Category Overview
The State Lands Development and Renovation category provides funding to two state agencies to repair, renovate, and develop outdoor recreation facilities on existing recreation lands. As the popularity of outdoor recreation increases in our state, these grants help address overcrowding, ensure our outdoor amenities are safe for public use, improve visitor experience, and allow more people to enjoy our great outdoors.
Project Highlights
The Department of Natural Resources will use this grant to renovate the Tiger Summit Trailhead, in Tiger Mountain State Forest, about 25 miles from Seattle. The department will add 100 parking spaces including an equestrian parking area with spaces for six horse trailers, install a toilet, develop picnic areas, install information kiosks, add an equestrian mounting ramp, and build a shuttle stop. In addition, the department will improve access to the trail system and to a new shelter with views of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains. With continued regional population growth and record use levels approaching 250,000 visits a year, the 50-car gravel trailhead, which was built more than 30 years ago, is no longer adequate and people are parking along the highway and county roads. Tiger Mountain offers more than 50 miles of mountain biking, equestrian, and hiking trails and an accessible interpretive loop. The additional parking that is proposed is urgently needed to improve access and safety and to provide a high-quality outdoor recreation experience. The Department of Natural Resources will contribute $388,000 in a state appropriation, staff labor, a grant from RCO’s Nonhighway and Off-road Vehicles Activities program, and donations of materials and labor.