Washington Opens Roofed Camping / Accommodations in 30 State Parks

Published 07/20/2020 at 8:43 PM PDT
By OREGON TRAVEL DAILY STAFF

(Olympia, Oregon) – More than 30 state parks in Washington are now accepting camping reservations for roofed accommodations such as yurts and cabins. All opened up early in the month.

These unique and rustic facilities are a part of very diverse state park landscapes all over Washington – from its coastline, Hood Canal, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Columbia Gorge and Okanogan Valley, to the shrub-steppe Ice Age flood lands, deep Cascades forests and the Spokane area.

Washington State Parks (WSP) said you’ll find cabins, vacation homes, yurts and “rustic shelters” - which includes teepees, platform tents and even one fire lookout sitting on high.

Roofed accommodations will be cleaned and sanitized to COVID-19 standards between uses. To give staff adequate time for these safety procedures, check-in time is now 4 p.m. instead of 2:30 p.m. Check-out time is still 11 a.m.

In many cases you have to bring your own bedding, towels and linens. WSP said these are rules for rustic shelters, cabins and many vacation houses. More details: Reservations can be made online at washington.goingtocamp.com or by phone at 888-CAMPOUT (888-226-7688).

Some helpful links:

Status of state parks (which parks are open for day-use only, camping and roofed accommodations, and which are closed). This information is updated as soon as parks’ status change.

State Parks COVID-19 response page with guidelines for responsible recreation and frequently asked questions.

A look back at park closures

Following Gov. Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington state parks closed on March 25. Many parks reopened only for day use in early May, followed later by campground openings in counties that moved into Phase 2 of the governor’s Safe Start plan. Some Phase 2 county jurisdictions requested that State Parks not reopen camping immediately.