Celebrating 60 Years of Skagit County Parks

On Aug. 5, 1964, a visionary resolution was signed to create the Skagit County Parks and Recreation Department.

From those beginnings, with Advisory Board members Dr. Jack Papritz of Anacortes, School Superintendent Lanche Crow of Similk Bay, and Bay View resident Ann Wolford leading the charge, the department has blossomed into a cornerstone of our community.

Parks and Recreation’s first flagship, Howard Miller Steelhead Park, set the stage for a flurry of activity in the late 1970s, as parks were acquired and constructed throughout Skagit County. One of department’s earliest dreams – the con...