Washington state camp grounds

Crisis averted. They reached a deal last night as reported on King5 News. Now go camping!

Personally, I think states make these threats to state parks as a scare tactic. They'll find a way to keep them open. This has happened in quite a few states over the years.

We're at Fort Worden for 7 days over the 4th and they haven;t sent out notices. However,don't think about taking charcoal for cooking or wood for campfires unless it really rains hard over the next few days. Full burn ban except for propane stoves and even more important, No Fireworks.
I was unfortunate enuff to see the effects of one little pop bottle rocket on a neighbors house once. Kids were shooting fireworks and shot a whole binch of them out of a big can and they went everywhere. One landed in a compost pile and caught fire and spread to the house. The kids halled a## and never reported it and the neighbor was gone House was nearly gone before another neighbor saw it and we were all lucky it didn't catch the trees. Kids really got into a lot of trouble legally as they ran away and didn't report it.

This will make for an interesting 4th weekend....:E...Dennis

Tom/Barb and the rest of you in Washington,

Please keep us updated on any new developments with the budget. We have reservations for mid July to early August so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Thanks and safe travels.

I received this in an E Mail from the Washington State Parks Department concerning my reservation for the 6-30-2015
See Below

We value our customers and are pleased you have chosen to book a reservation this summer in one of our beautiful Washington state parks.

We are writing campers who have reservations on any nights from June 30 through July 8, to alert you about an unlikely but possible state government shutdown that could disrupt your vacation with us. The Washington State Legislature is currently in negotiations to pass a budget for the next biennium, which begins on July 1. While at this time, many people are optimistic that the Legislature will meet its June 30 deadline, failure to do so would trigger a statewide shutdown of services, including closure of state parks.

Because we value our customers, we want to make sure you are aware of the situation so you can decide what works best for you as your camping vacation approaches. We are sorry about the inconvenience and uncertainty this notification may cause you. Again, we are optimistic that services will continue, but we want to inform and prepare our valued customers.

As your vacation date approaches, please check for updates on the State Parks web site, at www.parks.wa.gov. You have the following options:

If you made a reservation through State Parks central reservation system:
•You can keep your reservation as-is. If no shutdown occurs, your campsite or rental facility will be there waiting for you when you arrive at the park.
•To cancel your reservation, reply to this email between now and your arrival date and receive a full refund. Please include a valid telephone number where you may be reached. A representative will contact you within 2 business days to confirm the cancellation of your reservation.
•Please note: If you cancel online, normal cancellation fees are charged automatically and you will not receive a full refund. If you cancel and parks remain open, you will not have a reservation, and the site that you have cancelled may be used by another camper.

Refunds will be processed as soon as possible.

We encourage you to check the Washington State Parks website for updates, at www.parks.wa.gov. If the website states that the parks are not open on your arrival date, we ask that you reply to this email to cancel this reservation. Please note: If the park is open and you have kept your reservation but then do not show up, State Parks' "no-show" policy will apply (our reservation cancellation policy can be found at: http://www.parks.wa.gov/228/Cancellations).

Many people believe that a budget will be passed in time. We hope that is the case so that we can continue without interruption to provide the parks and recreation services you enjoy.

We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

obgraham wrote:
WA parks are disgusting compared to neighboring states. Yet they still charge top dollar for unimproved spots, unlevel, with no services.

I know, they blame the politicians, but I'm not sure that's the whole story.

They're a lot better than California State Parks and cheaper.
As a recent transplant to Washington, from California, I've been through this shutdown thing for a lot longer time.
Both states could learn a lot from Oregon, where the park campgrounds are much nicer and cheaper.

Cape Disappointment charges $45/night for 3 point sites....:E....Dennis

WA parks are disgusting compared to neighboring states. Yet they still charge top dollar for unimproved spots, unlevel, with no services.

I know, they blame the politicians, but I'm not sure that's the whole story.

I agree...it is too bad about the parks and the state of affairs with government inept abilities to manage effectively. I also hate to see the WA parks not cared for...there are some very beautiful parks. That being said, I never use the state parks anyway...can never get a reservation when I have the time to get away!