Miller Peninsula Planning

Map of Park Area
Path in the woods

Project Status of Miller Peninsula October 2022


Thank you to the 300 participants who joined the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Open House which was held at the 7 Cedars Hotel on October 18th, 2022. Our Director and Commissioners who were in attendance appreciated the opportunity to listen to your concerns and questions. Key topics included discussion on park design, traffic, water, habitat, trespass, and trail use. One of the primary purposes of the open house was to convey the current status of the project. The following summarizes where we are at this time:

  1. Project is paused until funding for master planning and an environmental impact statement is made available. 
  2. Possible next steps: If funding is made available in the 2023-25 biennium, development of a master plan and EIS would begin, allowing designers and public to further collaborate on the most appropriate new features for Miller Peninsula. 

State Parks will update the website when decisions about funding are made. We anticipate having a better idea regarding funding by April 2023. Click here for recent public comments.  

Public Comments

Update June 29, 2022

Our park planning processes are designed to incorporate public comment through Commission meetings, community meetings, and from your emails and letters. We continue to receive many comments on the planning process for Miller Peninsula that have highlighted important considerations for the management and future development of this property.

We know we need to address issues related to water availability, traffic revisions, and environmental impacts and balance those with the needs of the public and the communities we serve. State Parks will be requesting funding from the legislature to continue the planning process and to develop an Environmental Impact Statement next biennium which begins on July 2023. The continuation of public engagement and the development of an EIS will allow State Parks to continue work with the public to explore alternatives and provide information on issues and concerns raised during the planning process.

You can expect continued information on the webpage as well ample time to provide your comments and suggestions beginning in the summer of 2023.

Thank you for your continued interest in planning for Miller Peninsula.

The Parks Team

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is developing a long-range plan for Miller Peninsula State Park Property. Miller Peninsula is a 2,800-acre undeveloped park in the north Olympic Peninsula, just east of Sequim and north of Highway 101 in Clallam County. The property includes a trail system for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians through a beautiful second-growth forest. It also includes three miles of saltwater shoreline on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Discovery Bay, but most of the shore is high-bank, so beach access is limited.

The planning project is expected to result in several products:

  • Land classifications for the park
  • A long-term park boundary
  • A park master plan
  • A predesign report providing detail on the first phase of development
  • An official park name

The project will also consider changes to the nearby Sequim Bay State Park so that the two parks provide complimentary experiences.

The planning process will include multiple opportunities for the public to provide input on the project. This page will be updated regularly throughout the process with relevant documents and with the public input received.

To Provide Comments Click Here

To Contact:
Email Planning
PO Box 4250
Olympia WA 98504

Phone: 360-701-5612
Fax: 360-586-0207

Background Information

Stage 1 – Identify Issues & Concerns

The purpose of this stage is to understand what is important to the park community, what to change or save in the state park. This helps get a sense of the range and type of issues that need to be considered through the planning process.

Stage 1 Documents

Stage 2 – Exploring Alternative Approaches

At this stage, the planning team suggests potential alternative approaches to address the various issues and concerns raised by people in stage one. No preferred alternative is established, rather this is an opportunity to understand the range of possibilities.

Watch a recording of the June 30, 2021 virtual public workshop

The meeting content starts at 4:36. If you do not want to download the Microsoft Teams app, please select “Watch on the Web Instead.” If you want to watch the recording from a mobile phone or tablet, you will need the Teams app.

Stage 2 Documents

Stage 3 – Preparing Preliminary Recommendations

The best ideas from the alternative approaches developed in stage two are combined into a preliminary plan in this stage. The plan includes recommendations for use and development of land, changes to property boundaries and ways to address issues raised during the planning process. Another important document completed at this stage is the SEPA checklist that describes environmental impacts of the recommendations, available for public review upon request.

Stage 3 Documents

Stage 4 – Preparing Final Recommendations

At stage four, final adjustments are made to recommendations and submitted to the seven-member Parks and Recreation Commission for approval. The public is encouraged to attend the commission meeting and provide testimony or to provide written comment.

Stage 4 Documents

Related Documents