Flaming Geyser State Park

State park in Washington (state), United States

47°16′20″N 122°01′22″W / 47.27222°N 122.02278°W / 47.27222; -122.02278 ^[1]Area503 acres (204 ha)Elevation226 ^[1]Governing bodyWashington State Parks and Recreation CommissionWebsiteFlaming Geyser State Park

The Flaming Geyser State Park is located on the Green River in southwestern King County, Washington, near the city of Black Diamond.^[2]^[3] The park was named for a flame which burned through a concrete basin, fueled by a methane gas pocket 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface. When the pocket was discovered by prospective coal miners in the early 1900s, the test hole hit gas and saltwater, shooting water and flames 25 feet (10 m) into the air. The same methane pocket seeps gas through a mud hole to create the "Bubbling Geyser" nearby. Both "geysers" can be found along a short hike, though as of 2016 the flaming geyser is no longer lit due to depletion of its methane source.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Despite these unique features, the most popular park use is for summer tubing and rafting in the river. Flaming Geyser also has a specially designated area for flying remote-controlled model airplanes.^[6]

History

Flaming Geyser was operated privately from the 1920s until the 1960s when the park fell into bankruptcy. When the land risked takeover by home development, Washington State Parks purchased the land and has managed it since.^[6] Urban legend of the park's history describes how miner Eugene Lawson aimed to profit from the ignited methane emission.^[7] While Lawson is a real historical figure who owned the Lawson Mine between 1895 and 1898 prior to two fatal explosions in 1902 and 1910, there is little record of involvement with Flaming Geyser.^[8]

Park management

The Park is managed by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission as a part of the Green River Gorge State Park Conservation Area. This conservation area covers 2,008.02 acres (8 km²) and 18 miles (29 km) of river shoreline bordered by Flaming Geyser to the west and Kanaskat-Palmer State Park to the east. The area also includes Black Diamond Heritage Area, Old Town of Franklin Heritage Area, Hanging Gardens Recreation Area, Walter A. Jellum Recreation Area, and Nolte State Park.^[5]

Natural resources

The park is 503 acres (2 km²) with over 3 miles (4.8 km) of river shoreline.^[6] The area is known for its coal and cinnabar mines, with approximately 14% of Washington's coal coming from the Black Diamond vicinity.^[5]

The Green River is a popular steelheading location in the winter, and an ADA-accessible Salmon Interpretative Trail in the park explains more about this ecological relationship.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "Flaming Geyser State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ Sykes, Karen (March 24, 2004). "Hike Of The Week: Natural wonders bubble up from the ground here". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seattle, Washington: Roger Oglesby. ISSN 0745-970X. OCLC 3734418. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
^ Reporter, Covington (January 10, 2010). "Flaming Geyser State Park to be closed for two years for repairs". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seattle, Washington: Roger Oglesby. ISSN 0745-970X. OCLC 3734418. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
^ "Flaming Geyser State Park". Day Hiking: Snoqualmie Region. Washington Trails Association. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Green River Gorge State Park Area Management Plan". Washington State Parks. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Complete park information". Flaming Geyser State Park. Washington State Parks. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ Hicks, James. "Flaming Geyser State Park". Strange Destinations. Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
^ Jensen, Ken (November 5, 2010). "Remembering the 1910 Lawson Mine disaster". Maple Valley Reporter. Retrieved April 15, 2012.

External links

Flaming Geyser State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Flaming Geyser State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Protected areas of Washington

Federal

National Parks	Mount Rainier North Cascades Olympic
National Monuments	Hanford Reach (USFWS) Mount St. Helens Volcanic (USFS) San Juan Islands (BLM)
National Historical Parks and Sites	Fort Vancouver NHS Klondike Gold Rush NHP Lewis and Clark NHP Manhattan Project NHP Nez Perce NHP San Juan Island NHP Whitman Mission NHS
National Historical Reserves	Ebey's Landing
National Trails	Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Northwest Trail
NPS National Recreation Areas	Lake Chelan Lake Roosevelt Ross Lake
National Wildlife Refuges	Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Columbia Conboy Lake Copalis Dungeness Flattery Rocks Franz Lake Grays Harbor Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer Little Pend Oreille McNary Pierce Protection Island Quillayute Needles Ridgefield Saddle Mountain San Juan Islands Steigerwald Lake Toppenish Turnbull Umatilla Willapa
National Forests	Colville Gifford Pinchot Idaho Panhandle Kaniksu Mount Baker–Snoqualmie Okanogan–Wenatchee Olympic Umatilla Wenatchee
USFS National Recreation Areas	Mount Baker
National Wilderness	Alpine Lakes Boulder River The Brothers Buckhorn Clearwater Colonel Bob Daniel J. Evans Glacier Peak Glacier View Goat Rocks Henry M. Jackson Indian Heaven Juniper Dunes Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Ridge Mount Adams Mount Baker Mount Rainier Mount Skokomish Noisy-Diobsud Norse Peak Pasayten Salmo-Priest San Juan Stephen Mather Tatoosh Trapper Creek Washington Islands Wenaha–Tucannon Wild Sky William O. Douglas Wonder Mountain
National Marine Sanctuary and National Estuarine Research Reserve	Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
National Wild and Scenic Rivers	Illabot Klickitat Pratt Skagit Snoqualmie White Salmon

State

State Parks	Alta Lake Anderson Lake Battle Ground Lake Bay View Beacon Rock Belfair Birch Bay Blake Island Blind Island Bogachiel Bottle Beach Bridgeport Bridle Trails Brooks Memorial Cama Beach Camano Island Camp Wooten Retreat Center Cape Disappointment Clark Island Columbia Hills Columbia Plateau Trail Conconully Crawford Curlew Lake Cutts Island Daroga Dash Point Deception Pass Doe Island Dosewallips Doug's Beach Eagle Island Federation Forest Fields Spring Flaming Geyser Forks of the Sky Fort Casey Fort Columbia Fort Ebey Fort Flagler Fort Simcoe Fort Townsend Fort Worden Ginkgo Petrified Forest Goldendale Observatory Grayland Beach Griffiths-Priday Harstine Island Hope Island (Mason County) Hope Island (Skagit County) Ike Kinswa Illahee Iron Horse Jackson House James Island Jarrell Cove Joemma Beach Jones Island Joseph Whidbey Kanaskat-Palmer Kinney Point Kitsap Memorial Klickitat Trail Kopachuck Lake Chelan Lake Easton Lake Lenore Caves Lake Sammamish Lake Sylvia Lake Wenatchee Larrabee Leadbetter Point Lewis and Clark Lewis and Clark Trail Lime Kiln Point Lincoln Rock Lyons Ferry Manchester Maryhill Matia Island Matilda Jackson McMicken Island Millersylvania Moran Mount Pilchuck Mount Spokane Mystery Bay Nolte Obstruction Pass Ocean City Olallie Olmstead Place Pacific Beach Pacific Pines Palouse Falls Palouse to Cascades Paradise Point Patos Island Peace Arch Pearrygin Lake Penrose Point Peshastin Pinnacles Pleasant Harbor Posey Island Potholes Potlatch Rainbow Falls Rasar Reed Island Riverside Rockport Sacajawea Saddlebag Island Saint Edward Saltwater Scenic Beach Schafer Seaquest Sequim Bay Shine Tidelands Skagit Island South Whidbey Spencer Spit Spokane River Centennial Trail Spring Creek Hatchery Squak Mountain Squilchuck Steamboat Rock Steptoe Battlefield Steptoe Butte Stretch Point Stuart Island Sucia Island Sun Lakes-Dry Falls Tolmie Triton Cove Turn Island Twanoh Twenty-Five Mile Creek Twin Harbors Wallace Falls Wanapum Recreational Area Wenatchee Confluence Westport Light Willapa Hills Trail Willie Keil's Grave Yakima Sportsman
State Forests	Ahtanum Capitol Elbe Hills Green Mountain Loomis Loup Loup Tahuya Teanaway Tiger Mountain Yacolt Burn
Natural Area Preserves	Admiralty Inlet Badger Gulch Bald Hill Barker Mountain Bone River Camas Meadows Carlisle Bog Castle Rock Charley Creek Chehalis River Surge Plain Chopaka Mountain Clearwater Bogs Cleveland Shrub Steppe Columbia Falls Columbia Hills Crowberry Bog Cypress Highlands Dabob Bay Dailey Prairie Davis Canyon Entiat Slopes Goose Island Gunpowder Island Hamma Hamma Balds Ink Blot Kahlotus Ridgetop Kennedy Creek Kings Lake Bog Kitsap Forest Lacamas Prairie Little Pend Oreille River Marcellus Shrub Steppe Methow Rapids Mima Mounds Monte Cristo Niawiakum River North Bay Oak Patch Olivine Bridge Pinecroft Point Doughty Riverside Breaks Rocky Prairie Sand Island Schumacher Creek Selah Cliffs Skagit Bald Eagle Skookum Inlet Snoqualmie Bog Spring Creek Canyon Trombetta Canyon Trout Lake The Two-Steppe Upper Dry Gulch Washougal Oaks Whitcomb Flats Willapa Divide
Natural Resources Conservation Areas	Ashford Cattle Point Clearwater Corridor Cypress Island Devils Lake Dishman Hills Elk River Ellsworth Creek Granite Lakes Hat Island Hendrickson Canyon Klickitat Canyon Lake Louise Loomis Lummi Island Merrill Lake Middle Fork Snoqualmie Morning Star Mount Si Naselle Highlands Queets River Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area Shipwreck Point Skamokawa Creek South Nemah South Nolan Stavis Stevenson Ridge Table Mountain Tahoma Forest Teal Slough Washougal Oaks West Tiger Mountain White Salmon Oak Woodard Bay
Aquatic Reserves	Cherry Point Cypress Island Fidalgo Bay Maury Island Nisqually Reach Protection Island Smith and Minor Islands

Other

Former state parks	Damon Point Fay Bainbridge Fort Okanogan Fort Ward Park Griffin Bay Mukilteo Lighthouse Park Osoyoos Lake Veteran's Memorial Park Skull Island Upright Channel Wenberg Westhaven