Celebrating 60 Years

This year, Snohomish County Parks & Recreation is celebrating 60 years of providing great programs, parks, trails, and the Evergreen State Fair for the residents and visitors of Snohomish County. The original parks department was formally created on March 4, 1963. Commemorating our 60th anniversary honors those who served before us and reminds each of us that our responsibilities extend beyond here and now - to the community around us and to the community to follow.

Background

Since 1912, Snohomish County has acquired some of the county’s most valuable open spaces and environmentally sensitive areas to ensure their protection and in 1988 expanded its preservation efforts with the Conservation Futures Program. Through these acquisitions, Parks and Recreation Department today manages thousands of acres of passive open space including wildlife sanctuaries such as:

Spencer Island
Snohomish River Estuary
Lord Hill Regional Park
West Lake Roesiger
Bob Heirman Wildlife Refuge at Thomas’ Eddy
Paradise Valley Conservation Area
Narbeck Wildlife Sanctuary

Since that first acquisition, the park system has grown to over 12,000 acres, 121 park properties, 34 miles of shoreline, over 30 miles of paved trails, and hundreds of miles of unpaved trails. Since 2004, over $67 million has been invested in the park system to acquire and develop new trails and parks for the citizens of Snohomish County.

Park Directors

Park directors through the years include Earl Torgeson (1966-68), Ron Taylor (1968-71), Dick Fowler (1975-92), Ron Martin (1993-2006), Gary Weikel (2006-07), Tom Teigen (2007-2021), Jeremy Husby (2022) and Sharon Swan (2023-present).

Yearly Milestones

1912: Acquired property where the Evergreen State Fair Park now stands
1926: Acquired property for Squire Creek Park
1939: Acquired properties for Lake Roesiger Park and Wenberg Park
1945: Acquired additional property at the Evergreen State Fair Park site
1951: Acquired property for Logan Park
1958: Acquired property for McCollum Pioneer County Park
1963: Official Parks Department is formally created.
1969: McCollum Pool opened to public
1971: Acquired property for Meadowdale County Park and SW County Park
1972: Acquired property for Kayak Point County Park
1973: Acquired property for Gissberg Twin Lakes County Park
1976: Flowing Lake County Park opened
1985: Acquired property for Lord Hill Regional Park
1987: Wyatt County Park opened
1991: Centennial Trail Phase 1 opened
1992: Martha Lake Park and Bob Heirman Wildlife Park at Thomas' Eddy opened
1995: Lord Hill Regional Park, North Creek Park, Spencer Island and Portage Creek Park completed and Lake Goodwin property acquired
1998: Martha Lake Park opened
2000: Acquired property for Paradise Valley Conservation Area
2002: Acquired property for Paine Field Park
2005: Willis Tucker Park and new Parks Department headquarters opened
2006: Lake Goodwin Park and Whitehorse Park ballfields opened
2007: Lime Kiln Trail completed
2008: Acquired property for Heybrook Ridge Trail, Miner’s Corner County Park and Martha Lake Airport Park and 126 additional acres for Paradise Valley Conservation Area which officially opened. River Meadows Yurt village completed (dedicated 2009), acquired Leary property
2009: Wenberg State Park transferred back to county ownership, and Paine Field Park opened
2010: Lake Stevens Park ballfields opened and purchased Reiter Foothills Trailhead
2011: Acquired West Lake Roesiger property
2012: Acquired Wellington Hills County Park property; Nakashima Barn dedication; completed the last 4 miles of the Centennial Trail (for a total of 30 miles)
2013: Tambark Creek Park opened
2014: Flowing Lake Park and Campground expands from 38 acres to 195 acres; Hooven Bog acquired; Miner's Corner Park opened
2015: New USeD reservation system
2018: Acquired 3.59 acres for Heirman Family Nature Park; 6.67 acre Lake Stevens Ballfield expansion; 16 acre Squire Creek Park addition
2019: Lake Stickney Park opened; 3.43 acre Corcoran Memorial Park established with reserved life estate; 7.31 acres for Steelhead Haven inholdings acquired
2020: Cavalero Hill Park completed; SR 530 Slide Memorial progress; acquired 4.36 acre Miller Pond Park; 1.11 acre donation to Lord Hill Regional Park from Ron Turner; acquired 38.84 acre PSE corridor for future trail from Snohomish to Lowell River Rd; raised timber framed shelter with the Timber Framers Guild at Whitehorse Park and Campground and entry portals over the Whitehorse Trail at the SR 530 Slide Memorial site; Esperance Park Renovation completed
2021: Merged into the Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; Whitehorse Campground Phase 1 completed. Meadowdale Beach Park & Estuary Restoration Project begins. Full funding to complete the SR 530 Slide Memorial Project is identified.
2022: Major milestones completed on the Meadowdale Beach Park & Estuary Restoration Project including train track bridge installations, a new pedestrian bridge, and restoration plantings. Construction began on the SR 530 Slide Memorial Project. The Lord Hill Regional Park Preferred Plan is completed.
2023: Park projects expected to be finished include Meadowdale Beach Park, SR 530 Slide Memorial, Whitehorse Campground Phase 2

About Parks and Recreation

The Division of Parks & Recreation manages over 121 active public parks including:

Centennial Trail
Evergreen State Fair Park
Kayak Point Park & Campground
Kayak Disc Golf Resort
Martha Lake Airport Park
Meadowdale Beach
Picnic Point Park
River Meadows Park
Whitehorse Trail
Willis Tucker Park
Wenberg Park & Campground

The Division of Parks & Recreation manages and invests in its park system to provide for a variety of activities such as:

Camping
Hiking
Swimming
Running
Walking
Cycling
Mountain biking
Horseback riding
Fishing
Boating
Team sports
Off-leash dog areas
Accessible access and park features

The division continues to expand its investments in other forms of active recreation including shooting sports, synthetic turf athletic fields, and yurt camping.