The Foundation has launched a $4 million capital campaign to fund the following four new projects that will significantly enhance our state parks system. 

Cama Beach State Park

Cama Beach State Park opened on Camano Island in June 2008, the first new state park in more than a decade. Situated on the water against a forested backdrop, the 433-acre park—the site of a fishing resort from 1934 to 1989—includes rustic beachfront rental cabins and is home to the Center for Wooden Boats’ second campus.

The park was created through land donations from the Hamalainen and Worthington families, who channeled $2 million through the Foundation to construct a new building to replace the fishing resort's original dining hall.

Rosario Beach

Each year, the tide pools at Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park draw thousands of tourists and students who come to see the pools’ rich variety of marine life. 

But uninformed visitors have taken a toll on the tide pools. A visit by about 1,200 students one day in the late 1990s caused extensive damage to the tide pools. Parks staff ended the day collecting dying starfish, urchins and other creatures from a parking lot. 

The need for greater awareness prompted the Foundation’s plans to retrofit an existing building into classroom space and build a new interpretive center at Rosario Beach. The center will provide information about the tide pools and exhibits about the Native Americans who first lived in the area.

100 Miles of New Trails

Trails are one of the most popular features of our state parks, attracting large numbers of people annually for activities ranging from mountain biking to horseback riding, cross-country skiing to hiking, wildlife viewing to walking.

Rapid population growth in recent decades has strained the parks’ trails, creating the need for more. To reduce traffic on existing paths, the Foundation plans to add 100 miles of new trails around the state. 

Many will be created on former railway routes, primarily in Central and Eastern Washington, and new water trails will be established on rivers and bays.

Rental Yurts and Cabins

Washington’s state parks offer rental yurts, cabins and rustic shelters that allow people to enjoy the beauty of nature year-round without roughing it. Situated in forests, near lakes and along sandy beaches, they provide an affordable, easy alternative to camping. 

A study by the state parks commission concluded that more overnight facilities are required to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly diverse population. 

The Foundation is providing funding for 25 new rental yurts and cabins that will allow more people to enjoy our state parks in comfort.