Some Snake River parks in WA to reopen this fall. More next summer
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Corps plans reopening of Snake River camping, recreation sites.
- Five new hires enable reopenings in fall or next year.
- Campgrounds near the Tri-Cities were closed this summer.
Next summer Tri-Cities residents should again be camping and boating at two nearby parks, Levey Park in Franklin County and Fishhook Park in Walla Walla County. Both along the Snake River.
The Army Corps of Engineers announced Friday afternoon that it expects to have staffing to reopen those two parks next year, and also is reopening several other recreation sites in Eastern Washington on a staggered schedule this fall.
The parks and recreation sites had been closed this summer after about 50 employees of the Walla Walla District of the Corps resigned through voluntary layoffs offered by the Trump administration.
Limited resources were concentrated at other parks, and some of those had limited maintenance, landscaping, trash collection and facility cleaning services.
A hiring freeze further reduced the Corps’ ability to open parks and recreation sites for the summer recreation season.
Now the district has been given permission to hire five employees who had been given job offers earlier this year but then lost the opportunity to work because of the hiring freeze.
2025 fall reopenings
The additional staffing will allow autumn camping, fishing and hunting across the lower Snake River system, the Corps said Friday.
“These phased reopenings reflect our commitment to safely managing public lands while supporting recreation opportunities for communities across the region,” said Lt. Col. Katie Werback, commander of the Walla Walla District.
.jpg "Illia Dunes (corps).jpg")
Reopenings include:
- The Illia Dunes Habitat Management Area in Garfield County will reopen Sept. 19. Most years during May and August, the area attracts hundreds of students from Washington State University in Pullman and the University of Idaho to its sandy beaches along the Snake River.
- The Lower Monumental Dam Riparia Recreation Area will reopen Sept. 19. It offers camping and a day-use area.
- The Lambi Creek Recreation Area, 5 miles west of lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, will reopen Sept. 19, and Willow Landing, near Highway 127, will reopen Aug. 29. Both are usually open year round for day-use, boating and primitive camping.
- Blyton Landing, in Whitman County, will reopen Aug. 29. It offers boating, day use and primitive camping.
Camping near Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities residents can look forward to returning next summer to Fishhook Park, which is 18 miles east of Burbank on Highway 124 and then four miles north on Fishhook Park Road.
The 46-acre park offers 52 camp sites, including 11 for tents only, and amenities that include flush toilets, hot showers, a playground and dump station.
It also has a day-use area with a swim beach and playground, plus boat docks and a paved launch ramp.
Levey Park, which the Corps also plans to reopen next summer, is in Franklin County on the north side of the Snake River about 11 miles east of Pasco.
It usually opens on Memorial Day Weekend. It has a day-use area, a boat ramp and a handling dock.
Ice Harbor Lock and Dam recreation areas did not close in 2025, and will end its summer season as usual on Sept. 2. Charbonneau Park will also close as usual at the end of September.
