Washington State Parks recorded 41.4 million total visits in 2023, marking the state park system’s second-busiest year on record. (In 2021, WSP saw 43.
8 million total visits between day-use and overnight visitors.) Deception Pass (with 3.4 million visits), Lake Sammamish (2.
1 million) and Spokane River Centennial Trail State Park (1.6 million) were the Evergreen State’s top three most visited parks last year, according to WSP data . Long Beach Peninsula, on Washington’s southwest coast, totaled 3.
4 million visits last year between several state parks in the area, which features a 28-mile stretch of beach. Long Beach’s most popular state park was Cape Disappointment, 2023’s fourth-most-visited state park overall at 1.1 million visits.
More Visitation rates have climbed about 28% since 2014, says Meryl Lassen, communications consultant for Washington State Parks. She says WSP is adjusting to a new status quo. “I wouldn’t say we’re scared, I would just say that we are starting to notice a new normal,” Lassen said.
“Many people found solace in the outdoors during the pandemic, they discovered they love the outdoors, and they kept coming back.” Rounding out the top 10 most visited state parks of 2023: Riverside (1.1 million), Moran (930,499), Fort Worden (884,978), Birch Bay (868,401), Saint Edward (801,332) and Larrabee (587,161).
Common threads in the top 10? Two parks, Riverside and Centennial Trail, are accessible recreational trails near cities and subur.