Tag: Washington State Parks

Free days at Washington State Parks during June

Monica Brown, Tulalip News

This June, Washington State Parks (WSP) will be hosting three “free days”, June 7, 8 and 14th and will not require payment for day-use. In honor of National Trails Day and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife  Free Fishing Weekend, June 7th and 8th and National Get Outdoors Day on June 14th will all be “free days”. Some nearby popular WSP include Deception Pass, Mount Pilchuck, Fort Casey, Birch Bay and Larrabee State Parks.

All WSP’s “free days” apply only to day use (not overnight stays or rented facilities). A Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by the Washington state departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife.

Discover Pass and Day-use

$30 annual Discover Pass and $10 day pass’s can be purchased at a license dealer, by phone or online. *transaction fees do apply.

Fort Casey State ParkPicture source:Washington State Parks
Fort Casey State Park
Picture source:
Washington State Parks

 

Snohomish County Parks

These “free days” do not apply to Snohomish County parks of which only some require a day-use or annual permit. For frequent users of Snohomish County Parks, they offer an annual permit pass that can be used at all county parks that charge a day-use fee (Flowing Lake Park, Kayak Point Park, Wyatt Park, and Wenberg Park).

Permits can be purchased for $7.00 at the Welcome Center Pay for day use, $70 for annual *transaction fees do apply. Purchases can be made online, at the Parks Administration office (Willis Tucker Park) and, in most cases, at the parks where day-use fees are required.

Willis Tucker ParkSource: Snohomish County Parks
Willis Tucker Park
Source: Snohomish County Parks

 

 
 
 
 
 
WSP Information Center
Ph: (360) 902-8844 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday)
E-mail: infocent@parks.wa.gov
 
Snohomish County Parks and Recreation information
6705 Puget Park Dr. Snohomish, WA 98296
Ph: (425) 388-6600

Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration

 

OLYMPIA – May 13, 2013 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to attend the Eighth Annual Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration with the Samish and Swinomish tribes.

The celebration runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Bowman Bay picnic area on the Fidalgo Island side of Deception Pass State Park, 41020 State Route 20, Oak Harbor. The event celebrates the maritime heritage of the two participating Coast Salish tribes. This year’s event also commemorates the 100th birthday of the Washington state park system, which was created by the Legislature in 1913.

The June 8 event will feature canoe rides and native singers, drummers and storytellers. Artists from the two tribes will demonstrate traditional weaving, cedar work and woodcarving. A salmon and frybread lunch also will be available for purchase. The Discover Pass is not required to attend the event. In recognition of National Get Outdoors Day, Saturday, June 8 is a State Parks “free day,” when visitors to state parks are not required to display a Discover Pass.

Cultural event activities are presented by the Samish Indian Nation, the Samish Canoe Family, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Swinomish Canoe Family. Proceeds from food sales at the Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration support the Samish and Swinomish canoe families’ participation in the annual intertribal canoe journey; each year, tribes and nations from the Pacific Northwest travel by canoe to different host communities along the Salish Sea. This year, the Quinault Tribe plays host to the intertribal canoe journey, which lands in Taholah on August 1. For more information about this year’s canoe journey, visit www.paddletoquinault.org.

The event is accessible to persons with disabilities. If special accommodations are required in order to attend the event, please call (360) 902-8626 or (360) 675-3767 or the Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at (800) 833-6388. Requests must be made in advance.

The Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration is part of a broader series of events celebrating Washington’s diverse cultures and presented by the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program. The program is a partnership between the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission and Northwest Heritage Resources with funding provided by National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State Parks Foundation.

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater of shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. The park is best known for views of Deception Pass and Bowman Bay, old-growth forests, abundant wildlife and the historic Deception Pass Bridge.

Stay connected to your state parks by following Washington State Parks at www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateParks, www.twitter.com/WaStatePks_NEWS and www.youtube.com/WashingtonStateParks. Share your favorite state park adventure on the new State Parks’ blog site at www.AdventureAwaits.com.