State Budget Cuts Prompt DNR to Reduce Recreation Services

Four campgrounds will fully close for the season, several others will see shortened seasons for public access.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has identified closures and service reductions to recreation sites across the state due to budget cuts amplifying an ongoing lack of funding for maintenance and staff.

DNR's Recreation Program provides rustic recreation experiences across millions of acres of state-managed lands in Washington. The work to maintain recreation sites by clearing trails, cleaning restrooms, addressing ongoing public abuse, clearing storm damage, and more has been underfunded for years.

"We don't want to be reducing recreation services, but legislative budget cuts-specifically to recreation maintenance-have forced these decisions," said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. "The final budget came in less severe than earlier proposals, so we're able to avoid some closures for now. Even so, these cuts move us in the wrong direction. At a time when more people than ever are relying on our public lands, we should be expanding recreation access, not reducing it. I'm ready to work with legislators to find solutions that meet that need."

The Operating Budget for DNR's Recreation Program was reduced by more than 20% in 2025. An additional $580,000 of critical maintenance funding was cut during the 2026 legislative session. That's more than $8 million in cuts to DNR's Recreation program in less than two years.

DNR's Recreation budget consists of a variety of funding sources including 8 percent of Discover Pass sales, dozens of competitive grants, and a portion of the state gas tax, which has been in decline.

Although Discover Pass prices increased in 2026, projected revenue shows that DNR will receive up to $1.2 million from that source by biennium's end, all while facing $8 million in reductions from the general fund in the 2025-2027 biennium.

DNR Recreation currently has just 60 field staff across the entire state; only one staff person per every 21.6 miles of trail, 50,000 acres, and 333,000 visitors to DNR-managed lands. Partnership with Washington Conservation Corps crews previously supported DNR with the equivalent of 70 additional field staffers. Those crews were not funded in the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions.

The list of service reductions includes sites that are either operationally expensive to maintain due to volume of use, longer travel distances for limited staff, or sites that will be impacted regardless due to capacity constraints compounded by storm damage. Initial budget proposals during the 2026 legislative session included more significant budget reductions than were ultimately signed into law. Improvements in the final budget allowed DNR to reevaluate proposed reductions and reduce closures across the board.

While not every trail or recreation site will face closure, budget cuts and reductions in maintenance will still be felt across the entire state. Decreased funding for maintenance has a cascading effect - storm recovery will take longer, trailhead bathrooms will not be stocked, there will be more trash on trails, and sites will be less maintained and staffed due to a lack of resources.

The full list of closures, reductions, and effective dates can be found at this link.

Members of the public should check for updated closures at dnr.wa.gov/recreation, respect posted closures at recreation sites, report illegal activities to land managers, and practice responsible recreation including leaving no trace while outside.

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