Lyons Ferry campground to return

Jana Mathia, Gazette Reporter | May 09, 20190

Lyons Ferry Park has had a rough road for the past two decades, but is on its way back to its former glory. With funding from the recently passed state budget, the park is set to have its campground reestablished.

“Things are good to go at Lyon’s Ferry,” said Virginia Painter, Washington State Parks communications director.

The 1,000-acre park was opened to the public in 1971 and operated jointly by the state parks commission and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Budget cuts in 2002 forced the commission to pull back from handling Lyons Ferry and it closed down. The park was re-opened after operations, without the campground, were transferred to the state in 2015.

State parks received a funding pool in the 2019-2021 biennium budget from which they will draw the $3.2 million for phase two of reestablishing the campground. Previously obtained grant money is being used for preliminary work such as permitting and pre-design. State parks is already working with stakeholders and tribes in developing the area.

According to Painter, specifics for the campground project are not available at this time, so the number and type of camp sites is still unknown.

The park, with 5,200 feet of shoreline, is currently open for day use with swimming, picnic area, boat launch, restrooms with showers and fishing. Parking is available with a Discover Pass. It is located on the confluence of the Palouse and Snake rivers and was named for the ferry crossing that operated across the Snake River from 1860 until the late 1960s.