This is a friendly reminder that Washington state parks are open and will continue to remain open during the federal government shutdown. Be sure to take advantage of access to your state-funded public lands, and visit a state park today! 

Find a park.

Photo: Lime Kiln Point State Park

The 2019 Legislature is under way, and the House and Senate will be working on a budget for the governor’s signature in the spring. The State Parks and Recreation Commission is asking for a larger share of public tax support to supplement fee earnings in 2017-19.  The park system continues to recover from cuts made during the Recession. Meanwhile, the state’s population continues to grow, and visits to parks are on the rise.

The request would provide additional park staff to improve maintenance, provide customer service and hospitality to visitors and ensure that State Parks continues to be a strong economic driver for the state. Governor Inslee’s proposal meets many of State Parks’ needs.

To learn more about our budget and the request for 2017-19 operations and capital projects, visit our website to learn more about parks financing.

Photo: Pishastin Pinnacles State Park

Now that the holidays are behind us, you are probably starting to dream about spring break, summer vacation, or a quick winter getaway…

You’ll find vacation planning easier than ever this year, as Washington State Parks has launched its new online reservations system.

Yes, Washington State Parks heard your call for a new and improved online booking system, which went up live on Jan. 16!

Some highlights include:

• The new system offers 90 new campsites and 38 new cabins at Cama Beach and Camano Island state parks, plus seven day-use shelters and six group camps that were not previously reservable online.
• The system is mobile-enabled, meaning it’s easier to use on a tablet or SmartPhone.
• Specials and promotions are visible near the bottom of the page.
• When a specific campsite is only available for part of your stay, you can put a different campsite on the same reservation for the remainder of the stay.
• You are now allowed to make reservations at multiple parks in one online session, though fees and confirmation letters will be different for each park.
• The site also shows the availability of retreat centers and environmental learning centers in state parks. Though the centers are not reservable online, this means event planners will know at a glance what’s available.
• In addition to increased inventory and more intuitive web navigation, you will experience expedited check-in with your printed reservation, or with the confirmation email on your phone. You can also pre-purchase extra vehicle permits.

From the park side, the new system offers faster updates, simpler processes and increased staff efficiency. Park staff will have an online dashboard that allows them to quickly find reservations. In addition, staff will be able to sell Discover passes and merchandise in parks.

So, head on over to the new site: https://washington.goingtocamp.com/home, and create or update your account  (if you haven’t already done so). Then dream, scheme and plan away for this summer and fall at Washington state parks!

If snow isn’t your thing in winter, and you still want to get outdoors, Rockport State Park on the North Cascades Highway might be just the place for you! Park staff are offering fun — and educational — activities for all ages from now through spring.

Start the week off with an inspiring Healthy Hike! Each Monday through June 10, park staff or a local Skagit County fitness guru will lead you on a walk through the park. To sweeten the deal, if you walk 100 miles in one year in the park, you will get a hand-carved walking stick from Senior Park Aide Don Smith. Hikes start at 11 a.m.

The Deep Forest Experience runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday now through February. Knowledgeable staff and volunteers lead hikes through the park’s magnificent old-growth forest where you can learn about native plants, wilderness skills, animals, “salmon trees” and more. Learn more.

Add to all this are the many Junior Ranger programs taking place in the park’s Discovery Center. 

Programs and events happening at all Washington state parks can be found here.

Photo: Rockport State Park