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Concessions Program
The Concession Program at Washington State Parks provides an important part of the overall park experience. Concessionaires offer many goods and services that State Parks could not, in most cases, otherwise provide.
Concessions range from traditional food service and campground stores to recreational equipment rentals, equestrian experiences, guided tours and glamping. State Parks partners with a variety of small businesses through concession contracts to offer the public necessary and appropriate services that contribute to high quality experiences for park visitors.
-                 FAQs                Â
- Current Concession Opportunities
Frequently asked questions
What types of concessions does State Parks have?
Washington State Parks has a wide variety of concessions across the state. Below is a general list of the types of concessions we have:
- General park stores
- Food and beverage concessions
- Espresso
- Water and winter recreation rentals
- Guided concessions offering trips (kayaking, biking, climbing)
- Horse riding
- Glamping
- Golf Courses
How long is a Concession Agreement?
Agreements vary from a couple of months to several years. The Concession Manager will work with you to determine an appropriate length. In some cases, it makes sense to write a short term (less than one year) agreement. This may be ideal for someone starting a brand-new business and would like to see how it will work in the park environment. For an established concession model such as park store or rental operation, a longer agreement would be appropriate. Most concession agreements are in five-year increments.
How do I to become a Concessionaire?
State Parks is always looking for quality concessionaires to provide traditional park concession services as well as entrepreneurs wishing to develop and grow their own exciting food or recreational business. To become a concessionaire with the Washington State Parks there are two ways in which you can explore:
- Respond to an opening for an existing park concession: These opportunities are generally made available to the public through a request for proposal (RFP) process.
- Develop your own idea for a concession: Some of our most popular concessions have been ideas proposed by our own Concessionaires! Do you have an exciting idea that aligns with our mission and you believe would be popular with park visitors? We would like to hear from you! Please contact the Concession Manager for further instruction.
How can I be notified of future openings?
To receive e-mailed notices about available concession opportunities, visit and sign up for WEBS (Washington Enterprise business Solutions).
Registering in WEBS is free and takes 10-30 minutes to register. It uses a commodity code system meaning that you select certain codes that are of interest to you.
When a bid opportunity is released, the publisher also selects a commodity code that aligns with the objective. If the codes are the same, the system will send you an email alert that there’s an opportunity that matches the code you selected.
The commodity code normally used for our concessions is: 961-15 Concessions, Catering, Vending: Mobile and Stationary. Other commodity codes may be used depending on the type of services required, so please check all that apply to your business.
What is the difference between a Concession Agreement and a Commercial Use Permit?
Concessions and Commercial Use within a state park have some similarities and differences. Below are some defining characteristics of each. However, it is best for you to have a conversation with the Concession Manager to help determine what is best for your activity.
State Parks Concessions:
- Have a fixed site within the park. This could be a brick and mortar structure, mobile stand, or a designated area within the park.
- Have frequent or daily interaction with park patrons
- Advertise within the park
Commercial Use Provider
- Uses park property for activities
- Has no fixed location within park
- Charges customers a fee for service (business transactions take place off site or through a website)
- Does not advertise within the park
For more information on Commercial Use, please visit our Commercial Use Permit page.
Ike Kinswa Food & Beverage concession
Ike Kinswa State Park is seeking a food and beverage concessionaire starting this spring. This is also a great location for a vendor to offer SUP and kayak rentals. The location of vendor will be in the Concession Building which is in the day-use use area overlooking the swim beach. The contract period will be for up to five years with the possibility of one additional 5-year term. This concession should provide a variety of food and beverage items as well as candy, ice cream, beach appropriate toys and other necessities. The interior space is approximately 420 square feet and includes lots of counter space and under counter storage. It has one large roll-up service window to serve customers. There are two large chest freezers inside for concessionaire use. A hand washing sink and 3-compartment sink will be installed soon.
Vendor must be able to provide services at the park on weekends in May and September and daily between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day. Hours are negotiable but core hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
To apply for this opportunity, contact the Concession Manager at sarah.yearout@parks.wa.gov.
Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center
MSHVC is seeking a food and beverage concessionaire at the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center near Silver Lake. The location of the vendor will be in the small concession building located just outside the entrance to the visitor center. The contract period will be for up to five years with the possibility of one additional 5-year term. This concession should provide a variety of food and beverage items. Coffee/espresso is also a big request from visitors.
Vendor must be able to provide services at the park on weekends in May and September daily from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 PM.
The stand comes equipped with the following appliances:
- -Grand Slam 24 Hot Dog Roller
- -24 X 8 stainless steel work table
- -Countertop Convection oven
- -12 x 20 electric countertop food cooker/warmer with 3 insets
- -12 x 20 electric countertop food cooker/warmer with 2 insets
- -12 x 20 countertop food warmer
- -Standard refrigerator with top freezer
To apply for this opportunity, contact the Concession Manager at sarah.yearout@parks.wa.gov.