Saint Edward State Park – state parks quest #40
A former seminary is both peaceful park and luxury hotel. Saint Edward shows one way forward for perpetually cash-strapped state parks.
A former seminary is both peaceful park and luxury hotel. Saint Edward shows one way forward for perpetually cash-strapped state parks.
The only traditional state park in the Willapa Hills is home to one of the region’s last stands of old-growth forest and some lovely CCC handiwork.
Rare Skagit River frontage makes this a prime park for eagle-watching in winter and relaxing year-round. Ever eaten a Shakey’s Pizza? You helped create this park.
When I moved to Washington nearly three decades ago, I quickly acquired a small collection of books about the maritime Northwest. One of those books was Robert Michael Pyle’s Wintergreen: Rambles in a Ravaged Land, about the Willapa Hills. This region of southwest Washington, bounded by the Pacific to the west, the Olympic Mountains to the north, the Puget Trough to the east, and the Columbia River to the south, has few features that inspire…
A rare old-growth forest on the Skagit River is a glimpse of western Washington before axes and sweat converted ancient trees into capital.