Outdoor Safety



NorthwestNowHERO

Each week, we will explore the current events and community issues that matter to you.

Join us Thursday evenings at 7:30 for Northwest Now.

Original Air Date: 6/10/2010

Washington state is home to three national parks, six million acres of national forest land and 120 state parks. With summer weather . Tens of thousands of us and our guests will hit the trails, campgrounds, lakes and back country. Being prepared and playing safely should be at the top of the check list. Join our conversation, next on Northwest Now.

Guests

Virginia Painter - Washington State Parks and Recreation

Virginia Painter is public affairs director for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. She spent many years as a print journalist before going to work for the park system. A native Washingtonian, she grew up using the state parks and enjoys hiking, camping and bicycling with her family.

Krista Dooley - Youth Programs Coordinator for Washington Trails Association

Krista is a Washington native who has been working at outdoor youth programs since 2001 in various regions of the U.S. and Switzerland. Since 2007, Krista has been organizing and guiding WTA's youth programs. Before joining WTA, Krista spent two years as Program Director for Camp Highland Outdoor Science in Southern California, but she decided she missed the seasons and big trees of the Pacific Northwest and returned to Washington to pursue graduate studies in Environmental Education at IslandWood and the University of Washington. Her love for the outdoors keeps her working and playing in the woods year round. Krista enjoys hiking anywhere in the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

More Information

To learn more about Washington Trails Association and about hiking in Washington, please visit: http://www.wta.org/

Please observe State Park rules so that all park visitors may enjoy their visit. Please note that the following general park rules are not customized for each individual park, so not all rules will apply to all parks (for example, "campsites cannot be held for someone who might arrive later" only applies to parks with campgrounds).

Please report disturbances to park rangers; they are trained to help you resolve issues and concerns.

  • Park hours vary depending on weather and season. However, all day-use areas close at dusk. Campers may enter parks until 10:00 p.m.
  • Campground check-in begins at 2:30 p.m. Check-out is at 1 p.m.
  • Campsites cannot be held for someone who might arrive later.
  • Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted at the park. Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
  • During summer months, the maximum length of stay in any one park is 10 days. From Oct. 1 through March 31, the maximum stay is 20 days.
  • One camping party is allowed per site, with a maximum of eight people per site.
  • Please use the trash cans and dumpsters to help keep parks clean. Recycling is encouraged in all Washington state Parks. In parks with a pack-it-in/pack-it-out program, visitors must carry out everything they have brought in.
  • Please do not harm wild plants or animals. Feeding of wildlife is strictly prohibited.
  • Wildlife, plants and all park buildings, signs and tables and other structures are protected; removal or damage of any kind is prohibited.
  • Pets are allowed in most state parks, but must be under physical control at all times on a leash no more than eight feet long. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. Pets are not permitted on designated swimming beaches.
  • Horses are allowed only in designated parks.
  • Smoking and pets are not allowed inside vacation houses, yurts, cabins or other rustic structures.
  • Glass bottles or metal cans are not allowed on swimming beaches.
  • Alcoholic beverages are permitted only in designated campground and picnic areas.
  • Fireworks are prohibited on all state public lands, including state parks and beaches that front state park lands.
  • All Washington state laws are enforced in Washington state parks.

Volunteering

Volunteers play a vital role in sustaining the treasure that is Washington State Parks, providing more than 300,000 hours of service each year. Opportunities are available across the state for a variety of short- and long-term projects.

What do volunteers do? They serve as camp hosts, assist in visitor centers and answer questions from the public; maintain and restore trails; give museum tours and interpret history; and provide routine maintenance such as mowing lawns.

Who can be a Washington state volunteer? Individuals, couples, families, school groups, citizen groups, service organizations and corporations. Anyone can be a Washington State Parks volunteer!

Donations

House Bill 2339, passed by the 2009 Legislature, established a new donation program to keep state parks open in the face of budget reductions that might have resulted in the closure of about 40 state parks.

When you receive your vehicle license tab renewal notice from the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL), you'll notice a $5 donation for state parks included in your bill. The 2009-11 budget passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor says state parks will remain open if adequate funds are collected through the program. If you don't wish to donate, simply subtract the $5.

Your donation goes directly to Washington State Parks to operate more than 100 beautiful parks all over the state – special places where you can enjoy camping, picnicking, hiking, bicycling, boating and more.

Reservations

If you’re planning an overnight trip to a state park during the busy summer months, you can reserve a campsite, yurt, cabin, rustic structure, vacation house, group camp or group day-use facility in more than 60 Washington state parks. Drop-in visitors are always welcome as long as space is available, but reservations offer peace of mind when traveling to distant or popular parks. To stay overnight at a state park during the summer, check the Washington State Parks website to find out more about available reservations at: http://www.parks.wa.gov/reservations/

To find out more about Washington State Parks' Centennial 2013, visit: http://www.parks.wa.gov/Centennial2013/

To learn more about Washington State Parks, visit: http://www.parks.wa.gov/