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Extra! Extra! Read all about it: The people, special places and interesting and unique programs and activities that make up your Washington state park system.
News media: You are welcome to publish the staff-produced stories and photos in the "Park Stories" and "Accomplishments" tabs below. Simply provide credit to Washington State Parks. Please do us a favor, and let us know via emailing our office.
Do you have questions about a story? Want other story ideas? Let us know by e-mail, or call the Communications Office at (360) 902-8562.
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State Parks announces free days for 2021
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will again offer 12 free days next year, in which day-use visitors won’t need a Discover Pass to visit state parks by vehicle. The first free day of 2021 is New Year’s Day, Jan. 1. Read on... -
Public invited to help plan for the future of Miller Peninsula State Park Property
The public is invited help plan for the future of recreation at the Miller Peninsula State Park Property, near Sequim. The first of several public meetings will be held virtually on Oct. 6. Read on... -
State Parks Commission to meet next week
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its next regular meeting virtually from 9 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. Read on... -
State Parks offers more opportunities to reserve campsites, cabins this fall
This year, Washington State Parks will extend reservations at select parks around the state later into fall than usual. Campers will be able to make a reservation and stay at a state park through Nov. 1. Read on... -
State Parks prohibits campfires statewide
Effective immediately, Washington State Parks is banning wood and charcoal fires at its parks statewide and on ocean beaches in the Seashore Conservation Area. The ban is in effect at least through Sept. 15. Read on...
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Families create histories at Washington state parks
At Washington State Parks, rangers, Parks commissioners and staff hear from family, friend and neighbor groups who choose one park and return every summer, passing down a cherished tradition over four generations and half a century or more.
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State Parks interpretive staff visit Head Start
Washington State Parks’ interpretive staff juggle a full schedule of in-park activities and visits to local schools, all of which connect children with our state’s nature and history. Earlier this year, two interpretive specialists had a very special day at Skagit Head Start.
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Preserving the past
What happens when an artifact is found in a state park, or when it is donated? Meet the museologist who cares for Washington State Parks’ million artifacts, and learn the fascinating process used to keep this state history safe and long-lived.
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Parks' arbor crew goes out on a limb for trees
Washington State Parks’ six-person arbor crew serves the parks’ oldest and quietest residents, the trees and shrubs that make parks extraordinary. In doing so, the team provides visitors with a safe, healthy environment, and it preserves natural spaces for future generations.
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State Parks' Marine Crew Gets Deep
Meet the small team of divers and tradesmen who service the waters of Washington’s state parks. The watery haven of Washington has long been a boater’s delight, and hundreds of thousands of boaters enjoy its state parks each year.
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Bats get maternity ward at fort casey
People and pets are not the only mammals with camping privileges at Fort Casey Historical State Park. On March 13, staff installed two handmade bat boxes for the park’s bat maternity colony.
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Parks resolve flooding caused by beaver dams
Washington state parks are often tasked with balancing the needs of their human and non-human residents and visitors. This spring, the agency resolved flooding caused by beaver dams at Millersylvania and Lake Sylvia state parks.
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New sidewalk at Peace arch links two parks, two nations
Peace Arch State Park staff, with the help of local, state, national and international partners, has added 413 feet of sidewalk alongside I-5 from the border to the U.S. Customs Building. Pedestrians can enjoy a safer walk between Washington and British Columbia and from the park’s parking lot to the famous arch.
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Centennial Trail gets a rehab after severe winter storms
After parts of the Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail were damaged by 2017 winter storms, State Parks Capital program and FEMA completed restorations to the well-loved mixed-use trail, that once again allows it to run from Nine Mile Recreation Area, through Spokane to the Idaho border.
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State Parks, Tribe complete development of Kukutali Preserve
Washington State Parks and its partner, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, recently finished development of the Kukutali Preserve, a rare landform on the Swinomish Reservation that is co-owned by Parks and the Tribe. The enhancements to Kukutali improve visitor access, interpretation of the land and protection of its fragile environment.