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State Parks E-News
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January 2023
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 Deception Pass State Park, photo by: Freya Fenwood
New year, new us
At Washington State Parks, we believe our highest purpose is to make the outdoors joyful for everyone - from the first time-visitor to the casual explorer and all generations yet to come. No matter how you choose to connect with nature, we?re here to welcome you into the wild, wonderful outdoors. That?s why we?re rebranding.?
Learn more about why we?re making a change and how we got here in our latest blogs:
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 Deception Pass State Park, photo by: Freya Fenwood
Changes to our Senior Off-Season Pass
The off-season is one of the best times to visit your favorite state parks ? especially for our seniors who apply for the Senior Off-Season Pass. To make this program easier for more seniors to enjoy, we?re implementing a few changes to the reservation process. After much consideration, we have decided to end the practice of refunding campers for reservations made in advance of the off-season and before they purchase their Senior Off-Season Pass. Learn more about what this means for pass holders and how it will make this program more equitable in our blog.
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 Photo by: Parks Interpretive Specialist Aaron Webster
The King Tides are coming!
The King Tides are coming, the King Tides are coming!
Not to be confused with giant waves caused by storms (though they may coincide), these extreme high tides have more to do with astronomy than with weather. January King Tides arrive on our coast Jan. 20 and ebb Jan. 23.
Our latest blog post explains why, when and where they occur, and how you can safely view them.
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State Parks will hire more than 300 park aides this season
Not an office person? Bored doing the same job every day?
Come join our team and work in a Washington state park!
We?re hiring 305 park aides this season, and you could be one of them. Choose from state parks in old-growth forests, high desert, shrub steppe, channeled scabland, Puget Sound or ocean beaches. Learn new skills, find career paths or encores and have the summer of a lifetime.
With a mix of outdoor work, skill-building and customer service, no two days are alike.
Park aides are living the dream ? and you can too.
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THE SEATTLE TIMES: 6 off-the-beaten-path snowshoe trails with unique landmarks
 Mount Spokane State Park, photo by: Brendan Dowling @brendandowlingphotography
It may seem like skiing and snowboarding are the only ways you can recreate during the winter months, but snowshoeing is also a great option for continued exploration when it?s cold out - and our state parks are a perfect place to do it!
The Seattle Times gives you an in-depth look at what to pack, expect and enjoy during your first, second or 50th snowshoe hike.
If you are a newbie, Parks offers guided snowshoe hikes and snowshoe rentals:?
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 Lake Wenatchee's First Day Hikes event, photo by: Jess Merchant @jessexplored
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First Day Hikes Recap
2023 greeted us with some sunshine and a great turnout for First Day Hikes!
More than 1,500 participants?hiked, biked and snowshoed at one of our 45 First Day Hike events - bringing us to a grand total of?2,652.67 miles of trail covered on the first day of the year. Thank you to those that attended!
And thank you to all the rangers, interpreters, park staff, and volunteers who hosted a First Day Hike.
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