Celebrating 60 Years of Skagit County Parks

On Aug. 5, 1964, a visionary resolution was signed to create the Skagit County Parks and Recreation Department.

From those beginnings, with Advisory Board members Dr. Jack Papritz of Anacortes, School Superintendent Lanche Crow of Similk Bay, and Bay View resident Ann Wolford leading the charge, the department has blossomed into a cornerstone of our community.

Parks and Recreation’s first flagship, Howard Miller Steelhead Park, set the stage for a flurry of activity in the late 1970s, as parks were acquired and constructed throughout Skagit County. One of department’s earliest dreams – the connector trail from Deception Pass to the Anacortes Community Forest Lands – took nearly 50 years to fully realize, but with diligence and resolve, it became a reality.

Partnerships have been key to the department’s ongoing success. The Skagit Playfields are a testament to collaboration with Skagit Valley College.

As the department reviews its history, it looks forward with excitement. Sharpe Park is expanded, it unveiled the new Veterans Plaza at the Northern State Recreation Area, and celebrated the reconnection of Northern State with four new bridges and several miles of trails. Over the next 18 months, the department will add three new properties: Studley Community Park, Filippini Falls Park, and the Yudwasta Heritage Site.

Source: Skagit County government