rescue, construction, dive, and other specialty units, and answers directly to the Chief of Staff of the Army. Combat engineers, sometimes called sappers, form an integral part of the Army's combined arms team and are found in all Army service components: Regular Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve. Their duties are to breach obstacles; construct fighting positions, fixed/floating bridges, and obstacles and defensive positions; place and detonate explosives; conduct route clearance operations; emplace and detect landmines; and fight as provisional infantry when required. For the military construction mission, the commanding general is directed and supervised by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for installations, environment, and energy, whom the President appoints and the Senate confirms. Military construction relates to construction on military bases and worldwide installations.
Timothy Donald Eyman is an American anti-tax activist and businessman.
The protected areas of the United States are managed by an array of different federal, state, tribal and local level authorities and receive widely varying levels of protection. Some areas are managed as wilderness, while others are operated with acceptable commercial exploitation. As of 2022, the 42,826 protected areas covered 1,235,486 km2 (477,024 sq mi), or 13 percent of the land area of the United States. This is also one-tenth of the protected land area of the world. The U.S. also had a total of 871 National Marine Protected Areas, covering an additional 1,240,000 sq mi (3,200,000 km2), or 26 percent of the total marine area of the United States.
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th-largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Grayson County, Texas, about 726 miles (1,168 km) upstream from the mouth of the river. It is located at the confluence of the Red and Washita Rivers. The project was completed in 1944. The damsite is about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Denison, Texas, and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Durant, Oklahoma. Lake Texoma is the most developed and most popular lake within the USACE Tulsa District, attracting around 6 million visitors a year. Oklahoma has more of the lake within its boundaries than Texas.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 ha), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline; 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage; nearly 15,000 campsites; and 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. Headquartered in Sacramento, park administration is divided into 21 districts. The California State Parks system is the largest state park system in the United States.
Blake Island is a Puget Sound island in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, that is preserved as Blake Island Marine State Park. The island lies north of Vashon Island, south of Bainbridge Island, and east of Manchester. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village, a tourist attraction based on Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food. The park is managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) is the State of Nebraska's State agency charged with stewardship of the state's fish, wildlife, state park, and outdoor recreation resources. The agency is led by a governor-appointed member commission consisting of 9 commissioners which directs agency management. The commission is also charged with issuing of state hunting licenses, fishing licenses, and boat registrations. The agency also manages State Parks and recreation areas throughout the state. It conducts public education programs for hunting and boating safety. The agency is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park/Wanapum Recreational Area is a geologic preserve and public recreation area covering 7,124-acre (2,883 ha) on the western shoreline of the Columbia River's Wanapum Reservoir at Vantage, Washington. Petrified wood was discovered in the region in the early 1930s, which led to creation of the state park as a national historic preserve. Over 50 species are found petrified at the site, including ginkgo, sweetgum, redwood, Douglas-fir, walnut, spruce, elm, maple, horse chestnut, cottonwood, magnolia, madrone, sassafras, yew, and witch hazel.
Lewis and Clark Lake is a 31,400 acre (130 km²) reservoir located on the border of the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota on the Missouri River. The lake is approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length with over 90 miles (140 km) of shoreline and a maximum water depth of 45 feet (14 m). The lake is impounded by Gavins Point Dam and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.
Good to Go, stylized as GoodToGo!, is the electronic toll collection program managed by the Washington State Department of Transportation on all current toll and future projects in the U.S. state of Washington. Regular Good to Go customers may set up an account from which tolls are automically deducted. Vehicles that are not linked to an account are photographed and a toll bill is sent to the registered owner by U.S. mail.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Currently the Director is Daniel Eichinger. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources; manages Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas; regulates sport fishing, hunting and trapping; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department, and is headed by Basil Seggos.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), officially known as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks. In addition, it has programs to protect and provide public access to natural and historic resources within the state, including the State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, recreation trails, the Ocean Shores Recreation Area, scenic waterways and the Willamette River Greenway. The department's chief sources of funding are the Oregon Lottery, state park user fees. and recreation vehicle license fees. The department also manages the system of rest areas along the highways and freeways within the state. In 2006 the department was delegated responsibility for managing the Oregon State Fair.
The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and the Iron Horse Trail, is a rail trail that spans most of the U.S. state of Washington. It follows the former railway roadbed of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad for 300 miles (480 km) across two-thirds of the state, from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Idaho border.
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington Territory, which was ceded by the British Empire in 1846, by the Oregon Treaty in the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute. The state is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. Olympia is the state capital. The state's most populous city is Seattle.
The Columbia Plateau State Park Trail is a 130-mile-long (210 km), 20-foot-wide (6.1 m) corridor in eastern Washington state maintained as part of the Washington State Park system. The rail trail runs along the abandoned right-of-way of the former Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km2) of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages 2,600,000 acres (11,000 km2) of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands under Puget Sound and the coast, and navigable lakes and rivers. Part of the DNR's management responsibility includes monitoring of mining cleanup, environmental restoration, providing scientific information about earthquakes, landslides, and ecologically sensitive areas. DNR also works towards conservation, in the form of Aquatic Reserves such as Maury Island and in the form of Natural Area Preserves like Mima Mounds or Natural Resource Conservation Areas like Woodard Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area.
South Whidbey State Park is a public recreation area consisting of 381 acres (154 ha) of old-growth forest and tidelands with 4,500 feet (1,400 m) of shoreline on Admiralty Inlet along the west shore of Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The state park contains many mature specimens of western red cedar, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock, some of the largest on Whidbey island, including a giant cedar over 500 years old.
Cannabis in Washington relates to a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. On December 6, 2012, Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the first to allow recreational marijuana sales, alongside Colorado. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21.