Fort Simcoe State Park is located 30 miles west of Toppenish in Yakima County.

Acreage

200 acres.

Acquired

Fort Simcoe State Park was acquired in 1956 via a 99-year lease from the Yakima Tribal Council at no cost to the Commission.

Historical Background

The building of Fort Simcoe was started in 1856 by Major Garnett and continued into 1859, when Garnett left the fort after his wife and eight month-old son died. It was turned over in 1859 to the Department of Indian Affairs. Fort Simcoe was abandoned in 1923 when the agency moved to Toppenish. In 1953, a cooperative effort between Washington State Parks, the Yakima Indian Nation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other local organizations, began to restore Fort Simcoe.

Pre-park history notes this site as an ancient Indian campground where Indians from all directions came to barter, gamble, and visit. Included in visitors to this site were Canadian Indians. The Indian battles in the area were fought in 1855, the year before the fort was built, so it was never necessary to defend the fort.

Simcoe is a translation of the Yakima Indian word "Sim-qu-ee" which was the native name of the saddle in the long ridge north of the area.

Facilities

52 picnic sites, 8 outdoor braziers, picnic shelter, 2 comfort stations, 10 historic buildings, 2 staff residences, shop, interpretive center, one-half mile of hiking trail, interpretive displays in officers' houses, and playground equipment.

Activities

Picnicking, interpretation, hiking, playground equipment.