About Us
The Friends of Moran was established in 1996. Friends of Moran State park is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Your donation is tax deductible and your time is valuable as a volunteer!
Our mission is to raise funds and coordinate volunteer efforts throughout the year for projects within the 5252 acre state park. We assist the Moran State Park rangers with trail and campground maintenance, clean up and preservation. We also support education and interpretive programs for our 800,000 visitors each year. The Friends of Moran celebrate and honor the vision of Robert Moran who said, “This beautiful park will be held forever as a playground for all the people.”
Here are a few of the things we’ve done over the years and you can be a part of our future. Just contact us or call the Summit Gift Shop at 360-376-3111 to volunteer.
Past Projects
Stone Tower Restoration
The tower was built by the CCC in 1936. In the year 2002 the historic tower was closed because it was in need of major repairs. Local contractor, Rolf Eriksen was chosen to lead the restoration. Repairs included but were not limited to the removal and resetting of about 1200 stones and replacing 107 stones. The Summit House atop the stone structure was completely rebuilt including the entry door and the wooden stair systems. Over 1000 compromised sections of rebar were encapsulated and patched. 80% of all mortar joints were repointed. The lightening arresting system including adding underground copper pipes filled with conductant was repaired and or replaced. The tower was bonded to steel tower grounding. All intermediate windows were rebuilt or replaced. Crucial to this project was replicating to the extent possible all historic hardware.
During restoration, interpretive panels were installed and the interpretive cabinets were put into place. To finish off the months of work, the floors were sealed with epoxy to prevent water intrusion, the electrical service was rebuilt and the entire structure was given a light exterior cleaning.
The list of all restoration efforts is lengthy and proved the maintenance on an annual basis is lot less expensive. All the time, consideration and effort accomplished by Rolf is appreciated beyond words. Rolf Eriksen is our board historian and, needless to say, Lifetime Member. He generously and graciously dedicates his time and talents to Friends and Moran State park.
Now that you’ve read about it, don’t wait any longer to see it for yourself. We’ve illustrated why it is important to continue maintenance of our historic stone tower which faces harsh elements year after year. We couldn’t do it without your support. Friends is dedicated to the preservation of the historic tower, you can help with your time your talent or your tax deductible donation to Friends.
Interpretive Panels
Interpretation has always been the vision of Friends. On your visit to the historic Stone Tower you’ll find porcelain panels which elegantly pay tribute to Robert Moran and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The panels provide information that was not previously available. They describe the generosity and foresight of Robert Moran who donated the original 3600 acres of land to Washington State Parks. The panels also illustrate the impact of the CCC in Moran State Park history and how they enhanced the great gift from Robert Moran. The interpretive panel project cost more than $20,000 and took approximately three years to research and complete. Knowing that potentially 800,000 visitors per year come to know more about the history behind Moran State Park and the Stone Tower makes it a legacy Friends will always be proud of.
Summit Gift Shop
The Summit Gift Shop was opened in May of 2007 and raised a substantial amount of funds for the state park. The shop was staffed entirely on volunteer efforts. We were open every day in the summer from 11-4 pm. We found locally made goods along with unique items directly connected to Moran State Park. Of course everyone loves a well fitting hat or t-shirt to take home, but many also found our local art to be a valuable memory. We expect to continue building on our success by providing items you can’t find anywhere else. Where else would one find “brew with a view our Daily Constitution” a specially roasted coffee from Local Goods?
Art in the Park
Art in the Park is one of our past events that served the community well. With local artists, various vendors, good food and entertainment, it was a beautiful way to spend the afternoon. The event was a great way to raise funds for the park and support local artists. Continue to check the web page because great events always resurface.
Bill Yarlott Annual Fishing Derby
The fishing derby has taken place for 12 years now, in honor of Bill Yarlott. It celebrates the beginning of fishing season and a rite of passage for kids. The derby is named after Bill because he was instrumental in getting Cascade Lake stocked when fish numbers began to decline. He was also influential in getting the hatchery up and running. Bill makes some fine tasting chili and has enjoyed watching youngsters over the years catch Kokanee, Cutthroat and Rainbow trout from Cascade Lake. Everyone gets a prize. The event is co-sponsored by Eastsound Sporting Goods, who generously donate prizes year after year.
Annual Clean Up
Every year just about Earth Day many hardworking individuals gather, and at the direction of park rangers, clean up nature’s windy winter weather playground. Campsites are prepared for the busy season and trails are maintained, cleared of fallen trees and repaired as necessary. It may be one of our most labor intensive projects, but it’s the most rewarding for the efforts volunteers provide to park staff. Join us next year, celebrate Moran State Park, Earth Day and a free lunch.
Kokanee Fish Hatchery
Fish Hatchery operations have gone on at Cascade Lake off and on since the 1960’s, but recently the park decided to make the hatchery more available to park visitors and make use of Moran Creek hear the Day Use Area at Cascade Lake. Visitors can peak into the life of a Kokanee through the observation window on the front of the building. Future interpretive panels are planned so visitors will better understand the hatchery process and appreciate this landlocked species of salmon. We have about 80,000 Kokanee that will be released into Cascade Lake by mid June depending upon water levels and fish growth.
Summit Bike Challenge
The bike challenge started in 2007 as a funding event for the Kokanee Fish Hatchery now located in the park building across from Cascade Lake Day Use Area. The ride is a fun family event to celebrate the coming of fall and a ride up Mt. Constitution Rd with less traffic than our summer season. We have snack/refreshment tables at three main trailheads, Cascade Falls, Mountain Lake and the Summit. Riders are encouraged to go as far as they’d like. Some have taken the opportunity to see if they can make it all the way to the top, and they have indeed! You’ll even find the park rangers taking part to enjoy a challenging but awesome ride up to the Summit.