Volunteer at our fall beach cleanup - September 17, 2022

You've hiked, biked and camped all summer long; now it's time to give back!

Over the last three beach cleanups, volunteers picked up over 50,000 pounds of trash off our beaches - join them on September 17.

Our fall beach cleanup, a.k.a. the International Coastal Cleanup, is conducted in cooperation with the?Ocean Conservancy?and CoastSavers. Join thousands of volunteers from around the world to reduce marine debris.

Visit?coastsavers.org?for registration information.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Did you know mariners from Mexico helped settle the Northwest in the 1700s? And that South Tejanos were the original cowboys and ranchers of the Western U.S. Also, miners and muleteers from Central America were critical during the Gold Rush. South and Central Americans have made - and continue to make - innumerable contributions to discovery and outdoor life in the Pacific Northwest!

Welcome to Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 - October 15!

Thanks in large part to musician, cultural worker and arts educator Antonio ?Tony? Gomez of Trio Guadalevin, we?ll be celebrating Hispanic heritage on Facebook and Instagram, in our Adventure Awaits blog and through our Folk and Traditional Arts Program over the next few weeks. Check back at these links for updates!

Parks in the news

Upcoming state land free days

We have four state land free days for the rest of 2022. A Discover Pass is NOT required to park on Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington State Department of Natural Resources lands on these dates: Saturday, September 24, 2022 - National Public Lands Day Monday, October 10, 2022 - World Mental Health Day Friday, November 11, 2022 - Veteran's Day Friday, November 25, 2022 - Native American Heritage Day

Thank you for supporting our summer Folk & Traditional Arts program events

As summer comes to an end, we would like to thank those that attended our Folk and Traditional Arts program summer concert series and Cambodian Festival.? We would also like to give special thanks to our parks staff who helped make these events possible and the groups that performed at each event - making them a great experience for park goers.?

Visit our alerts webpage

Be sure to check out the alerts section on our website before you head out to a park. Some burn bans and closures are currently in effect.

Check out upcoming events

September is jam-packed full of exciting events for all ages. Check out Heritage Days at?Sacajawea State Park, Lake Sylvia Fall Festival,?Junior Ranger events?and much more at our parks!