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Bridgeport State Park |
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Park Overview
 Bridgeport
State Park is a 748-acre camping park with 7,500 feet of freshwater shoreline on
Rufus Woods Lake. Set directly behind Chief Joseph Dam, this lake is actually a
segment of the Columbia River. The park provides 18 acres of lawn and some shade
in the midst of a desert terrain. "Haystacks," unusual volcanic formations
resembling their name, are the park's most striking feature.
A vehicle parking permit is no longer required for day visits.
Park Hours Summer: 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Winter: Closed Oct. 31, reopens March 23.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Driving Directions Located three miles northeast of Bridgeport, Wash., in
the north central area of the state.
From Bridgeport:
Drive north on Highway 17 for .5 mile. After crossing the Columbia River, turn
right at the park sign. Continue approximately two miles to park entrance.
From Wenatchee:
Drive north on Highway 97, then proceed south on Highway 17 for eight miles.
Turn at the park sign and continue approximately two miles to park entrance.
Picnic Facilities First-come, first-served day-use area provides 20 unsheltered
picnic tables.
Activities
| Trails |
Water Activities |
Other |
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- Boating (freshwater)
- Boating (freshwater, non-motorized)
- 2 boat ramps (freshwater)
- 240 feet of dock (freshwater)
- Fishing (freshwater)
- Personal Watercraft (freshwater)
- Swimming (freshwater)
- Water Skiing (freshwater)
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- Bird Watching
- 1 Fire Circle
- Golf
- Interpretive Activities
- Sailboarding
- Wildlife Viewing
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The lake is abundant in rainbow trout, silvers and walleye. Most fishing is by
boat, as shore fishing requires a Colville Tribe fishing license (for sale at
the Bridgeport hardware store) in addition to a state license.
Boating FeaturesWatercraft launch reopens Feb. 20.
The park provides two boat ramps and 240 feet of dock.
A daily permit is available for watercraft launching and trailer dumping at the
park for $5.
Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at
region offices, online, and at parks when staff is available.
Fishing is open year round. The trout fishing is starting to pick up, depending
on wind conditions.
Featured Creatures
| Mammals |
Birds |
Fish & Sea Life |
- Bears
- Bobcats
- Coyotes
- Deer or Elk
- Marmots
- Muskrats
- Rabbits
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- Chukars
- Crows or Ravens
- Doves or Pigeons
- Ducks
- Eagles
- Geese
- Gulls
- Hawks
- Hummingbirds
- Jays
- Ospreys
- Owls
- Pheasants
- Quail
- Swans
- Woodpeckers
- Wrens
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Environmental Features
| Physical Features |
Plant Life |
Special |
| The park has some unique volcanic
formations called "haystacks." These basalt structures look like
huge haystacks from a distance.
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- Ponderosa Pine
- Spruce
- Ash
- Birch
- Maple
- Oak
- Poplar
- Daisy
- Lupines
- Paintbrush
- Rose
- Poison Ivy
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History A park plaque honors Mr. Ralph Van Slyke who, with the most common
garden tools, cut a park in the valley above Chief Joseph Dam in the early
1960s. Van Slyke was a retired employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The park was named for the town of Bridgeport, which from 1881 to 1889 was known
as Westfield. In 1889, Mr. J. Covert, a citizen of Bridgeport, Connecticut, came
west to survey a railroad route and renamed Westfield after his hometown.
The park was created as part of a cooperative agreement between Washington State
Parks and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps is involved in
park-building because of an operating agreement for dams which requires the
corps to rebuild recreation areas.
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