MOSES LAKE — Eager Washingtonians have flocked to state parks since their reopening May 5.

Coulee Corridor Area Manager and park ranger Denis Felton said he didn’t expect such a large crowd when the parks reopened, but he said it’s been fun having people come back out. Felton oversees state lands in Central Washington, including Steamboat Rock State Park, Potholes State Park and Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park.

“Last weekend we were busy, but we weren’t overloaded,” he said. “Everybody seemed to be maintaining, doing well, on their social distancing. It was just a really pleasurable weekend, and if the fish are biting, everyone’s happy.”

While Felton said anglers made up most of the recreationists as the parks reopened, he added that a fair number of hikers were out as well. Lake Lenore Caves and Northrup Canyon both saw their fair share of hikers along the trails.

Felton said hikers should be cautious of rattlesnakes in the parks.

“We’re in rattlesnake season right now, we’re just starting into it,” Felton said. “Typically, it’s May and June when we get calls to remove snakes where they’re in our more heavily populated areas, our day-use areas, our picnic areas. Usually, we’ll remove them and move them out, just kind of away from people, put ’em more in the back country a little bit.”

Felton said hikers, especially those who have pets with them, should be cautious of ticks, trying to avoid thicker areas of sagebrush in the parks.

Anna Gill, communications director and spokesperson for Washington State Parks, said reopening the parks involved a lot of coordination with other government agencies, specifically the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

“We had to determine what amenities and services we offer would be appropriate and safe during COVID,” Gill said.

Certain services will remain limited as the parks continue to work to reopen in the coming weeks. Group gathering areas, restrooms, playgrounds and other facilities will have limited access, mostly due to staffing limitations at this time, Gill said.

State-operated beaches and camping areas have been included in Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening strategy, Gill said. The State Parks Department will work closely with the governor’s office and state officials to move towards that next stage, Gill said.

“As the summer progresses and COVID situation changes, we are going to be adjusting and, hopefully, reopening more and more of our services,” Gill said.

During the weeks the parks were closed across the state, Gill said the responses they received were varied.

“There were people that were glad to see parks closing; there were others that were upset about, and confused, why we would do that,” Gill said. “Ultimately, the decision was made in conjunction with the governor’s office and his initial order to stay home and stay healthy. Our staff in the park was another significant consideration.”

In talking with park officials across the state, Gill said they kept hearing that visitation was higher than they’d ever seen it. Parking in some areas was spilling out onto country roads, Gill said. Thankfully, she said, they haven’t had any significant incidents of people not abiding with social distancing measures.

Gill said people have been wanting to get outside, and the state parks are a great place to get that experience. She said she hopes a silver lining to everything going on can be people having the chance to reconnect with public land.

“We hope that this is an opportunity for people who may have not thought about state parks, or visited as much, to really discover what this state has to offer,” Gill said. “Really, our parks belong to the people, and we want them to be able to enjoy them.”