Brooks Memorial: All Content
Park overview:
Brooks Memorial State Park is a 700-acre, year-round camping park located between the barren hills of the south Yakima Valley and the lodgepole pine forests of the Simcoe Mountains. The park provides a variety of natural environments for visitors to enjoy.Want to support Washington State Parks? Get involved by joining a friends' group. For more information, visit the Friends' Group web page.
Park hours/updates:
Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: Closed Nov. 1, reopens April 1.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Agency information:
Don't move firewood: Please protect the Pacific Northwest from invasive species by obtaining or purchasing your firewood at or near your camping destination (within 50 miles). Firewood can carry insects and diseases that threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by buying and burning your firewood locally. For more information, visit online at www.dontmovefirewood.org or the Washington Invasive Species Council website.
The Discover Pass now can be used on either of two vehicles!Annual pass: $30
One-day pass: $10
(Transaction and dealer fees may apply)
A Discover Pass is required for motor-vehicle access to state parks and recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Exemptions: Your purchase of the Discover Pass supports recreation on state lands. However, the Discover Pass is not required if you are camping or renting overnight accommodations, for the duration of your stay at that state park. For additional exemptions and more information, please visit the Discover Pass website.
Campsite Information:
The park has 22 tent spaces, 23 utility spaces, one dump station, one restroom and two showers. Hookup sites are sites 1 through 23. Tent sites are sites 24 through 45. A limit of eight people are permitted per site. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability).Electrical sites have 50-amp hookups. Water is available in hookup sites from mid-April to late October.
To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
Group Accommodations:
The park provides a group camp that accommodates a maximum of six motorhomes and 20 to 50 people. The camp has a fire ring, picnic tables, two pit toilets, water and a volleyball net. The camp is open year-round with limited facilities in winter. Fees vary with size of the group. To reserve, call the park office at (509) 773-4611.2013 camping fees:
Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).May 15 – Sept. 15 (peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $23 non-premium site, $26 premium site
Partial-utility campsite*: $30 non-premium site, $35 premium site
Full-utility campsite*: $32 non-premium site, $37 premium site
*Please note: Camping fees during the 2013 peak season are $28 for partial-utility sites and $29 for full-utility sites at Beacon Rock, Lewis & Clark and Schafer state parks. These parks are first come, first served.
Jan. 1 – May 14 and Sept. 16 – Dec. 31 (off-peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $22 for non-premium and premium sites
Partial-utility campsite: $28 for non-premium and premium sites
Full-utility campsite: $29 for non-premium and premium sites
Maximum eight people per campsite.
Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.
Dump stations (if available): Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
More about park hours
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park from April 1 through Sept. 30; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.
Driving Directions
Located 13 miles north of Goldendale, Wash., in the Simcoe Mountains in Klickitat County.From Yakima:
Take Hwy. 97 out of Toppenish. Park is 40 miles south of Toppenish.
From Vancouver, WA:
Take I-84 on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. At Biggs, Oregon, take Bigg's Bridge past Maryhill State Park, northbound onto Hwy. 97 to Goldendale. Brooks Memorial is on Hwy. 97, 13 miles north of Goldendale.
Park Maps
Brooks Memorial downloadable pdf map #1List of all downloadable Washington State Park PDF maps.
Park Features
Over nine miles of hiking trails lead along the Little Klickitat River and up through Ponderosa and Oregon Pine forests. At the top are open mountain meadows with a panoramic view of Mount Hood. Visitors may see deer, beaver dams, squirrels, spring wildflowers and a variety of birds.
History
Acquired in six parcels between 1944 and 1957, Brooks Memorial State Park is named for and dedicated to area citizen Nelson B. Brooks, who is credited with establishing an excellent community road system.Interpretive opportunities
The park features a monument to the Honorable Nelson B. Brooks. Nature talks are given to groups at the Environmental Learning Center (ELC) upon request. Tours and programs may be arranged through park rangers. Call the park at 509-773-4611 for more information.Services/Supplies
| Available in the park | Available in the area |
| • Camping • Pay phone | • Auto repair • Airport • Camping • Diesel • Fishing/hunting • Gasoline • Gifts • Golf • Groceries • Hardware • Hospital • Overnight Accommodations • Pay phone • Postal service • Propane • Recreational equipment • White gas • Wood |
Adjacent to the park is a resort with a small store and café. Area services and gas are 13 miles south in Goldendale.
Activities
| Trails | Water Activities | Other |
| • 9 mi. Hiking Trails • 9 mi. Bike Trails | • Fishing (freshwater) | • 1 Amphitheater • Bird Watching • 2 Horseshoe pits • Mountain Biking • 1 Softball Field • Wildlife Viewing |
A ball field and a swingset are in the park. Hikers should bring a day-pack with first-aid supplies, map and compass and/or GPS. Please contact a ranger for hiking information. Motorized activities are not permitted on trails. Metal-detector enthusiasts must report any evidence of Indian artifacts to a park ranger. Activities close to the park include stargazing at the Goldendale Observatory, visiting the Maryhill Museum, viewing the replica of Stonehenge on SR 14 and driving the historic Columbia Highway in nearby Orgeon. A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website. | ||
Events
The 2013 State Parks free days are as follows:
Jan. 21 – In honor of Martin Luther King Day
March 30 – In honor of Washington State Parks' 100th birthday on March 19
April 27 and 28 – National Parks Week
June 1 – National Trails Day
June 8 and 9 – National Get Outdoors Day and Department of Fish and Wildlife Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4 – Peak season free day
Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 through 11 – Veteran's Day weekend
Please note: A Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife during State Parks free days. For more information, please visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
Find other events at Washington State Parks
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
Two kitchen shelters with picnic tables, sinks and electricity are available first come, first served. A restroom is available.Wildlife
| Mammals | Birds | Fish & Sea Life |
| • Badgers • Bears • Bobcats • Chipmunks • Coyotes • Deer or Elk • Rabbits • Raccoons • Skunks • Squirrels | • Chukars • Crows or Ravens • Ducks • Eagles • Grouse • Hawks • Herons • Hummingbirds • Jays • Owls • Pheasants • Quail • Snipes • Turkeys • Woodpeckers • Wrens | • Trout |
Environmental Features
| Physical Features | Plant Life | Special | |
| • Douglas Fir • Ponderosa Pine • Alder • Apple • Birch • Oak • Foxglove • Lupines • Paintbrush • Berries • Thistle • Poison Oak | The park shows some evidence of early Native American activity. The Yakima Indian Nation is located two miles north of the park. |
Park photo gallery
