Alcohol Use in the Park was Once Out of Control

For years, you couldn’t have an alcoholic beverage in the park — until 1972 when the law was amended, allowing consumption in state parks.

“This had an immediate effect on behavior in the park,” recalls retired Park Manager Richard Benson. “Lake Sammamish, and a few others, had the worst problems.”

Large groups, families and individuals could bring in as much alcohol as they wanted. Staff at Lake Sammamish were issuing up to 20-keg picnics every summer weekend, with some groups bringing in as many as 12 kegs just for their group. 

Though park rangers has law enforcement commissions, they couldn’t handle the size and type of crowds that then frequented the park. Large groups of young people took over portions of the park, recalls Benson. Drug use and crazy driving was common, and motorcycle gangs were frequent park users, he said.

“I remember learning the identity of gang leaders, as they were the ones we had to reason with,” said Benson. “For a few years, we averaged over 600 citations, mostly for alcohol, drug and serious driving violations.”

Though the situation at Lake Sammamish State Park led to an agency-wide ban on kegs in 1975, it was nearly 20 years before park rangers got alcohol consumption under some control, according to Benson. 

Today, picnickers are welcome to bring a beer or two in their coolers to the park, but kegs are still not allowed. Some park events include beer gardens, but drinks must be consumed within the fenced-off area.