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 The fee was rescinded in early 2006, returning the state park system to its status of the only system in the West without day-use fees.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. A day use pass known as the Check Out Washington pass is also available for check out from participating libraries. 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.
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Current state parks
NameImage County Size Details acres ha Alta Lake Okanogan Camping at the north end of Alta Lake Anderson Lake Jefferson Trails, non-motorized boating, and lake fishing on Quimper Peninsula Battle Ground Lake Clark Fishing, swimming, camping, and trails in and around an ancient volcano crater Bay View Skagit Camping, swimming, and boating on Padilla Bay Beacon Rock Skamania Volcanic monolith and forested uplands on the Columbia River Belfair Mason Tidal flats, wetlands, and beaches on Hood Canal Birch Bay Whatcom Camping, shellfish harvesting on Birch Bay Bogachiel Clallam Camping on the Bogachiel River Bottle Beach Grays Harbor Tidal flats on the southern shore of Grays Harbor Bridgeport Okanogan Camping, boating on Rufus Woods Lake Bridle Trails King Suburban equestrian park with of trails Brooks Memorial Klickitat Trails and camping in the southern Cascade Mountains Camano Island Island Camping and water activities on Puget Sound Cape Disappointment Pacific 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 paved trail following the Spokane River from Nine Mile Falls to the Idaho border Columbia Hills Klickitat 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 abandoned railroad right-of-way running between Cheney and Pasco Conconully Okanogan Camping and water activities on Conconully Reservoir Crawford Pend Oreille Seasonal tours of the limestone formations in Gardner Cave Curlew Lake Ferry Camping and water activities on Curlew Lake Daroga Douglas Camping and water activities on the Columbia River Dash Point King Camping, trails, and water activities on Puget Sound Deception Pass Island Camping, water activities, and old-growth forest at the northern end of Whidbey Island Dosewallips Jefferson Camping and water activities on Hood Canal Doug's Beach Klickitat Windsurfing in the Columbia Gorge Fort Columbia Pacific Early 20th-century coastal artillery and historic wood-frame fort buildings Fort Ebey Island Camping, paragliding, and trails on the Strait of Juan de Fuca Federation Forest King Hiking amid old-growth Douglas firs on the White River Fields Spring Asotin Trails in the Blue Mountains region Flaming Geyser King Flaming methane geysers (seeps); rafting on the Green River Forks of the Sky King Ginkgo Petrified Forest Kittitas A petrified forest with more than 50 species of wood; camping and water activities on the Columbia River's Wanapum Reservoir Grayland Beach Pacific Saltwater beach activities on the Pacific Ocean Griffiths-Priday Grays Harbor Saltwater beach activities on the Pacific Ocean Harstine Island Mason Beach access Ike Kinswa Lewis Water activities on Lake Mayfield Illahee Kitsap Saltwater beach activities on Puget Sound Iron Horse Kittitas, King Rail trail over Snoqualmie Pass Jarrell Cove Mason Saltwater activities on south Puget Sound Joemma Beach Pierce Saltwater activities on south Puget Sound Joseph Whidbey Island Saltwater beach activities on the Strait of Juan de Fuca Kanaskat-Palmer King Whitewater rafting in the Green River Gorge Kinney Point Jefferson Saltwater beach activities on south Puget Sound Kitsap Memorial Kitsap Saltwater beach activities on south Hood Canal Kopachuck Pierce Saltwater beach activities on south Puget Sound Lake Chelan Chelan Camping, water activities on Lake Chelan Lake Easton Kittitas Camping, water activities on Lake Easton Lake Isabella Mason Lake Sammamish King Lake Sylvia Grays Harbor Lake Wenatchee Chelan Larrabee Whatcom Leadbetter Point Pacific Lewis and Clark Lewis Lewis and Clark Trail Columbia Lime Kiln Point San Juan A facility for orca whale research Lincoln Rock Douglas Lyons Ferry Franklin Returned to Washington State Parks operation in 2015 Loomis Lake Pacific Manchester Kitsap Maryhill Klickitat Millersylvania Thurston Moran San Juan Mount Pilchuck Snohomish Mount Spokane Spokane Mystery Bay Jefferson Nolte King Obstruction Pass San Juan Ocean City Grays Harbor Olallie King Packwood State Park (Skate Creek Nature Park) Lewis 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 Pacific Pines Pacific Palouse Falls Franklin, Whitman Paradise Point Clark Pearrygin Lake Okanogan Penrose Point Pierce Peshastin Pinnacles Chelan Pleasant Harbor Jefferson Potholes Grant Potlatch Mason Rainbow Falls Lewis Rasar Skagit Reed Island Clark Riverside Spokane Rockport Skagit Saint Edward King Saltwater King Scenic Beach Kitsap Schafer Mason Seaquest Cowlitz Sequim Bay Clallam Shine Tidelands Jefferson South Whidbey Island Spencer Spit San Juan Spring Creek Hatchery Skamania Squak Mountain King Squilchuck Chelan Steamboat Rock Grant Stretch Point Mason Sun Lakes-Dry Falls Grant Tilton River State Park Lewis 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 Triton Cove Jefferson Twanoh Mason Twenty-Five Mile Creek Chelan Twin Harbors Grays Harbor Wallace Falls Snohomish Wenatchee Confluence Chelan Westhaven Grays Harbor Westport Light Grays Willapa Hills Lewis County and Pacific County Park consists of a rail trail that is partially paved with stretches of compact gravel Yakima Sportsman Yakima
Marine state parks
Name Image County Size Water body Details acres ha Blake Island Marine State Park Kitsap Puget Sound Island park in Puget Sound; home of Tillicum Village Blind Island Marine State Park San Juan Blind Bay Part of the Cascadia Marine Trail Clark Island Marine State Park San Juan Strait of Georgia Marine camping on the Strait of Georgia in the San Juan Islands Cutts Island Marine State Park Pierce Carr Inlet Island park in Carr Inlet at the southern end of Puget Sound Doe Island Marine State Park San Juan Rosario Strait Island park southeast of Orcas Island Eagle Island Marine State Park Pierce Balch Passage Island park in southern Puget Sound Hope Island Marine State Park - Mason County Mason Squaxin Passage Old-growth forest, salt marsh, beach on Puget Sound Hope Island Marine State Park - Skagit County Skagit Skagit Bay Island camping on Skagit Bay James Island Marine State Park San Juan Rosario Strait Island camping in the San Juan Islands Jones Island Marine State Park San Juan San Juan Channel Island camping in the San Juan Islands Matia Island Marine State Park San Juan Strait of Georgia McMicken Island Marine State Park Mason South Puget Sound Patos Island Marine State Park San Juan Strait of Georgia Posey Island Marine State Park San Juan Haro Strait Saddlebag Island Marine State Park San Juan Padilla Bay Skagit Island Marine State Park Skagit Skagit Bay Skull Island San Juan Massacre Bay Stuart Island Marine State Park San Juan Boundary Pass, Haro Strait Sucia Island Marine State Park San Juan Strait of Georgia Turn Island Marine State Park San Juan San Juan Channel Part of San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Historical and heritage site state parks
NameImage County Size Details acres ha Cama Beach Historical State Park Island Preserved 1930s seaside tourist camp Fort Casey Historical State Park Island World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers Fort Flagler Historical State Park Jefferson World War I-era naval gun emplacements and bunkers at the mouth of Puget Sound Fort Simcoe Historical State Park Yakima 1850s-era military installation on the Yakama Indian Reservation with army and Native American interpretive displays Fort Townsend Historical State Park Jefferson Boating, camping, and trails at the northeastern extreme of the Olympic Peninsula Fort Worden Historical State Park Jefferson Camping, water activities, and the Coast Artillery Museum Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site Klickitat An astronomical observatory Jackson House State Park Heritage Site Lewis County Restored 1850 cabin and homestead site of early Euro-American settlers John R. and Matilda Jackson Matilda N. Jackson State Park Heritage Site Lewis Heritage site of early pioneer homesteader; picnic amenities and small loop trail Olmstead Place Historical State Park Kittitas Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site Franklin, Whitman Peace Arch Historical State Park Whatcom A peace memorial on the United States-Canada border Sacajawea Historical State Park Franklin Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site Whitman Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site Whitman Willie Keil's Grave State Park Heritage Site Pacific Site is accessible to users of the Willapa Hills Trail
Former state parks