WA’s 10 most popular state parks in 2023 — plus some hidden gems

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...