DNR budget cuts mean closed campgrounds and less work on trails
Due to budget cuts, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources recently announced they will need to close some campgrounds and reduce services at other outdoor sites this year, including less maintenance on some DNR trails.
Due to budget cuts, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced they will need to close some campgrounds and reduce services at other outdoor sites this year, including less maintenance on some DNR trails.
Each year, WTA advocates for the funding that our state land management agencies (DNR, Washington State Parks, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) need to care for the outdoor places you love to visit. This year’s budget cuts and closures highlight the need for WTA, our nonprofit partners and people like you to keep speaking up for the funding to maintain our state lands.
What’s happening?
DNR’s recreation program has a clear, ongoing funding gap. In 2025, DNR calculated that their recreation program needs at least $9 million more in funding each year. That was before the legislature cut DNR’s funding in the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions.
“We have made some very challenging decisions to close some sites to use this season, and to shorten the season at others,” said Andrea Martin, DNR’s statewide recreation manager.
State-managed campgrounds are an important part of the summer for many families. Photo by Vijay Sundaran
“With our budget reality, we are trying our best to keep as much access open as we can, but the tradeoff is that many sites will see less frequent maintenance,” Andrea said. “Users should expect to see more overgrown trails, more garbage at trailheads and bathrooms that are not frequently maintained.”
What sites will close this year?
Despite the budget challenges, DNR has said that most of their campgrounds and trail systems will remain open as normal, but be sure to check out DNR’s information on closures, service reductions and dates before planning your summer camping. You can also check DNR’s website for updates.
Some changes won’t happen until the fall or winter. For example, some Snoqualmie area restrooms will be closed this October through next spring. Other changes start this summer, like for Anderson Lake and Rock Lakes campgrounds, which will not open this year.
DNR chose sites for closure based on how expensive they are to maintain, how far staff need to travel to service them and how much winter storms damaged the sites.
What WTA is doing — and how you can help
In 2022, WTA, our nonprofit partners and champions in the legislature helped secure new funding for DNR and other state land management agencies to take care of trails, restrooms and campgrounds.
Unfortunately, as the state faced a multi-billion dollar budget deficit during the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, difficult budget cuts were made. This included reducing the maintenance funding that was won in 2022 and cutting funding for DNR’s partnership with conservation corps programs, including the state-run Washington Conservation Corps.
“$5 million of that [cut] funding was specifically allocated to purchase time from conservation corps who performed essential maintenance on trails, recreation infrastructure and campgrounds, more than doubling DNR’s on-the-ground capacity to maintain safe and accessible recreation opportunities year-round,” Andrea said.
In a typical year, DNR’s conservation corps programs employ young people to maintain trails, clear blowdowns, plant trees and repair campgrounds and trailheads, adding the equivalent of 70 field positions to DNR’s 60 total recreation staff across the state.
While DNR may be able to use some grant funding to pay for conservation corps work on DNR land, these cuts mean the amount of work will be dramatically reduced.
In total, DNR’s recreation budget was cut by $8 million in less than 2 years.
We know that Washingtonians love visiting DNR lands. WTA has seen how hikers and others who love the outdoors can shape state funding for our outdoor places when we work together.
With the reduced capacity for DNR staff, we hope that everyone will put in extra effort to pick up and pack out trash, consider volunteering on a trail maintenance project and join WTA in advocating for funding for state public lands.
DNR manages some of our favorite outdoor places, including lands near Rattlesnake Ledge. Photo by Jane Cui.
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