From Confluence to Beebe, park fees drop for Chelan County residents

WENATCHEE — Chelan County residents will soon be able to use four of the region’s busiest Columbia River parks without paying day-use or boat launch fees after Chelan County PUD commissioners approved long-term funding for the program Feb. 17.

The decision covers Wenatchee Confluence, Lincoln Rock, Daroga and Beebe Bridge state parks, a stretch of riverfront access that runs from the heart of Wenatchee north through Douglas County to the point where U.S. 97 and U.S. 97A/SR 150 meet just north of Chelan Falls.

Because the utility owns the lands associated with its hydroelectric projects, the program functions as a direct ratepayer benefit, with the PUD paying the state park fees on behalf of county residents. The funding approved by commissioners is expected to cover roughly 10 years at current cost levels.

The four parks serve as primary public entry points to the Columbia River for boating, swimming, fishing and shoreline use during the summer season and beyond. The move also expands an existing arrangement that had already covered day-use parking, adding boat launch fees for local residents.

At the south end of the system, Confluence State Park sits within Wenatchee’s city limits at the meeting of the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers. Farther north, Lincoln Rock provides one of the region’s most heavily used swimming beaches, followed by Daroga, which anchors river access for the Orondo area and surrounding orchard lands.

At the top of the corridor, Beebe Bridge has taken on a growing role in the PUD’s partnership with Washington State Parks.

Earlier this year, the utility highlighted that partnership as campground reservations at Beebe began transitioning into the statewide State Parks booking system — the same system already used at the other three parks — a change intended to expand camping access while keeping local benefits in place. During the multi-year transition, PUD crews will continue to maintain the park while State Parks gradually assumes operational responsibility.

For Lake Chelan-area residents, Beebe Bridge serves as the southern gateway to the valley — the point where the highways on both sides of the river come back together — and the northernmost link in a chain of parks that now share both a common reservation system and a common access program.

Commissioners approved the funding unanimously as part of a broader package of community investments.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media