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OLYMPIA — The Washington State Public Works Board has awarded funding to Pend Oreille County Parks and Recreation toward an access road to the lower section of Wolfred County Park.
Parks was awarded a $130,000 grant and $130,000 low-interest loan by Commerce, which determined the project’s hardship status to be “severely distressed.” Parks director Mike Kirkwood wrote in an email that he did not yet have a timeline for the project.
Kirkwood has repeatedly stated that his goal is to achieve access to both sections of Wolfred County Park in the next five years, before the end of his tenure. Currently, only the upper section is accessible by land and water.
“That process will creep forward,” Kirkwood wrote. “Once we are all completed with the award, we will be putting together the bid package.”
Wolfred County Park is located northwest of Newport between the Pend Oreille River and Highway 20.
Since acquiring it in 2022, Parks has been working to develop the 167-acre property into a flagship park, the third behind Pend Oreille County Park and the Sweet Creek Rest Area. A feasibility study commissioned by the Port of Pend Oreille in 2024 determined Wolfred County Park could one day house a community forest, campground, recreational vehicle park, trails, sports fields, boat launches, special event venue and parking lots.
Wolfred County Park is located northwest of Newport between the Pend Oreille River and Highway 20.
