Tonasket is fortunate to have a number of parks available to our residents and visitors.
History Park: This park, Tonasket’s oldest, was developed in the mid 1940’s and is located in a residential area on 5 acres with 400 feet of shoreline on the Okanogan River. Existing facilities include and outdoor swimming pool and bathhouse, a basketball court, picnic tables, open area for games and concerts, and a variety of children’s play equipment. The park is lighted and fenced for security.
Improvements accomplished in 1990 with the assistance of IAC matching funds include renovation of the pool and bathhouse, which included the addition of restrooms, that are accessible when the pool is closed.
 |
photo by Terry Mills |
Visitor Center: This park was developed during the spring and summer of 1989 in a joint effort of the City and the Tonasket Chamber of Commerce. The .8 acre site is leased from the Burlington Northern Railroad and is located in the northwest area of Tonasket near the corporate limits and is bounded on the west by the Columbia-Cascade Railroad, on the north by Winesap Street, on the south by industrial property and on the east by Western Ave.
During the spring and summer of 1989 the site was developed into a visitors center with the addition of a small building used as a tourist information center an 8 RV hook-ups.
State Street Park: This neighborhood park was developed by private landowners and donated to the city. The park consists of an acre of lawn in a triangular shape at the intersection of State Street, Second Street and Antwine Avenue. Trees growing along the State Street side provide a nice shady area for relaxing and watching the children play.
Recently added to the park was playground equipment for small children, donated and installed by the local Junior Women’s Group. This year the city added two picnic tables.
Chief Tonasket Park : This park was developed on property south of the city’s wastewater treatment lagoons and annexed in 1986. The park is bounded on the east by the Cascade-Columbia Railroad tracks, on the west by the Okanogan River with approximately 2,000 feet of shoreline and on the south by undeveloped private property reserved as a wildlife area.
This 22 acre site was originally developed with volunteer labor and donated money, materials and equipment to include 2 small soccer fields for youth play, 2 regulation soccer fields, 1 softball field, 1 little league baseball field and 2 parking areas. the 2 regulation soccer fields partially overlap the baseball fields, which restricts simultaneous use. The majority of the site is planted with grass and as of 1994 the park is irrigated with an automated underground sprinkler system installed by the city. Access to the park is via Railroad Avenue which bisects a heavily used fruit warehousing area.
A boat launch, picnic shelter, picnic tables, restrooms, parking lots and a riverfront trail were added along the shoreline portion of the park in 1993 and 1994 with the assistance of matching funds provided by the Washington Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account.
In 1994, a local resident and retired business person, John Figenshow, donated to the City several acres of riverfront property to the south of the park that is recognized as having significant habitat value by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is also the site of a Bureau of Reclamation fishery mitigation site.
Presently, activities that cause this park to be in high demand include: informal golfing activity, soccer, river walks, baseball, fishing, river floating, picnicking, wildlife observation and general relaxation.
 |
Lagoon Riverfront Park |
Triangle Park: This small park area is located between Western Ave. and State Highway 97 in close proximity to the Visitor Information Center. The 1/3 acre site is primarily a grassy open space area with a shade tree and picnic tables. Two city wells are located here.