Washington State Parks Publishes First Guide Book

— from Washington State Parks —

Washington State Parks has published its first-ever comprehensive guide to Washington’s beautiful and diverse state parks. The Washington State Parks Guide is now available for purchase.

The guide features hundreds of beautiful full-color photos and descriptions of more than 120 Washington state parks, including park features, amenities and activities.

A special section is devoted to state parks in the San Juan Island Archipelago, a grouping of islands unique to Washington. The San Juan Island section is split into two parts: parks that are accessible by ferry and parks that can be reached only by private or commercial boat.

Activities featured in the guide include not only the most popular—hiking, biking and boating—but also some not-so-well-known activities such as paragliding, geocaching, and metal detecting

To further pique visitors’ interests, the guide includes an entire section of articles that highlight Washington state parks’ unique experiences and features, including lighthouses, farm-to-table dining, long-distance trails, and more.

For those who prefer not to sleep in a tent on the ground, the guide provides a whole section on “roofed accommodations” available for rent at Washington state parks. These overnight options include cabins, yurts, vacation houses, a fire lookout, and even a castle.

This handy guide is great to reference when planning a trip to a favorite state park or for planning a longer trip visiting multiple parks along the way.

The 364-page guide is 6-3/4-inches wide by 10-inches tall and sells for $6 (includes tax; shipping and handling not included). The guide is available at State Parks headquarters, 1111 Israel Road, SW, Tumwater; some state parks and online at www.parks.state.wa.us.