State recreation lands open for local day-use only

Beginning this week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission reopened state-managed lands for local day-use only recreation.

The reopening applies to state-managed parks, wildlife areas, recreation land and boat launches. Officials warn it may take several days for gates to be unlocked and sites to be serviced at remote areas due to limited staff capacity, however. 

The list of more than 100 parks and properties opened is posted to the Parks website and includes popular destinations for hiking and boating across the state.

State Parks and Recreation will delay the opening of some areas, including all ocean beach parks and those along the Columbia River Gorge. No specific timeline has been identified for opening these park areas.

State Parks will also limit parking at some urban locations such as Lake Sammamish, Saint Edward and Dash Point. Reducing the number of parking stalls available will help decrease the number of people who can access the parks at one time, minimizing crowds.

Visitor centers, camping and other overnight accommodations on state-managed lands will remain closed until further notice.

The Department of Natural Resources also reopened its recreation lands Tuesday for day-use. For more information on DNR’s operations, visit dnr.wa.gov/open.

State land managers recommend people bring their own hand-washing supplies, toilet paper and personal protective equipment as some sites will have reduced or limited restroom facilities. People should also be prepared to change plans if their destination appears crowded or is not yet fully operational.  

If sites become overcrowded or other COVID-19 related public safety concerns develop, state agencies may close areas with limited notice to further protect public health and safety. 

The public can find the latest information about WDFW and Parks operations at wa.gov/about/covid-19-updates and parks.state.wa.us/COVID19.