Home
Reservations
Discover Pass
Special Offers
Passes/Permits
Volunteering
Donations
Centennial 2013
Beyond 2013
Commission Meetings
What's New
State Parks Foundation
News
Tsunami Debris
Schafer
Complete park
information
Reservations
Camping
Maps/directions
Special Features
Interpretive/history
Services/supplies
Activities/events
Wildlife/plants/
environment
Park Plans
Photo gallery
Find a Park
Regional park maps
Park feature search
Informational park maps
Reservation park maps
ADA facilities and sites
Interpretive centers
- Park list-
Alta Lake
Anderson Lake
Battle Ground Lake
Beacon Rock
Bay View
Belfair
Birch Bay
Blake Island
Blind Island
Bogachiel
Bottle Beach
Bridgeport
Bridle Trails
Brooks Memorial
Cama Beach
Camano Island
Camp Wooten
Cape Disappointment
Centennial Trail
Clark Island
Columbia Hills
Columbia Plateau Trail
Conconully
Crawford
Curlew Lake
Cutts Island
Daroga
Dash Point
Deception Pass
Doe Island
Dosewallips
Doug's Beach
Eagle Island
Federation Forest
Fields Spring
Flaming Geyser
Fort Casey
Fort Columbia
Fort Ebey
Fort Flagler
Fort Simcoe
Fort Townsend
Fort Worden
Ginkgo Petrified Forest
Goldendale Observatory
Grayland Beach
Griffiths-Priday
Hope Island (Mason)
Hope Island (Skagit)
Ike Kinswa
Illahee
Iron Horse
James Island
Jarrell Cove
Joemma Beach
Jones Island
Joseph Whidbey
Kanaskat-Palmer
Kinney Point
Kitsap Memorial
Kopachuck
Lake Chelan
Lake Easton
Lake Sammamish
Lake Sylvia
Lake Wenatchee
Larrabee
Leadbetter Point
Lewis & Clark
Lewis & Clark Trail
Lime Kiln Point
Lincoln Rock
Manchester
Maryhill
Matia Island
McMicken Island
Millersylvania
Moran
Mount Pilchuck
Mount Spokane
Mystery Bay
Nine Mile
Nolte
Obstruction Pass
Ocean City
Olallie
Olmstead Place
Pacific Beach
Pacific Pines
Palouse Falls
Paradise Point
Patos Island
Peace Arch
Pearrygin Lake
Penrose Point
Peshastin Pinnacles
Pleasant Harbor
Posey Island
Potholes
Potlatch
Rainbow Falls
Rasar
Reed Island
Riverside
Rockport
Sacajawea
Saddlebag Island
Saint Edward
Saltwater
Scenic Beach
Schafer
Seaquest
Sequim Bay
Shine Tidelands
Skagit Island
South Whidbey
Spencer Spit
Spring Creek Hatchery
Squak Mountain
Squilchuck
Steamboat Rock
Steptoe Battlefield
Steptoe Butte
Stuart Island
Sucia Island
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls
Tolmie
Triton Cove
Turn Island
Twanoh
Twenty-Five Mile Creek
Twin Harbors
Upright Channel
Wallace Falls
Wanapum
Wenatchee Confluence
Westhaven
Westport Light
Yakima Sportsman
Cabins/Yurts
Vacation Houses
Weddings/Day-use Sites
Group Facilities
Events
Activities
Publications
Blog
Interpretation and history at Schafer
History
Schafer State Park is a colorful haven created in memory of John and Anna Schafer, who had settled in the area in 1872. Their sons Peter, Hubert and Albert formed the Schafer Bros. Logging Company, which, at its height, was one of the largest lumber and logging companies in the Pacific Northwest. In 1924, Schafer Bros. Logging Company donated the park to the State of Washington. It was the first such donation by a company from the lumber industry. Prior to 1924 the site was the scene of many Schafer family picnics.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, Schafer Bros. Company employees held their annual picnic in the park, with as many as 6,000 people in attendance. Several other local associations also held annual events at the park, including the Farm Bureau, the Scandinavian Central Committee and Vasa Lodge.
The Satsop River, which runs through the park, has been a popular fishing site for Native Americans for centuries. The river continues to be a productive and popular site for fishing. Since 1909, salmon have been harvested from this location for nearby salmon hatcheries.
In 2010, the park was designated a state and national historic site of statewide significance by its addition to the Washington Heritage Register and National Register of Historic Places.
Interpretive opportunities
Several outdoor exhibits detailing the long history of the park are onsite. Each exhibit contains large maps of the park and descriptions of the activities available in that area, such as fishing, hiking, birding and camping. One exhibit features photos and descriptions of the pioneer settlement by the Schafers, as well as photos of the many company picnics held in the park. The “Life of the River” exhibit explains flooding, geology, fish habitat and other features at the park.
Jobs
•
Agency Info.
•
Fees
•
Rules
•
Site Map
•
Contact us
•
Privacy Policy
•
Governor’s Lean Initiative