Lyons Ferry Park
| Lyons Ferry State Park | |
| Washington State Park | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Washington |
| County | Franklin |
| Elevation | 1,191 ft (363 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | 46°37′15″N 118°14′04″W / 46.62083°N 118.23444°WCoordinates: 46°37′15″N 118°14′04″W / 46.62083°N 118.23444°W [1] |
| Area | 1,000 acres (405 ha) |
| Established | 1971 |
| Management | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
  Location in the state of Washington | |
| Website: Lyons Ferry State Park | |
Lyons Ferry State Park is a publicly owned recreation area located some 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Starbuck, Washington. The park is on Washington State Route 261 near the confluence of the Snake and Palouse Rivers, which is considered part of Lake Herbert G. West since the construction of Lower Monumental Dam in the 1960s. The state park offers facilities for boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming. It is managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.[2]
History
The area is so-named after a ferry across the Snake River which ceased operations in 1968 after more than 100 years of service. The original ferry is still located at the park.[2] The ferry has since been replaced with the Lyons Ferry Bridge (also known as the Snake River Bridge). The steel truss bridge was originally built in 1927 for the Columbia River crossing at Vantage, Washington. In 1963, that crossing was upgraded to a four-lane bridge, and the older bridge was dismantled, placed in storage, and then re-assembled in 1968 at the Lyons Ferry location.[3]
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began park construction in 1969, then leased it to the state in June 1971. After being operated as a state park from 1971 until 2002, the property lease was relinquished by the state due to budget constraints.[4] Since 2002, the property had been operated by the Port of Columbia as Lyons Ferry Park and Lyons Ferry Marina.[5] The property returned to Washington State Park status in 2015 with the signing of a new lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[6]
References
- 1 2 "Lyons Ferry State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- 1 2 "Lyons Ferry State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ Long, Priscilla (January 17, 2004). "Washington rebuilds an historic steel cantilever bridge as the Lyons Ferry Bridge across the Snake River in 1968". The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "State Parks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign lease at Lyons Ferry". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. January 12, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Lyons Ferry Park and Marina". Port of Columbia. Archived from the original on March 13, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Public invited to celebrate June 5 reopening of Lyons Ferry State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. May 20, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
External links
- Lyons Ferry State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission