The county parks system in Lewis County, Washington, is run by the Lewis County Parks and Recreation Department. The agency also oversees and cooperates with cities, towns, and other municipalities and organizations throughout the county in maintaining historical buildings and spaces, and other recreational areas. , the county directly oversees of parks with a department budget of $65,000.
Lewis County is home to natural areas, parks, and other recreational spots under the oversight of several state and federal park systems, including such areas as Rainbow Falls State Park and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
In 2010, the county declared that all parks under its jurisdiction were to be "No Shooting Zones". A proposal was introduced in 2020 that would transfer of Washington state parks land to Lewis County. The undeveloped parcel, known as Skate Creek, is situated alongside the Cowlitz River near Packwood.
County parks were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and fully reopened by 2023. That year, new playground equipment was installed at Rose, Schafer, and South County Regional parks. Additional plans were introduced that same year to add a course for disc golf and a pickleball court.
Outside of trails located within county, state, or federal parks, Lewis County features several large trail systems. The Willapa Hills Trail is a rail trail on a decommissioned railroad track that stretches from Chehalis to South Bend, Washington. Centralia's Discovery Trail parallels the Chehalis River, and Chehalis is home to the Airport Levee and Airport Road trails which lie around the ChehalisâÂÂCentralia Airport.
The Pacific Crest Trail, designated as a National Scenic Trail, courses through several wilderness areas in Eastern Lewis County, including Goat Rocks and Old Snowy Mountain.
The county honors the travels of pioneer Ezra Meeker on the Oregon Trail with several historical markers throughout the region. Markers are located in Centralia, Chehalis, Claquato, and Toledo.
The Lewis County Historic Bike Ride is an annual, mid-spring fundraising event that began as a county-held historic celebration in the early 1990s. The ride starts in Mary's Corner and through a variety of course options, participants can travel to several small towns and communities in the county, including Evaline, Salkum, Saint Urban, and Vader, and can bike through Centralia and Chehalis. The route is often used as a warm-up by riders of the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP) due to the similarities in elevation gains and topography.
National parks located partially in Lewis County include Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, both of which are managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS). In addition, the USFS is responsible for numerous creeks and lakes, and campgrounds such as La Wis Wis. The National Park Service (NPS) administers considerable camp sites on national park lands in the county.
Washington state parks that reside solely in Lewis County include:
The state also oversees several heritage sites including the Jackson House State Park Heritage Site and Matilda N. Jackson State Park Heritage Site, both located in the community of Mary's Corner. The Willapa Hills Trail, a rail trail park that stretches from Lewis County to Pacific County, is under management by the state.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is tasked with maintaining fish stocks in several lakes in the county, and oversees fish hatcheries as well as many natural preserves and spaces. The largest wildlife corridor is the Cowlitz River Area and is composed of several units on land owned by Tacoma Power. The area protects distinct and various riparian, wetland, and woodland habitats. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages an assortment of recreational areas.
Separate from direct county oversight, the Lewis County Public Utility District (LCPUD) manages several parks and areas under its jurisdiction in the county. Based on a requirement for its operating license, the LCPUD provides open spaces and buffer zones for environmental protections near its projects, with special attention to vegetation and wildlife management. Several of these sites have been converted into recreational areas and include the Copper Canyon Creek Take-Out Site, Cowlitz Falls Day Use Park, the Leonard âÂÂBudâ Allen Park (Cowlitz Falls) Campground, Packwood Ballpark, and a boat launch site at Swofford Pond near Swofford, Washington.
Tacoma Power & Light maintains three parks in the county situated around the Mayfiled-Riffe Lake dam complexes. Listed are Mayfield Lake Park, Mossyrock Park, and Taidnapam Park, and the power company also oversees Swofford Pond.