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Clallam County adopts Dungeness Trails as county park, earmarks funds for signage and gravel parking
Summary
The county approved a master-plan amendment to make Dungeness Trails an official county park to allow enforcement of park rules and to pay for immediate life-safety work: $60,000 for signage and $265,000 (REIT) for gravel parking lots and perimeter barriers. Public commenters urged broader planning coordination and raised concerns about river-management trade-offs.
Clallam County commissioners voted Dec. 16 to adopt an amendment to the county parks master plan that designates the newly acquired Dungeness Trails property as a county park, enabling enforcement of park code and authorizing limited near-term capital work to reduce safety risks.
Parks staff said the parcel has long-standing passive recreational use (horse, hiking and biking trails) but lacked a formal park designation that would let the sheriff enforce park rules. Staff told the board the immediate priorities are an off-road parking facility to remove cars from blind shoulders on River Road and Happy Valley Road, pedestrian crossing signage, and a sign package.
Budget and scope: staff identified a sign package budget of $60,000 and a gravel-parking design/permitting/construction estimate of $265,000 funded from the county REIT (Real Estate Excise Tax) fund. Parks director and roads staff said the parking work will be designed with roads department input to address ingress/egress safety on blind curves.
Public comment: Several residents, advisory-board members and community volunteers urged a deliberate planning process for the larger master-plan update (scheduled for 2026). "Let's not blow the few dollars ... until we know what it is that the public would like to have there," said Anna Plager, a parks advisory member. Others raised concerns that adopting the park might affect river-management options tied to the Dungeness Off-Channel Reservoir discussions.
Board response and next steps: Commissioners said safety concerns justify limited, immediate work while they will incorporate advisory-board input for design. The resolution to amend the 2025 parks master plan passed by voice vote; staff said they will follow up with advisory-board consultation on signage and parking design and will return with engineering details and permitting steps.
